Removing startup items - Vista Video Tutorial

Name: Speed up startup
Category: Removing what you don't need
Operating System: Windows Vista
Difficulty: This one is Grandma material!

Have you ever wondered why your computer takes so long to turn on? "It never was this slow" you say. Chances are it is because many of the programs you have installed over the years are loading when Windows starts. Many of these programs you don't even need or use.

I often wonder why so many programs default to starting when your computer turns on - hell how many times do we need that quicktime icon that many of us have in our toolbar every time the computer turns on. Many computers I see during my work have so much in their startup list that the computer is taking much longer to start than it should. I try to teach these people that many of these they just don't need, but most are scared to remove programs from startup because they think they will mess something up. I am here today to tell you - it's not that hard!

I came across a great video by pcwizkid again today, which explains the easiest way to remove startup items in Windows Vista. There is no fancy registry editing, no plying around with msconfig, no smashing your computer when it won't play that new game you bought (OK I can't promise the last one). This video only goes for 1 minute and is an absolute must watch for Vista users.

What advantage will this have?
Removing these mountains of programs that start when your computer does not only frees up valuable memory, but has the added advantage of speeding up the time Vista takes to start. Users with small amounts of memory 512MB or 1GB will possibly see a minor improvement in performance.

How do I do this?
Watch the video.


If you found this useful you might like to consider subscribing (it's free)

Speed Up Vista - Video Tutorial

Name: Performance Baby!
Category: Speed up Windows Vista
Operating System: These instructions are for Vista
Difficulty: You could get your grandma to do this for you!

What is this about...?
This great Vista video tutorial will help you speed up Vista by using the Performance tool in Windows Vista. This tool is also in Windows XP and is a great way of speeding up performance on these two operating systems. This is really great for people with low RAM, but will not make a really huge difference.

This video will show you which graphical "features" to turn off to help your computer performance. The best part about this tool is that you can turn off as many of as few as you like, but the more you turn off the better performance you will get. When I first used this tool on Windows XP I found that I could turn everything except one option off (use visual styles on Windows and buttons) and I didn't even notice a difference in graphics!

What should I expect if I turn these "features" off...?
If you have over 2GB of RAM there is a good chance you wont even notice a difference, but on slower computers you should notice a slightly faster startup time and will get a slightly better response time out of Windows!

Should I be careful of anything...?
This is the best part you can safely turn all of these options off and Windows will still run without any problems. Play around with the options until you find the settings you are happy with!

How do I do this...?
Simple...watch the video!

Windows Vista ReadyBoost - Speed up Vista

I came across this amazing video tip today. A Vista feature called ReadyBoost will allow you to use a flash drive (those little sticks you plug into your USB drive) to store some of the required files to help speed up your computer - all without adding RAM. ReadyBoost is avaliable on all versions of Vista and is really easy to use. I think I am going to order a cheap 4gb stick (maximum limit) just to use ReadyBoost.

How does it work...?
It is basically like adding RAM to the system without having to actually open up your computer and add RAM. Vista ReadyBoost uses you flash drive to cache system information instead of the RAM - in other words it speeds up your system.

How fast can I go...?
Research suggests that people using 512MB RAM to run Vista could see up to 42% increase in performance by using ReadyBoost. Users with 1GB RAM might only notice a very small difference. Laptop users will love ReadyBoost because it will reduce the work done by the hard drive and may even increase battery life!

How do I use ReadyBoost...?
Simple! This video will show you - good luck

Windows Vista Video Tutorial - Remove the sidebar

Name: Sidekick, sidebar what is the difference?
Category: Removing stuff and Speed up Windows Vista
Operating System: Windows Vista
Difficulty: Anyone who can watch TV can do this

What is all this about...?
Windows Vista is supposed to be the greatest thing ever right ("The wow starts now" and all that or maybe VISTA stands for Viruses, Intruders, Spyware, Trojans and Adware... who knows?) Whatever we think about this new offering from Microsoft most of us are going to have to use it as some point in the future and this tip will help you remove one of its annoying little "features" that many people hate.

Have you installed Windows Vista only to be greeted by that whopping big sidebar you wouldn't use if it came with a coffee maker and want to get rid of it? Then this video tutorial will take the pain away for all those who can't stand this little "improvement." It will remove the sidebar and stop it from loading every time Windows starts. Warning - Removing the sidebar might even speed up your computer.

How do I do it...?
Watch the video and copy what the magic mouse does on the screen and what the man tells you - easy..? You bet!

Special thanks to pc wiz kid for making these great vids!

Windows Vista Video Tutorial - Vista "features" slowing you down

Name: I'm feeling a little bloated right now
Category: Speed up your computer / Windows
Operating System: Windows Vista
Difficulty: Anyone who can watch TV can do this

What is this all about...?
Basically Windows is what some refer to as a bloated operating system as it contains many programs, services and other "features" most regular users will never use. The problem with this is that these "features" use system resources like RAM (memory) and Hard Disk Space. This video tutorial will help you remove some of the programs that you most likely didn't even know were using your computers resources.

How do I do it...?
Well this time I am going to let the video do all the talking/showing. It is easy to follow and if you are running vista I recommend taking the 1 minute to watch it. Remember that you can reinstall these "features" at any time, but you should still take care to remove only what you need.



Stay tuned for more Vista Tips and more Video Tips and tutorials. The plan is to have about one video tutorial a week and a few of my "normal" tips (yeah you still have to read them - sorry!). If you like what you see you can subscribe for free to my feed.