Performance Tips

In addition to managing what programs start when you start your computer, here are other tricks to improving performance:
1. Change your power setting. Contemporary computers and operating systems can operate at different power settings. If your system has that feature under Power Options, then you can adjust for low, balanced, or high power.
2. Change your graphics settings. Windows Vista and 7 have fancy "eye candy" features that are the "default configuration." These fancy features cost a lot of processor time. Use your graphics settings to remove all the fancy features. The result will look like the old windows XP, but your system will run a lot faster.
3. Increase your virtual memory. By default, your virtual memory is set to 1.5 times your installed memory. This is probably not enough for today's applications. Use a factor of 2.0, as a minimum. (Usually you have lots of space on your hard drive to accommodate this change; however, be aware that this does permanently reserve hard drive space.)
4. If your computer has multiple cores, then you should set your operating system to use those cores. Windows Vista/7 is set to use only 1 core. You should set the Boot to recognize all the cores you have.
5. Remove unnecessary fonts. That is, don't delete them, but use a tool to sequester them.
6. Change your security program. The older McAfee and Norton products, and probably all other older security applications can completely overwhelm your computer's resources. If you insist on using one of these products, don't just renew the license; get their most recent product. 7. Don't load more security than you need. I've found many systems with multiple security programs running simultaneously. This is a no no.
8. Firewalls can be drag on internet browsing. This is a worth a number of blog entries. In short, you can turn on Microsoft Firewall at home to protect against "behind the router firewall" incursions from laptops that have become infected by being taken to a public environment.

OK, you're saying- "So you've made the list, but there's no help on how to do these things. I need more instructions!" I'll leave those instructions to following posts.