Too many times I get a good "tip" on a good registry tweak or a good thing to remove or do, and some times it does not work.
What are some good tweaks for Windows Vista/XP/7 that actually works and you find the most useful?
Copied from a response I posted on Server Fault, a collection of useful Windows XP registry tweaks:
Use classic login:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon]
"LogonType"=dword:00000000
Remove Windows Tour popup:
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Applets\Tour]
"RunCount"=dword:00000000[/br][HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Applets\Tour]
"RunCount"=dword:00000000
Disable autorun:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Cdrom]
"AutoRun"=dword:00000000
Disable search assistant:
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\CabinetState]
"Use Search Asst"="no"
Set Google as Internet Explorer homepage:
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main]
"Start Page"="www.google.com"
Put volume icon in the tray:
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Applets\SysTray]
"Services"=dword:0000001f
Remove Windows Messenger from startup:
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run]
"MsnMsgr"=-
Show file extensions:
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced]
"HideFileExt"=dword:00000000
Classic control panel:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]
"ForceClassicControlPanel"=dword:00000001
Disable Desktop Cleanup Wizard
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\CleanupWiz]
"NoRun"=dword:00000001
Microsoft's
PowerToys
[1] have included a bunch of useful Windows tweaks:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx
"Open Command Window Here" is simple, but startlingly useful!
Powertoys has an option to change the actual location of the My Document\Pictures\Music folders.
It is remarkably useful. When I install a new computer, I put all the user data on D:, and the system folders and installed software on C:. After pointing the "My" directories to D:\home\username\My-Whatever, I create an image of C:.
Now, after some months the computer is slow and buggy. I simply restore the image - all the users' data is on D:. They just need to install some software.
Saved my so many hours on friends' computers.
In regedit
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Mouse\MouseHoverTime
Change from 400 to anything below 20 to make the superbar in Windows 7 bearable (sets the time, in milliseconds, that it takes for the previews to pop up).
I typically set my pagefile to a static size and turn off all visual enchantments by turning off everything in the right click my computer -> properties -> advanced -> performance menu.
These do affect performance in Windows XP.
EDIT: I install TweakUI [1] typically for easy access to other options. I usually have my My Documents and Desktop folders on another drive to make rebuilds more seamless.
[1] http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspxApart from static pagefile size and disabled visuals I also fire up gpedic.msc and disable autoruns from all devices under Windows XP.
Unfortunately this step doesn't fully disable autoruns on removable devices, only their autoplay features. They can still override the "open" action. To take care of that I use this registry script:
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\IniFileMapping\Autorun.inf] @=”@SYS:DoesNotExist”
For XP/Vista/7, www.blackviper.com [1] knows what he's talking about. OS Guides, service configurations for newbs through "super geek" users, you name it. He is always up to date, always adding content. Every time I reload an OS, I refer to his site.
[1] http://www.blackviper.comThere are lots of tricks you can do with Windows 7, but the most useful one I found is Changing User Profile Default Location in Windows 7 [1].
This way you can isolate your documents from the OS partition. Its a great way to keep your OS clean and up to speed.
[1] http://www.windows7hacker.com/index.php/2009/05/how-to-change-user-profile-default-location-in-windows-7With the classic start menu and XP start menu, the menu fades in and out. Some people find the effect unnecessary. It's a simple registry tweak to make the menu show instantly:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\MenuShowDelay
set it to 0.
This site tweakguides [1] covers it all, has a PDF that covers everything for XP and Vista.
[1] http://www.tweakguides.com/TGTC.htmlThe TweakGuides Tweaking Companion (TGTC) is the complete system optimization guide for Windows users. Designed for novice and advanced users alike, it is written in plain English to help you genuinely understand all aspects of Windows and your PC. The guide covers every major topic, from the correct installation of Windows and critical drivers and software, through to recommendations for every significant setting and feature, all the major performance and convenience tweaks and customizations, as well as detailed troubleshooting advice. There are also links to a range of reliable free applications for optimizing and maintaining your system, as well as to important resources for finding out even more about Windows and your PC.
Most "tweaks" either really do nothing, or cause some harm. The GUI can be changed as much as you want, of course. But as far as speed goes, the system already runs as fast as the people who know it best could make it run.
That being said, there are certainly some things that some users will never use. But that is something fairly individual to users and very hard to generalize about. Some people may never use the Fax service, while others use it all the time, for example. So turning off unnecessary things is an individual choice.
Also, Windows is now a service-based OS and not a resources-based OS like Windows 95 and 98. Many people are still living in the past. That means that turning off services saves absolutely nothing of the CPU because services that are not doing something do not use the CPU. That is why NT systems have virtually no upper limit on resources. The only time shutting down services is a help is when RAM is too low.
The idea that turning off services will speed the system is based on a complete lack of understanding about how the NT kernel operates. As an experiment, I turned on all services and compared the speed of the machine to the reduced, BlackViper set. There was no difference whatsoever.
Most of the "tweaks" floating around are not even for the NT system and do nothing at all.
Increase the number of simultaneous downloads in IE8
[1]
Menu Delay Time in Windows 7
[2]
Under Windows XP I would have a registry tweak [1] to shutdown faster, it worked but in the end I think I changed the 1000 to 100: bad idea! Windows 7 luckily doesn't need it, shutdown is pretty rapid.
[1] http://www.tweakxp.com/article37045.aspx1) Start - Run - Regedit Navigate to the following Registry key: HKEY CURRENT USER\Control Panel\Desktop Double click on the AutoEndTasks entry and replace the 0 with a 1 in the Value data text box
For the next two, if the dword value indicated does not exist, create it:
Double click on the WaitToKillAppTimeout entry in the right pane and change the Value data to 2000
Double click on the HungAppTimeout entry in the right pane and change the Value data to 1000
Reboot
If still having a problem, make the next change:
2) HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control Right-click on WaitToKillServiceTimeout and change it to 2000
NOTE: The lowest value Windows will recognize is 1000 (1 second)
ADVISORY: While rare, the "WaitToKillService" tweak can cause problems. If an application is in the process of saving data and the associated service is stopped prematurely, the data will not be saved and may be lost. (Tweak, Note and Advisory from Forum Admin)
Sysinternals.com has a lot of apps to monitor processes, network connections etc.
I often use:
- ProcessExplorer
- Autoruns
- TcpView
You can downlosd SysInternals Suite with all apps.
Add a shortcut to Notepad in the SendTo folder.
I agree that screwing around with things you don't know about can cause problems, and frankly, in all my years, I have not really once gone in to turn off services, etc. I do have some tweaks that I like.
1) Set Control Panel to small icons
2) Open Computer>Organize>Layout>Menu Bar Click to turn on
3) Control Panel>Folder Options>View and uncheck "Hide extensions for known file types"
4) Right-Click Start>Properties>Start Menu>Customize and check "Run command", and display System Administrative Tools
5) Turn off annoying Internet Explorer sound when you navigate in Control Panel>Sound>Sounds>"Start Navigation" (sound) set the sound to None
My last one is to kill the slides, fades, etc. that slow down what I want to do. Right-click Computer>Properties>Advanced System Settings>Advanced>Performance and set them like I have them in the screenshot. You can also experiment with unchecking others to see if you like that too. This last one will actually improve performance.