Frequent access to the internet leaves your system vulnerable to virus, spyware and other malware. The Windows registry may also develop inconsistencies over time that can leave you gasping for speed from your Windows Vista operating System. There is a wide variety of free tools to help you overcome this problem but first you need to know where the problem is.

Automatically tune up Windows Vista

If you feel your Windows Vista based computer has become inordinately slow compared to speeds when the machine was new Microsoft offers help online. This free service help repair a slow, buggy system where some of the application may not be working at all. To fix it adopt the following procedure:

  • Fire up Internet Explorer preferably (or use the IE Tab add-on with Firefox) and turn off pop-up blocker
  • Go to Windows Live at http://onecare.live.com/site/en-us/default.htm
  • Click on the “Full Service Scan” button
  • Accept the Service Agreement presented to you
  • Allow Windows Live to install the scanner
  • Wait for the scan to complete after the scanner has downloaded
  • Take the recommended actions

Tools to speed up a slow Windows Vista

Use the disk clean up tool to free up disk space and improve performance by deleting those files that can be safely removed from your hard disks. Remove installed programs that you no longer use. File fragmentation on the hard disk slows access to files as multiple pieces have to be read in from different locations on the hard drive, a better strategy is to use a tool that alters this layout so that the files are packaged neatly end to end and read/write operations are faster. You can use the error checking utility to check the integrity of the files stored on your hard drives, it also checks for misplaced files and folders as also bad sectors on the hard drive. It is important to use a good anti spyware as these put your confidential information at risk by collecting personal information without telling you. This can range from username and password to what websites you visit. You can also use ReadyBoot in Windows Vista to improve performance without having to add additional memory, but using non-volatile flash memory like USB drive or memory card.

Armed with these tips it is hard to see why you should not be able to extract optimum speed from your hardware.