[PCWorld]

Post your comments for 12 Unnecessary Vista Features You Can Disable Right Now here

[MicTig]

It makes me mad when people stereotype Vista.

[GOED]

Your Statement:
Don't worry about turning this item off if you run Vista Home (Basic or Premium). You don't have it.

It's WRONG.

Both
REMOTE DESKTOP ASSISTANT and WINDOWS REMOTE ASSISTANT are available in Vista Home Premium.
I use Remote Desktop Connection to Connect to a family member PC Running XP MEDIA CENTER, Which is based on the XP-PRO Kernel and Fetures.

Regards,
Geo

[JcHc3in1]

MicTig, I have to disagree with your statement. I thought Mr. Spector did a good job on this article. I don't bash MS, and I hate MAC and Linux "Fanboys", but I thought this article was well written and helpful for those who are running Vista with less than premium hardware. I see nothing wrong here.

[mrwarrenzhang]

I think that the author could have tried to make his word choices a little less biased.

[pdde2006]

Having just moved from windows XP/media to Vista home premium I am forced to admit that Vista, while a new experience, is no more bloated than I found XP when I began using it.
As a "pleasure" computer user I cannot comprehend all the fuss behind the need to analyze the gaps that can only be measured in piezo seconds on a test bench !! If it takes an added .06 second to get to the spam in my inbox, so be it.
While no one likes a bully (MS are you listening ?)they are where they are because most everybody else fell by the wayside. Microsoft is no more, or less, indifferent to consumers than any large (monolithic ?)business.
If you really feel that Vista is so inferior than buy a white box/custom. Also be prepared to spend a lot more to get a lot less.

[dcontarino]

This is a good basic summary on ways to speed up Vista. As a power user with a fast system, I recently had a revelation (LOL). I had so many of Vista's features disabled, I was missing out on any benefits I got from upgrading. So I selectively enabled certain Aero aspects, like "fade out after clikcing", transparent glass, and yes, DreamSchemes (looks great on a 24" glossy monitor). Believe it or not, my system still "only" uses 800MB of memory idle. Small price to pay for a beautiful OS. Give Vista a chance - you can make it nearly as quick as XP, or compromise and have a beautiful OS with a slight performance penalty.

[SandraParshall]

My big problem with Vista is that it's incredibly unreliable. At least two or three times a week, it won't even start. I learned long ago not to allow start-up repair to run, because that removes all anti-virus updates and I start getting urgent messages that my system isn't protected. When Vista won't start, I turn off the computer and try again. And again, if necessary. Finally, it starts and runs normally. What a nuisance to have to go through this so often! I've done everything I can think of to fix whatever "problem" is causing this -- cleaned the registry, defragged,turned off most of the features mentioned in your article, etc. etc., and Vista is still balky and slow. It's much slower than XP, even though my computer has plenty of memory and disk space and is less than a year old.
I hate Vista.

[LHart]

How about... when you write an article of this nature (recommending turning 'unnecessary' features off, you include the amount of 'page file memory' each will save. For those unfortunate enough to have bought a "Vista" loaded computer with only 1Gb of RAM, or at the most, 2Gb, this information would be most welcome AND important. (Just a thought.)

[dcontarino]

SandraParshall, It sounds like your issues are more related to your specific system and not Vista in general. For example, "start-up repair" is not a Vista feature that I am aware of. Are you sure it's not something from your PC vendor or anti-malware app? It sounds like something in your system startup is corrupted, most likely not OS-related. Anyhow, Vista will NOT be snappy without at least a 2 GHz dual core processor, and 2+ GB of good RAM. I wish I had an hour with your system - I bet I could get it working well for you.

[SandraParshall]

Startup Repair is part of Vista -- it's one of the system recovery options.

My computer is a Dell, with dual core procesor and 2 GB of memory. I'm about to double the memory in the hope that will help the speed problem. As for the startup problem, I've spent HOURS on the phone with Dell tech support, given them remote access to my system, waited while they checked absolutely everything on it -- and they could not find a problem, much less suggest a fix. I think they thought I was inventing the problem. I've also disabled all unnecessary programs that were launching at startup, and although that made my system start faster, it didn't eliminate the random refusals to start at all.

[rgreen4]

Sandra, I will issue the same invitation to you that I do with everyone who posts that they have problems with Vista.
Please, consider posting a new question giving a good heading and then listing all the problems you are having and the make and model of your machine. This community has a good number of members who are fairly good at solving problems. We don't solve all, but we have a high sucess rate. You can start a new discussion/question in the Windows topic area by clicking here.
You have only a few minutes to loose and a functional, pleasant PC to gain.

[mmm111]

Vista is a very poor quality product--having a zillion features doesn't change that. And MS likely alienated millions of users, like me, who beleived you could run it on a computer with less than 2G of Ram. A 2G PC with Vista is about the same as a 512k Ram with XP. Vista's poor quality plus misleading customers about the system requirements, MS deserves to be bashed.

[rgreen4]

Vista runs in 1G, XP runs in 512MB. No, they don't run as well as they would with more resources. A 2,000 LB automobile doesn't run as well with a 4Cyl as it does with a 6Cyl engine either. That doesn't make either one bad. Adding power resources to anything makes it run better, but may not always be an option. I helped a good friend set up a Christmas computer for his grandson, Vista HP and only 1GB of memory. It ran adequately, and the boy was thrilled with it.

All of my Vista machines (3) have at least 2GB.

Stating opinions in a clear manner without calling names is not bashing. Calling names is and does not help the discussion.

[raife1]

"SandraParshall"...

There are several, rather desperate, Microsoft/Vista "fanboys" on this site (as well as, others) that quite regularly attack anyone that points-out the numerous real problems that actually exist, both, with Microsoft (as a company), and "Windows-Vista" (as a product, and as a piece of technology).

I have also noticed that, recently, many of these same-individuals have actually gone from merely spewing (Microsoft-originated) marketing-rhetoric and, apparently-intentional, pro-Vista, mis-information... to actually flat-out lying, and merely, childishly, insulting those that disagree with the Microsoft-line.

Frankly, some of these posters started-off simply denying the well-established problems that many, many, others were having. These posters generally used the, same-old, tired-rhetoric that... anyone who had problems (with "Vista) was, either an unreasonable "basher", or, had simply not actually used (or had been too lazy to learn) "MS-Vista". These, rather transparent, assertions were despite the fact that so many of those that have become steadfastly disappointed-by ( and, even, openly opposed-to) "Vista" (as a seriously-flawed product)... are, in many cases, people that have actually worked in the computer-industry for years (and, in some cases, have actually been using, testing, and providing technical-feedback, since "MS-Vista" beta-1).

Originally, I honestly thought some of these (rabidly pro-Microsoft) posters were simply paid Microsoft-shills (which Microsoft has actually been caught using on quite a few occasions)... however, some of these posters recent devolution into little more than, clearly technologically- ignorant, name-calling, antagonists... seems to indicate that their true-colors have finally been revealed...

...so, you shouldnt take it personally.

[AuroraDizon]

Personal attacks are not allowed on this forum. If you feel as if you have been personally attacked please let me or one of the other moderators know. There is also an abuse button on the bottom of the posts where you can report attacks for later review.

[GCFreak]

Vista shouldn't NEED to use so much memory and horsepower to get it to do stuff quickly. Linux doesn't, hell, not even Mac OS X or XP. People can't accept that Vista is an unpolished piece of crap.

Edited by Moderator, watch you language.

[wwalker]

RE: Tablet PC Stuff. If you use the Vista snipping tool you won't want to disable the Tablet PC Stuff. Who knows what MS was thinking when they put the Snipping Tool as a Tablet PC component?

[Tech4me]

Hi Sandra . (Off Topic) .Base on what your saying....I think you should post your problems(With your own discussion) ...Maybe.. there's something we..can help.

Be happy.(Vista is good)

(I 'VE ALREADY KISSED MY XP. GOODBYE)

[Adama]

Hi Sandra, and welcome to PCWorld Community.

It seems like you have a valid problem going on with your computer. I agree with RGreen who is a Moderator, and with Tech4me, you would benefit from starting your own discussion about this problem.

You can go to the Windows forum and post your question there, where it would be more visible, and you would get better assistance that way.