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Sometimes waiting for a computer to start can feel like an exercise in patience. If you've ever wondered if anything can be done to speed up this process, look no further! In this article, I will include some of these suggestions for a faster Windows startup, specifically as they relate to Windows Vista.

MORE RAM!

Before we get into software-related fixes, one hardware fix that can make a huge difference in the speed and performance of your computer overall is to add more RAM. This is often the first upgrade that computer enthusiasts perform on their own systems because of its huge benefits. So how much RAM should you add if you go for this option? My answer is this: as much as you can afford that can be accommodated by your computer. A quick way to find out what type of RAM your computer needs and how much will fit in your machine is to check out the website www.crucial.com. This site uses a scanning tool to check your machine and make recommendations.

In terms of fixes there that don't involve any screwdrivers, there are changes you can make to your computer that can have a substantial effect on its startup speed. When you buy your computer with the operating system pre-installed, it often comes with a large number of trial programs, options that you may not necessarily need, and programs that are set to run on startup by default. There are other settings that you can tweak as well for better performance.

STARTUP ITEMS

A good starting point is to take a look at the programs that are set to run on startup. It takes time to get all those programs loaded into memory when your computer starts, and you may find that not all of them are things that need to be running right away every day. You can set the unwanted ones not to run when your computer boots up. Vista has the "Windows Defender" tool where you can set whether or not specific programs run at Startup. There is more than one way to access this tool, for example by going to Start, All Programs, Windows Defender. You can also find Windows Defender by going to the Start button and then entering "Windows Defender" in the search box, then double-clicking the resulting entry.

Once at Windows Defender, you will want to choose "Startup Programs" from the Category menu. This will show a list of programs and you will be able to see whether they are each permitted to run at Startup. When you click on a particular program, you will see a button lit up for either "Disable" or "Enable" as appropriate, and can use these buttons

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