The interfaces of WinXP and Vista are certainly more visually appealing than the primarily grayscale design found on Windows 98 and Windows 2000. However, the greater graphics appeal also requires more of your PC’s system resources—particularly true if you use Vista’s stylish Aero interface. Reducing the visual effects in WinXP and Vista is one of the easiest ways to speed up your PC, because Windows will dedicate less computing power to its interface graphics.
To make changes to the visual effects in WinXP, click the Start menu, select Control Panel, double-click System, choose the Advanced tab, and click the Settings button under the Performance section. In Vista, click Start, Control Panel, System And Maintenance, and Performance Information And Tools. On the left-hand pane, click Adjust Visual Effects.
By default, both OSes are set to the Let Windows Choose What’s Best For My Computer option, but you can boost your PC’s performance by selecting the Adjust For Best Performance radio button. Note that in Vista, the Best Performance settings turn off some features of the OS, such as the Tasks pane. Therefore, selecting the Custom radio button and choosing among the features you want may provide you a better balance between performance and appearance. Once you’ve made your choices, click the Apply button.
To make changes to the visual effects in WinXP, click the Start menu, select Control Panel, double-click System, choose the Advanced tab, and click the Settings button under the Performance section. In Vista, click Start, Control Panel, System And Maintenance, and Performance Information And Tools. On the left-hand pane, click Adjust Visual Effects.
By default, both OSes are set to the Let Windows Choose What’s Best For My Computer option, but you can boost your PC’s performance by selecting the Adjust For Best Performance radio button. Note that in Vista, the Best Performance settings turn off some features of the OS, such as the Tasks pane. Therefore, selecting the Custom radio button and choosing among the features you want may provide you a better balance between performance and appearance. Once you’ve made your choices, click the Apply button.