Why is Vista Home Premium so slow?

[Guest]

I just purchase a new laptop with 2gb of memory, 120gb HD, 2 Intel Duo Core 2
processors. I have removed the junk software (trials) and left it as clean as
possible. I am at the point of going back to Windows XP. Can someone please
give me some tips to improve the performance of Vista. It slow launching
applications such as Word, Internet browser, Excel, etc...

Your help is greatly appreciated.

 

[Val]

Check the power options - make sure the processor isn't being unnecessarily
throttled.

Default plan on my Compaq was CPU MAX at 50% both on AC and battery. How
stupid was that?

 

[Guest]

Hi Val,

Thanks for your prompt response. I have a Sony Vaio and the power setting is
set to VAIO Optimized. The Processor power management is set to 5% for
Minimum processor state and 100% for Maximum. Is this what you are referring
to?

 

[Val]

Yep, that's what I meant. Looks like Sony was a bit smarter than HP in
chosing the settings.

How slow is slow? On my Sempron 3300, 1GB (less 128 for video) Word 2007
comes up in about 12 seconds from scratch, 4-5 seconds when some of it's in
cache. This is not a really speedy machine, but I'm satisfied with such
perfomance.

Val

 

[Guest]

Slower than my Dell D400 with 1 gb of memory running XP Pro. In Vista, just
navigating through the open windows is slow, bringing up windows explorer,
Photoshop CS2 suffers; clicking on my favorites on my browser takes long and
startup and shutdown takes long. Overall it just awful. I have reimaged the
laptop and still no luck. I've asked Sony if they could send me an XP PC and
they said NO. This Duo Core 2 should be lightning fast. I have removed the
Vista hard drive and replaced it with another drive and installed XP Pro. I
immediately notice the performance improved greatly with XP.

 

[Val]

Have you tried Vista with all the eyecandy turned off? That makes a
noticeable performance improvement on my Compaq, especially in some of those
items you mention. Aero and the desktop window manager do take a toll. My
Powerpoint presentations run much snappier with video effects off.

Still, it sounds like something else is going on with your system. I dunno
what.

Val

 

[Guest]

Hi, I have the same spec on a dell xps M1210 and I too was being driven crazy
by the performance on Vista. Mine came with Macafee already installed - I
uninstalled it and the change was incredible. Must uninstall not turn off.
Installing Norton instead did not hamper the new performance rate and using
photoshop CS2 is no problem. But......I am still thinking of going back to XP
as I still don't rate Vista.

 

[Greg]

I agree with other posters - must be something else happening with your
system - probably the virus software. My machine only has a total of 1GB
memory (both core two duo processors together) and it runs most things
fairly quickly on Home Premium, at a Experience Index Base Score of 4.4 with
Windows Aero.

What rating does Windows give your machine? Go to Control
Panel/System&Maintenance/Check you computer's Window's Experience Index Base
Score. If it is above 3 then something else is going on.

 

[David A. Spicer]

I'm running Vista Ultimate on a 2 year old Dell 9300 (1.73GHz single core)
with 2 GB of RAM and it runs great. Maybe a little slower than XP, but not
much. I am running an OEM version of Vista Ultimate, not an image with all
the bloat-ware. If all you have is a Dell restore DVD/partition, this may be
the problem.

 

[Lang Murphy]

I just purchase a new laptop with 2gb of memory, 120gb HD, 2 Intel Duo Core
2
processors. I have removed the junk software (trials) and left it as clean
as
possible. I am at the point of going back to Windows XP. Can someone
please
give me some tips to improve the performance of Vista. It slow launching
applications such as Word, Internet browser, Excel, etc...

Your help is greatly appreciated.

I have two laptops running Vista Ultimate: a Dell D620 with an Intel Core 2
Duo cpu and 2GB's RAM and a D620 with a Core Duo cpu and 1.5GB's RAM. Both
boxes run fine; no "slowness" encountered on 99.5% of the things I do... The
laptop with the Core 2 Duo cpu is my main PC right now... if flies on almost
everything. (Excepting file copying, which is, apparently, at least to my
way of thinking, a major Vista bug.)

Have you checked out your AV software as another poster suggested? I'm using
Avast on both boxes... fwiw...

Also... I haven't opened Word 2007 in quite some time on this box... I just
opened it and it took approximately 9 seconds to open (using the
"one-one-thousand, two-one-thousand" method of time tracking...) Closed
Word, opened it again and it took less than two seconds to open to a new
doc.

As to IE... takes less than 3 seconds to get to my home page... don't know
if that's acceptable to you or not... it is to me. Granted, if it took much
longer, I would not be a happy camper.

The last thing I'll ask... how much free space on your 120GB hard drive? I
can't imagine that you've filled it up already, considering it is a new PC
for you... just thought I'd ask...

Good luck,

Lang

 

[Guest]

Here is some information requested.
Performance Information & Tools
Scores
Processor 4.7
Memory 4.5
Graphics 3.1
Gaming graphics 3.1
Primary hard drive 4.6
Base score 3.1
I have Norton Protection and Internet security installed that came
pre-loaded.
Hard drive has 56GB of free space available.
I am not using Windows Sidebar and have also turned off the following
services/ features that were recommended:
Windows Search Indexing
Remote Differential Compression
Automatic Windows Defender Operation
Automatic Disk Defragmentation
Windows Hibernation
Tablet PC Input Service
Terminal Services
Indexing Service
Remote Differential Compression
Tablet PC Optional Components
Windows DFS Replication Service
Windows Meeting Space

Thanks to all that have replied. I appreciate your help.

Mike

 

[Lang Murphy]

Here is some information requested.
Performance Information & Tools
Scores
Processor 4.7
Memory 4.5
Graphics 3.1
Gaming graphics 3.1
Primary hard drive 4.6
Base score 3.1
I have Norton Protection and Internet security installed that came
pre-loaded.
Hard drive has 56GB of free space available.
I am not using Windows Sidebar and have also turned off the following
services/ features that were recommended:
Windows Search Indexing
Remote Differential Compression
Automatic Windows Defender Operation
Automatic Disk Defragmentation
Windows Hibernation
Tablet PC Input Service
Terminal Services
Indexing Service
Remote Differential Compression
Tablet PC Optional Components
Windows DFS Replication Service
Windows Meeting Space

Thanks to all that have replied. I appreciate your help.

Mike

Well, you've done far more customization than I. The main difference between
our systems is that you're using Norton and I'm using Avast. If your system
is running slowly after you turned off all the listed services, etc., then
you might consider replacing Norton. All Norton products have been notorious
system hogs for as long as I can remember. I've turned off no services, I
run sidebar, aero, multiple apps and my system runs fine.

Looking at my performance index, our PC's are reporting almost exact same
numbers. My numbers are: Processor: 4.9, RAM: 4.5, Graphics: 3.2, Gaming
Graphics: 3.1, Primary hard disk: 4.8. Base score, exactly like yours: 3.1.
Given our almost identical performance indexes, I'd want to look at Norton
as the possible root cause for your PC's poor performance.

Good luck!

Lang

 

[eav]

You might try ReadyBoost, I put a 2gig Sandisk CompactFlash card on my
system and it seems to help.