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HUGE Windows Vista Tweaking Guide!

tweakguides.com — "The guide is designed for novice and advanced users alike, containing 250 pages of objective descriptions, recommendations and tweaks for every aspect of Windows Vista. It is all laid out in plain English, and while it may take you a few days to work through, I promise you that at the end of it you will not only have a better system..."

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  • Ryetronics, on 10/12/2007, -2/+21Oi! This thing is almost TOO big!
    • skyshock21, on 10/12/2007, -37/+9Agreed. An OS should NEVER have to take days to configure.
    • pixelbender, on 10/12/2007, -43/+2I thought the best tweak that worked with Vista was the power button.
    • quaunaut, on 10/12/2007, -0/+18Yeah, the guy who writes these is pretty damn amazing with his work. I highly reccomend that you check his site often, usually if a big game is coming out, within a week he's got it documented to the point of being able to run it on just-plain-inferior, below-the-minimum-specs hardware.

      I still remember Doom 3, when it came out: I was getting 11 FPS when I was playing. 2 hours later after reading all of his guide, I was at 48. Its really amazing how much untapped power there is in a lot of games(though, even he will tell you on the front page, its getting harder to find big tweaks, considering that game makers are finally getting good at it).
    • sachmanb, on 10/12/2007, -0/+14more like a free book than a free guide, but great :)
    • Lodarage, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8My spoon is TOO big... :)))

      http://youtube.com/watch?v=SDrMj1UQwr0
    • kronix2, on 10/12/2007, -1/+15Yes, but at least it makes those "Top 10 Vista Tweaks" blogs redundant.

      "Agreed. An OS should NEVER have to take days to configure."

      Vista works fine out of the box. The tweaks are just that - tweaks.
    • B1663r, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4I found a very cool Tweak in this guide... For desktop neatness freaks like me. Just drag any desktop folder to the edge of the screen and Vista makes it into a toolbar.

      Very Cool.
    • greenrider, on 10/12/2007, -5/+4That's what she said.
    • z0l0pht, on 10/12/2007, -2/+11"I found a very cool Tweak in this guide... For desktop neatness freaks like me. Just drag any desktop folder to the edge of the screen and Vista makes it into a toolbar."
      Oh, you mean like any folder in any location in any distribution of Windows?
    • B1663r, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5@ z0l0pht

      All right, that is anti-ms fanboieism gone way to far. I draw the line in the sand right here. You simply can not accuse MS of copying its self.
    • meez, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@quaunaut:

      "(though, even he will tell you on the front page, its getting harder to find big tweaks, considering that game makers are finally getting good at it)."

      If this is true why can't most modern games get above 100fps even with top of the range hardware AND tweaks?
  • supervisor, on 10/12/2007, -3/+26OK, this is probably the most comprehensive collection of information on Vista that you will ever get on the web. Everything you wanted to know about Vista but couldn't be answered by Microsoft (and most "Top 10 tweaks for Vista" authors)! Two thumbs up.
  • Beachrockz4eva, on 10/12/2007, -5/+4I like it
  • Wezlanator, on 10/12/2007, -2/+26This is like, the Bible for Windows.

    I scrolled halfway down the PDF file and I was still in the Table of Contents.
    • adragons, on 10/12/2007, -13/+5how is 10 / 248 half?
      And yes, its fantastically crammed full of info :)
    • FoolishMortal, on 10/12/2007, -20/+1Would that be the Satanic Bible you are referring to?
  • Switch22, on 10/12/2007, -29/+6Aww man, I was hoping the link would be to a guide on how to uninstall it
    • bigdavediode, on 10/12/2007, -24/+2Unquestionably the best tweak for all Windows variations: fdisk.
  • Nooty, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4Nice! I like it!
  • gr0ss, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10Ridiculous, this is just huge. Good find.
  • TheGuruStud, on 10/12/2007, -23/+3No amount of tweaks in the world can save vista.
  • eridius, on 10/12/2007, -36/+4It's this sort of thing that makes me boggle at how people can claim Windows is better because they can tweak and customize it. The mere fact that you *have* to tweak it to get it to behave right should be a hint that maybe you shouldn't be using it.
    • DigitalDud, on 10/12/2007, -1/+13I feared this was going to be one of those, "disable these services so you can get an imperceptible boost of performance while breaking your system" guides but it's actully more of a practical guidebook to Windows usage.
    • Raidenwolf, on 10/12/2007, -2/+13@ eridius
      What does recompile your kernel mean to you? I would think that is the tweak of all tweaks.
    • Dumbledorito, on 10/12/2007, -2/+31About 90% of all the articles on this site about Mac and Linux are "tips to change X" or "a new app to let you customize Y" and they're all greeted like stone tablets from Moses by their respective user bases.

      But anything of that nature for Windows and the same user clans begin the "it should be perfect to begin with, FUD-FUD-FUD" chants.

      The cognitive dissonance must be quite a rush.
    • eklypse, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7By "right" do you mean the way you want it? How is a company supposed to cater to everyone's "wants"? You can only please so many so you have to allow someone to "tweak" a system. Some of the best *nix systems are "tweaked", so why is this bad?
    • redxii, on 10/12/2007, -5/+4I have to tweak my kernel to get all my hardware working (both cpu cores, sound card, frequency scaling, ACPI, suspend & hibernate). I have to further tweak my sound card but there is still no headphone nor microphone support and my laptop volume buttons only work for headphone (which I already said don't work, so what's the point in that?)

      I guess that doesn't count.
    • dgr814vr, on 10/12/2007, -4/+9Every OS i have used including FC and Suse and Ubuntu, needs tweaking, Linux flavours infacr do not run without tweaking
  • makismagoo99, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5Very nice guide. The XP one right next to it is pretty awesome as well.
    • drilldown, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2This would be easier to read if I switch boot HDDs to the XP disk that has PDF already installed to around 3 readers. Then, I realized I could just copy to a jumpdrive and do some constructive reading later. Play now, work later :-)

  • MadMax3000, on 10/12/2007, -40/+3What's up with all those WINDOWS stuff recently?
    • DigitalDud, on 10/12/2007, -2/+28Yeah what the hell, it only runs on like 90% of the world's computers.
    • regeya, on 10/12/2007, -2/+16Totally. I think we should all bitch and moan about how people are digging Windows stories, just as people bitch and moan about OS X and Linux stories.

      NOT!

      There's a facility for making your opinion "heard" without whining. Please use it.
    • Darcy, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9madmax, why don't you just ignore the "windows stuff" if you don't approve. I know it's hard to believe, but digg is not only about getting the Apple worshiping stories out to it's fanboys.

      If it makes you feel better then digg it down (I'm sure you already have).
  • ChaoticNick, on 10/12/2007, -1/+10I love TweakGuides, its a VERY useful site. Check out some of the other guides, I've gotten so many tips for all kinds of things.
  • Ngai, on 10/12/2007, -13/+1The 5 main solutions to keep a speedy system.

    1. Defrag
    2. Registry Cleaner & Defrag
    3. Disk Cleanup
    4. Defrag More
    5. Antivirus

    • DigitalDud, on 10/12/2007, -1/+14Well defragging on Vista happens automatically in the background. And Antivirus certainly doesn't keep a speedy system, unless of course you get a virus, it slows it down severely by having a scanner that traps every file operation that is made.
    • Ngai, on 10/12/2007, -8/+1Yeah mine does too. I use that O&O Defrag program (on the Complete/Access mode), its pretty good.

      @Slyer

      Nod32 is way better
    • Slyer, on 10/12/2007, -2/+15No1 reason for having a slow computer is having Norton installed.

      It also happens to be the No1 reason for having a PC full of viruses.
      Thats right folks, at no additional cost!
    • skyshock21, on 10/12/2007, -8/+2@ digitaldud

      Explain to me again WHY exactly an OS's filesystem fragments files in this day and age?? *nix users haven't had to deal with this.
    • Dumbledorito, on 10/12/2007, -9/+1So if Vista defrags in the background, does that mean the ability to recover deleted files is kaput?
    • cquinnd, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1skyshock,

      Man filefrag
  • victorc26, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Excellent resource.
  • DogmaticAtheism, on 10/12/2007, -4/+1this is awesome, hope its still worth something when i get vista like next year or two
  • anewname, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I want to tweak the way "previous locations" works in vista, as well as that address bar in general. Specifically, I can't save my file to google.com - why is it showing up as an option? And if have gone to a folder directly, I don't have the path behind it like usual this would be fine if the "Up to Parent" button wasn't gone. Anyone have an idea?
  • webdaemon, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1Amazing guide! Thanks!!!!
  • getsmydigg, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1If this is anything like the Windows XP tweak guide from the same guy, I will swear by it. The XP version has saved me many times. It wont make your system run 10x faster, no guide will ever do that, but it will certainly help you keep running things smoothly and without hassles.
  • mrfx2, on 10/12/2007, -41/+2Everyone here that likes this should get banned off digg for life!
    • dgr814vr, on 10/12/2007, -2/+13A comment Like that does not really dignify a response but...

      1.You do not decide who gets banned
      2.Make a comment that has a point instead of abusing people for no apparent reason other than not saying (insert mrfx's OS here) is the best
    • IllBeBack, on 10/12/2007, -8/+0I just crapped out a giant load of chili I had for lunch. Here, have a bowl.
  • Seanmu13, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1I hate reclaim3r, but thanks a bunch
  • chesscat, on 10/12/2007, -26/+1why waste time 'fixing' or tweaking what should have been done by MS. Why
    buy this bloated piece of ***** called Vista? Get a Mac and DO things with your
    computer. If you want to tweak something, buy an old car and fix it up.
    • Darcy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6What a stupid comment. Are you trying to say that you have never needed to tweak OS X to get it exactly how you like?
  • bennyboy371, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2If I still can't disable favorite links and just have simple windows for folders without a navigation pane, its not enough tweaking for me.
  • andstone, on 10/12/2007, -3/+0useful glossary
  • TheADOGuy, on 10/12/2007, -4/+3I won't Digg it...I didn't find a tweak until 2/3 through it. Its all fluff...(what is a MB, what is a Harddrive)
  • anomalya, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6get vista or gtfo
  • anomalya, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2http://www.tweakvista.com/
    • getsmydigg, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4I fail to see how "Amazing Vista Wallpapers" can be classified as a Vista tweak. The problem with most tweak sites are that you have to wade through such irrelevancies to find the real stuff. The guide documents everything in one easily accessible, searchable place which you can turn to for reference. That is the real advantage of the guide, not making Vista go 100 times faster.
    • Fryxell, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2@getsmydigg

      Please notice the left pane. They have tweaks. My favorite is the in the download section called TweakVista™ it has an easy way for for shutting off the UAC and adjusting the protect me from myself crap in vista.
  • framaris, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7Wow, it is writhed in 3 languages, Beginner, average and advanced!
    All 3 nationalities can read and use it!
    • drilldown, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1You've been dugg up until I read the beast tomorrow, because you describe the manner in which anything informative should be written.
  • lopla, on 10/12/2007, -11/+1wow you actually paid for an OS you have to tweak so your system runs better? I wish I had free time on my hands like that! Me, I just buy OSX and am done with it, ***** runs perfect, fast, stable 100% of the time 24/7/365. BLISS
  • drilldown, on 10/12/2007, -8/+1Brief "Bitch Slap" at Vista.

    While I'm sure there is a reason for it: Visual effects changes are required to be changed as an admin account in order to be persistent upon reboot. First %$#@$%#### thing that gets changed on my systems since XP. NEVER EVER start any account in Vista as other than Admin! Set it up and demote to "standard user" when done.

    Fades and slides and the hoops to jump through to get rid of the *disgusting sound here*. What? Make sluggish, then make it "Look slow?!?" OH, don't require admin login to change it. Require a change of account status to change it on a permanent basis.

    Change the standard user account to admin, make visual effects changes and change back to standard user to keep the change on boot. I'm QUITE SURE there is a reason for it, and I'm just as sure that I've made those same changes every time I install a system for a real friend. As a friend, it's a hassle and this is the quick workaround that I was looking for 5 minutes after setting up a regular user account.
    • IllBeBack, on 10/12/2007, -9/+2You are coming to a sad realization. Cancel or Allow.
    • cquinnd, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Drilldown

      the default admin group accounts ARE standard users in Vista, they are just standard users that have an automatic elevation prompt into admin privileges.
  • ggko, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3New computer in hand (need to run an MS app for a class,) hopefully this makes my user experience easier. My first day with it so far filled with "that's just wrong" reactions to Vista. Admittedly I'm a Mac user, but even ignoring the "not used to their way" nit picks, there are things which MS doesn't get right.
    • drilldown, on 10/12/2007, -6/+1User Experience easier
      That's just wrong
      MS doesn't get it right

      What was the question teacher?
  • drilldown, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5On first load:
    Put the disk in........ Start computer.
    Everything in the whole system loaded fine, including the printer. -EXCEPT SOUND.

    Realtek had (unofficial and VERY nice) drivers on their homepage that fixed that. LAN works, printers work, HDDs, Mainboard, everything from boot except for sound. Not bad. Not bad at all. Of note, on the installation, the EULA references (KB) on how to turn off DRM for the windows media player 11.



  • Trat, on 10/12/2007, -5/+0Why you need to tweak such an advanced OS (laugh) like Vista goed beyond me. Doesn't it run optimized from the beginning i.e. installation?
  • GreatDrok, on 10/12/2007, -7/+2If someone could point me to the tweak that switches Vista from 'Suck' to 'Don't Suck' it would be much appreciated. Of course, the opposite of suck in Vista is probably blow.....
  • dppanda, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0Yes I like this tweak :)
  • wassim2k, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7Why do the Linux/OS X fanboys bother reading this? Save your predictable comments for something else.
  • qlskydiver, on 10/12/2007, -7/+0how do you tweak a virus like Bill Gates,
    Screw Microsoft, install Linux,
  • SuperJimmyJimbo, on 10/12/2007, -8/+1Tip #13- buy a mac

    confirm or deny?
    • Thors1982, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Problem with that is I would be stuck playing Diablo 2 with my 8800gtx :-(
  • cevil203, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6tip#14- burn that mac, get a pc and install vista

    confirmed...next process...tweak vista with this article....
  • cletis, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Some great tips here!
  • DryerBiscuit, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Excellent find!
  • roflwaffle, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Wow, I am about 2/3 way through it, and so far, this isn't a tweak guide... its a 'what is a computer, and how to use it, generic text' for dummies. I bet his XP guide (at least the first sections) are exactly the same..

    There may be valuable information here, but right now it seems more like the comments are 'wow, its so big, and while I didn't read it, I assume its magically wonderful'

    Theres over a page of 'don't open email from people you do not know' email (tweaks? lol)

    I have lost motivation to read through the rest of it. 153+ pages of generic....
  • LazerFX, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1This is definitely the best resource for Vista. There are lots who are making comments along the lines of, "This is a computer for dummies book!" Perhaps, but as I've read it throug, and the tweakguide for XP as well, I can safely say there are a lot of differences. Of course it's got a lot of references to the basics, because unlike many other guides it assumes only a basic competency with computers. It then builds on that to give all the known tweaks for Vista, optimisations, system comparisons with XP, enhancements, and just the most comprehensive overview of the Vista system I've read yet.
    • roflwaffle, on 10/12/2007, -2/+0"It then builds on that to give all the known tweaks for Vista"

      all the known tweaks? hardly.
      I do wish he would make an abridged version for people who don't need information like 20 pages on what a computer is, and why antivirus software is a good idea.. I assume there is valuable information in there, but honestly, tidbits of useful information make up probably what could be summarized into about 3 pages or so... or maybe just a summary or abridged version at the end... the information isnt really 'at my fingertips' if i need to find anything..

      I don't want you to think I am just ripping on this guy. This guide took a lot of effort. But so do 'dummies guide to your first computer' books, and that doesn't make them valuable tweaking guides.
  • AaronMT, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2This guide is pretty good lots of reading. Best resource for Vista yet.
  • hellcraft, on 10/12/2007, -5/+0Odd, I've never seen a tweaking guide for Mac OSX. Oh wait! It's because it DOESN'T suck!!
    • wassim2k, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5No, it's because you have to do with Mac OSX wants you to do, and like it. Too bad you can't tweak, sorry.
    • supermanred, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1The very fact that there is a Windows Vista tweaking guide has basically sold me on buying a Mac. I will dual boot Windows and Mac OS though

      Tweaking an OS that is quirky is not my idea of a good time. Im just not THAT friggin dorky.
  • pakdir, on 10/11/2007, -1/+0Windows Vista Download links 100% Working

    Link : http://www.warezquality.com/search.php?a=fresh&q=Windows%20Vista
  • jumpvine, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Unbelievable! Not for me, definitely http://digipedia.blogspot.com
  • flasharcadesnet, on 10/29/2007, -1/+0thanks now all the games work on http://www.flash-arcades.net
  • daskio23, on 03/06/2008, -0/+0Hi gays, very interesting topic. Thanks very much
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  • nonchallant0819, on 03/28/2008, -0/+0This is a great story... found this one through http://www.google.com




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