Steps For Improved PC Performance
Written on October 23, 2009 by Kay
Old Software, New Vista
If you have decided not to go down the upgrade route to Windows 7 and are stuck with Vista, what are the options to improve PC performance? There are options (annoying and time-consuming), such as downgrading to XP when purchasing a new machine, or even downgrading to XP from Vista at home. What makes so many users revile Vista so much? In a nutshell, Vista refuses to humor a lot of older hardware and software. If Windows Vista doesn’t agree with a certain application that ran perfectly well in XP, it simply throw its out.
So what exactly makes Vista so cranky about some older software that ran swimmingly in XP, 2K, and even 98? With the influx of malware dedicated to bringing down any Windows operating system, Microsoft decided to beef up security in a number of ways, many of which some users find intrusive and belaboring. The numerous Confirm or Deny dialogs that materialize when installing a program, and the new UAC—User Accounts Control—are just some of the new security features implemented in Vista. Because Vista was designed to be overly prudent, it’s hand-holding approach to protect you from shooting yourself in the foot has been the bane of a lot of older software, software that you may have grown accustomed to using on a regular basis. But all is not lost; a few simple setting tweaks may be all it takes to get your beloved programs running in Vista.
Update Checks
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Aside from simply performing a clean install when all else fails in Windows, checking your software’s website to see if there are any patches or updates to bring it up to speed with Vista is one of the most common recommendations in the Microsoft world. Many software vendors are constantly improving their product, and the popular ones will be sure they work with the latest, most widely-used version of Windows on the market. Turn Automatic Updates on if you haven’t done so already, and let it check for any improved compatibility patches, possibly resurrecting any legacy software that fails in Vista.
Vista Compatibility Mode
Akin to the Run As feature in XP which allowed regular users to run an executable as another user, such as an administrator, Vista provides a Compatibility Tab in each executable’s properties menu. A compatibility option can be set for each application, if need be. This option is immensely helpful. Vista moves around and renames certain system files, a departure from the days of XP; as such, applications written specifically for XP may croak in Vista, so compatibility mode makes those legacy programs more comfortable in a Vista environment.
You’ll first need to find your application’s executable file (word.exe, notepad.exe, et al.). Right tap on it, choose Properties, and navigate to the Compatibility tab. From here, check the “Run this program in compatibility mode for” check box and select a version of Windows from the drop down box, such as Windows XP (Service Pack 2). Vista’s compatibility mode is not a panacea, but it does work some of the time, so it’s worth a shot.
Software Drivers and Vista
A software driver is a program written so communication between Vista and your hardware (graphics card, sound card, motherboard, etc.) is possible. A lot of software drivers written to run in XP won’t work in a Vista environment, and the results of installing XP drivers on a Vista box may even cause more trouble than you anticipated. The best tack to take is to surf over to your hardware manufacturer’s website to see if they have updated Vista drivers for their product. Don’t install software drivers on a Vista system from your hardware’s packaged CD if it’s older than early 2007, as the drivers are probably old and won’t operate correctly in Vista.
