• Fastest: Use Windows Vista Basic.
  • Control Panel > Personalize > Window Color and Appearance.
  • From that Window Color and Appearance box, click “Open classic appearance properties for more color options”.
  • Choose Windows Vista Basic (you can click “Advanced” if you want to tweak the settings).
• Faster: Use Windows Aero with transparency turned off.
  • Control Panel > Personalize > Window Color and Appearance.
  • Uncheck “Enable transparency”.
• Fast: Use Windows Aero.
• Slow: Use Windows Standard or Windows Classic. It is slow because it does not use the graphics card processor, but the main CPU.

Other tune-ups:

• Control Panel > Performance and System Tools > Adjust visual effects.
• Choose “Adjust for best performance”, or choose “Custom” and pick the effects you want to keep.

• Run MSCONFIG (Start > Run As > MSCONFIG > Startup).
• Disable startup applications that are not required by the system.

These are services that can safely be disabled so that Windows can run faster:

• COM+ Event System
• Cryptographic Services
• DFS Replication
• Computer Browser
• Distributed Link Tracking Client
• IKE and AuthIP IPsec Keying Modules
• IP Helper
• IPsec Policy Agent
• KtmRm for Distributed Transaction Coordinator
• Offline Files
• Remote Registry
• Secondary Logon
• SSDP Discovery
• Tablet PC Input Service (Unless you have a Tablet PC)
• Terminal Services
• UPnP Device Host
• Windows Error Reporting Service (no more asking you to notify Microsoft when there�s a crash!)

If you are using an NTFS file system, you can increase the performance of Enhanced Write Filter by disabling the last access date/time stamps. ¹⁾

To disable Last Access timestamps

Create the following registry key on your run-time image:

• Key Name: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem
• Name: NtfsDisableLastAccessUpdate
• Type: REG_DWORD
• Value: 1

Alternatively, use the fsutil command to set it:

C:\> fsutil behavior set disablelastaccess 1

Use the following command to query it:

C:\> fsutil behavior query disablelastaccess

NOTE: “Using the disablelastaccess parameter can affect programs such as backup and Remote Storage that rely on this feature.” ²⁾

Source: Daniel Petri³⁾ <p>

Method 1

• Run MSCONFIG.
• Select Tools > Disable UAC > Launch. This operation will open a Command Line window. Just close it.
• Reboot system.

Method 2

• Using REGEDIT, edit registry HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System.
• Change EnableLUA (DWORD) to 0.
• Reboot system.

Method 3

• Control Panel > User Accounts > Turn on/off User Account Control (UAC) to make your computer more secure

To protect files from other users, encrypt files:

• Right-click folder to encrypt, then Properties.
• Select <Advanced>.
• Click on checkbox “Encrypt contents to secure data”.

To safeguard from a hard disk crash, you must export the keys to be able to read those encrypted files if copied elsewhere. Exporting keys ⁴⁾:

• To back up your certificates, follow these steps:

• Start Microsoft Internet Explorer.

• On the Tools menu, click Internet Options .

• On the Content tab, in the Certificates section, click Certificates .

• Click the Personal tab. Note: There may be several certificates present, depending on whether you have installed certificates for other purpose.

• Select one certificate at a time until the Certificate Intended Purposes field shows Encrypting File System . This is the certificate that was generated when you encrypted your first folder.

• Click Export to start the Certificate Export Wizard , and then click Next .

• Click Yes, export the private key to export the private key, and then click Next .

• Click Enable Strong protection , and then click Next .

• Type your password. (You must have a password to protect the private key.)

• Specify the path where you want to save the key. You can save the key to a floppy disk, another location on the hard disk, or a CD. If the hard disk fails or is reformatted, the key and the backup will be lost. (If you back up the key to a floppy disk or CD, you must store that disk or CD in a secure location.)

• Specify the destination, and then click Next .

To run a command or program with Administrator privileges:

C:\> runas /?

RUNAS USAGE:
  RUNAS [ [/noprofile | /profile] [/env] [/savecred | /netonly] ] /user: program
  RUNAS [ [/noprofile | /profile] [/env] [/savecred] ] /smartcard [/user:] program 

  /noprofile specifies that the user's profile should not be loaded. This causes 
     the application to load more quickly, but can cause some applications to malfunction. 
  /profile specifies that the user's profile should be loaded. This is the default. 
  /env to use current environment instead of user's. 
  /netonly use if the credentials specified are for remote access only. 
  /savecred to use credentials previously saved by the user.
     This option is not available on Windows XP Home Edition and will be ignored. 
  /smartcard use if the credentials are to be supplied from a smartcard. 
  /user should be in form USER@DOMAIN or DOMAIN\USER
     program command line for EXE. See below for examples.

Examples:
> runas /noprofile /user:mymachine\administrator cmd
> runas /profile /env /user:mydomain\admin "mmc %windir%\system32\dsa.msc"
> runas /env /user:user@domain.microsoft.com "notepad \"my file.txt\""

NOTE: Enter user's password only when prompted.
NOTE: USER@DOMAIN is not compatible with /netonly.
NOTE: /profile is not compatible with /netonly.
NOTE: /savecred is not compatible with /smartcard.