So, you've increased your system's memory threefold, bumped up performance by installing a bigger, faster hard drive, and performed a CPU transplant to pump up your PC's processing cycles. Now what? Well, hardware upgrades can certainly reinvigorate a feeble computer, but did you know what Windows comes equipped with many software-oriented tools to boost your PC's performance?

It's certainly a shame that most of these performance-boosting tools remain buried deep within Windows, leaving most average PC users clueless as to their existence. Vista's predecessors offered many of these same tools, but, again, were hard to find.

Vista makes these tools more accessible, but are still not as obvious as one would hope they would be. Let's take a look at some of these optimizing utilities that can shift your OS into a higher gear, shall we?

Windows Vista introduces a new Control Panel Applet that not only looks pretty but also houses some very useful programs that one can use to tweak and optimize their system.

To access the Control Panel Applet, navigate to the start menu, Control Panel, System and Maintenance, Performance Information and Tools; the tools you'll need are located on the left side. The Advanced tools link also contains some very useful options that you'll want to experiment with.

Clandestine Optimization Tools

There are a number of settings that you can adjust and configure that can improve your Windows Vista/XP/2000 PC's performance. You can access these settings by right clicking on the Start menu button and selecting "properties"; next, select on the enabled "Customize" button.

Under the Advanced tab, make sure that you've enabled the "Display on the All Programs menu" under the System Administrative Tools options.

RAM: Random Access Memory

Your PC uses its RAM as a sort of holding tank for data that it's currently processing or needs to access quickly. If you're experiencing sluggish performance, this could be due to a problem with your computer's memory.

This isn't really an issue if you're running Vista, as Vista will usually automatically detect any memory problems, and if it finds any, it will automatically run the Memory Diagnostic tool.

For peace of mind, you can run this utility any time you want, as it's located in the Administrative Tools menu.

When you fire up the Memory Diagnostic tool, your PC will reboot itself into an all text screen, a far cry from the fancy windowed GUIs we've all become accustomed to. For an expanded list of options, press the F1 key.

When faced with the textual interface, you'll need to select from the Basic, Standard, and Extended tests. Opting for the Basic test, along with the default settings for the Cache and Pass Count, is usually good enough to detect most problems.

Hit the F10 key to begin the test.

The duration of the memory test should be around a few minutes. When the test concludes, Vista will reboot itself. If no problems or errors were detected, Vista will display this fact in the system tray. If problems with your RAM were found, replacing your defunct memory modules will usually solve the problem.

Pruning the Service List

Have you ever noticed that when you boot up your PC for the first time Windows boots up at a snappy pace? But after enough time and a few dozen application installs, the time it takes Windows to boot up into a fully usable state seems to take ages.

Why is this? Well, the problem is probably the startup services that Windows loads whenever you reboot your PC.

The more services Windows needs to load, the longer it'll take Windows to get into a usable state. A lot of these services aren't really essential and can be disabled at your whim. The less services you have running around in memory, the faster your computer will be.

There's one caveat to heed, though: be sure to set a System Restore point and to back up your registry before altering or disabling any of your service settings. You don't want to inadvertently disable an essential system service, realizing that you've effectively rendered your computer useless.

You should not disable a service you don't fully understand, and it's a good idea to only disable one service at a time, determining whether your system will remain stable after said service is turned off.

Once again, navigate to the Administrative Tools menu and select the Services item. You should see a dialog box that displays all the services--either running or disabled--on your system. A short description should be visible to the right of each service.

Remember do not randomly disable any service you don't understand the purpose of!

Startup Speedups

When using XP or 2000, go to the start menu and choose run; type in "msconfig" without the quotes and hit enter. You'll be presented with the System Configuration dialog window. In Vista, these same settings can be altered in the System Configuration menu.

Inside XP's System Configuration Utility, navigate to the Startup tab; peruse the list, disabling any program that isn't necessary. A lot of the startup items listed here aren't important and should be disabled if you don't need them, effectively expelling them your PC's precious memory.

The leaner you can make this Startup list, the better and more efficient your computer will run.

Aside from adding faster and more powerful hardware to your box to improve overall system performance, these are several software tacks that you can take to give your PC a little more pep.

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