I set out to write a few quick tips to eek out a bit of extra performance that I do on any fresh Vista install when it turns out Microsoft already had. Released in late July, the Microsoft Windows Vista Performance and Tuning Guide is a 14page PDF document – though also available in xps format – that is available free and provides just what it describes. It makes sense to me that Microsoft would have something like this available, yet I remain pleasantly surprised that it actually does. Hopefully you get what I’m trying to say.

The Guide is aimed more towards computer novices that desire a faster experience with Vista. It’s a helpful read and at just 1.4MB it’s worth a quick perusal. Some of the tips include disabling unneeded system services, disabling unwanted start-up programs, tweaking the visual effects, and adjusting of the search settings within Vista. A good bit of these tips can also apply to XP – assuming you know where to look – but even if you are more savvy user there may be some value still.

Check it out!