Tip 1

Before you make any major changes to the way your PC works, (including any of the Registry tweaks on these pages and elsewhere in the Ultimate Guide), you need to back up your Registry. In Vista, you can back it up by setting a System Restore point. Go to the Start menu, type System Restore and then click on the System Restore icon that appears in the list above. Click Continue if you see a User Account Control (UAC) prompt and, in the next window, click the open System Protection link at the bottmll. Now click on Create, "give your restore point a recognisable name and click Create again. To revert your Registry back to a previous state, launch System Restore as described above and select' Choose a different restore point' to find the one you' named earlier.

Tip2
Windows Vista automatically reboots your PC after . Restart your computer to finish installing installing a Windows update(if required), which is frustrating if it interrupts some-resurtin9- thing like an overnight download. There are, however, several solutions. Click Control Panel > System and Maintenance > Windows Update> Change Settin'gs and set 'Install new updates' to a time during the day, when you'll be around to postpone a reboot. Alternatively, just before you go to bed, click Start, type services .msc and press Enter on your keyboard. Double-click the Windows Update service and click Stop> OK. Nothing will be downloaded until you restart again.

Tip3
If you find copying files across your Windows Vista TumWindow' feaM", on 0' off
network is slow then there are a couple of obscure tricksto try. First, click Start, type OptionalFeature.s. exe and press Enter on your keyboard, clear the box next to Remote fferential Compression and click OK. Reboot, and try copying again. Turn it back on if things are no better. Windows Vista SPl introduced Regay settings that may help, too. Launch REGEDIT (to do this, type REGED¬IT into the Start menu search box) and browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ Microsoft\ WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Multimedia\SystemProfile. Set NetworkThrottlingIndex or SystemResponsiveness to much higher values, perliaps 50 or 60, then reboot to test.

Tip 4
Windows Vista launches all kinds of odd components when it boots, whether you need them or not. And some are extremely difficult to track down. Have you heard of the Transient Multi-Monitor Manager (TMM), for instance? It's a tool that helps laptop users configure external monitors. The problem is it launches by default on pes, even if you have no intention of ever switching monitors. To turn this off click Start, right-click Computer and choose Manage. Navigate to Task Scheduler > Task Scheduler Library > Microsoft > Windows > Mobile PC, right-click TMM in the central pane and choose Disable.

Tip 5

The Windows Vista version of Explorer looks very different, but still has some of the same old problems. It often forgets the settings you've chosen for individual folders. To start resolving this, go to Start > Computer, press Alt then dick Tools > Folder Options > View, and make sure the 11<1X ro -'Remember each folder's view settings' is checked. If that doesn't help then your folder settings may be cor¬rupted. Launch REGEDIT, go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\LocalSettings\S o ftware\ Microsoft\ Windows\ Shell, right-elick Bags in the right-hand pane and delete Edit > Delete > Yes. Repeat the process to erase the BagMRU key, too, then go to HKEY _ CURRENT _ USER\ Software\ Microsoft\ Windows\ Shell, double¬click on BagMRU Size, select Decimal and set it to 10000. This should help ensure Explorer remembers your folder settings.

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Tip 6
Do this to restore the desk¬top Display Settings option. Launch REGEDIT, browse to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ Directory\Background\ Shell. Right-click Shell, select New > Key and call it Display Settings.Doubl~ click '(Default)' in the right-hand pane and enter Display Settings in the Value Data box. Settings in the left-hand pane, select New Right-click Display > Key again, and call this key 'command' . Double-elick this new key's (Default) value and enter: rundl132 shel132 . dll, Control_RunDLL DESK.CPL,@0,3 Click OK, right-elick the desktop to bring the option back.

Tip7
No matter how busy you areworking on one PC task, there's no escape from others: emails, phone calls and knocks at the door. If you have a microphone then Windows Vista can help you keep track of things with a little-known tool: Sticky Notes. Type Sticky in the Start menu search box, then click the Sticky Notes link to display a blank note. If the 5.ticky Notes link doesn't appear when you do this, click Start, type optionalfeatures and press Enter on your keyboard, then"check Tabl!"t PC Optional Components and click OK. The next time you have an idea switch back to the note and Record to make a voice note.

Tip 8
The Windows Vista Aero interface can slow down old PCs, yet also delivers nice features like Flip 3D. The answer? Create an easy way to toggle Aero on and off
when you need it. Run REGEDIT, and go to HKEY CLASSES ROOT\ Directory\Background\ Shell. With Shell highlighted, click Edi t > New > Key and call the key Aero Off. Click on the Aero Off key, select Edit > New> Key and call the key Command. Click Command and enter: Rund1l32 dwrnApi #104 as the default value. Return to HKEY _CLASSES _ROOT\ Directory\ Background\ Shell, creating a matching key called Aero On, and a command key below that with the value: Rund1l32 dwmApi #102 Now right-elick the desk¬top and you'll have options to turn Aero on or off.

Tips 9
Windows Vista Service Pack 1 delivered many bug fIxes but also removed the Search option from many places throughout the system. Click Start, for instance, and you won't see a Search button any more. Annoyingly, SP1 also got rid 'of the right-elick Search option from folders, drives and ZIP fIles. To undo this- damage, run REGEDIT, and go to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CompressedFo1der\she11\ find. Look in the right-hand pane for a LegacyDisable key, right-elick it and select Delete. Repeat. the same procedure at HKEY _CURRENT _ USER\ Directo):"y\ shell \ find and HKEY _CURRENT _ USER\ Dri ve\ shel.l \ find to bring your right¬click search options back to normal.

Tip 10
Is Windows set up to deliver its best green results? Click Control Panel > System and Maintenance > Power Options > Very Low Power > Change Plan Settings > Change
Advanced Power Settings to fInd out. If you can see the Processor Power Management, expand it and set your Maximum Processor State to 10 per cent, say, then Windows is working just fIne. Select the Very Low Power plan and performance will drop, but you'll save a lot of energy, ideal for r,unning a PC overnight or boosting laptop battery life. If you don't see the Processor Power Management option then check your Bios setup program, make sure Intel Speedstep or AMD Cool and Quiet is enabled, reboot and check the plan again.