Chop, slash, speed up, and optimize Windows Vista, even before it gets installed. If it is true that Vista is the 800-pound gorilla of Operating Sys¬tems, it is also true that it is extremely modular. vLite is a very flexible tool to help with slip-streaming Service Packs, removing the components you want, automate installation with your product key, and make the customizations you want to your Vista installa¬tion DVD.

That way, the bloat is removed at the root, and when you install from the disc you created, the resulting install is much lighter. You might need to conduct trial-and-error to prepare a disc which is exactly the way you want, and start from scratch each time. A note of caution to prevent strange crashes and incompatibilities - make sure you understand what you are removing.



Start++: The new Start Menu in Vista has a search bar integrated, to search files in indexed locations and display them instantly in the left-side pane. Start++ extends this functionality to include more nifty tricks with the desktop search engine, Web searches, and customized actions with the help of plugins (such as weather, photo display, Skype calls, and so on).