With a few simple steps, on most setups, you can easily make Oblivion run as fast or faster than in Windows XP under Windows Vista.

This will work on both the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows Vista. Also, a word of caution, if your computer is on a domain (if you're not sure, it's probably not unless you use the computer to connect to a network at work or school. In addition, Windows Vista Home Editions lack the ability to connect to a domain at all so if you are using those, you are defiantly not on a domain), then you should apply these tweaks at your own risk because some of the services that are disabled might be required for connectivity to a domain-based network.

SERVICES

Windows Vista includes a lot of services (programs that run in the background without interacting with the user), that, while they can improve the computing experience of the average user, can have an adverse affect on game performance. This was also the case when Windows XP was released and it took Microsoft a service pack to optimize the services that were started by default on Windows XP.

To edit services on your computer do the following :
1.Press the Windows Key and R. The run dialog should pop up.
2.Type in services.msc and press enter. If you have User Account Control enabled, click the Continue button to proceed.
3.To edit a service, find it in the list, and double-click on it. In the dialog that comes up, find the drop-down for startup type and change it to your desired setting. Afterwards, click OK.

A few notes on the different settings for services
In Windows Vista, there are four potential startup types for services. This controls how and when the service will be run, if at all.

Automatic - The service will start as soon as possible when the system is booted.
Automatic (Delayed Start) - This option is new to Vista. The service will not start at bootup but will start shortly thereafter. This reduces boot time by allowing services that aren't required immediatly upon boot to start up later. On average, it takes 1-5 minutes after bootup for a delayed startup service to start. Note that not all services can be set to this option.
Manual - The service will not start unless it is done so manually by another program or the user. In theory, a service under this catagory should start when it is needed but in practice, a lot of times it doesn't. The program that needs the service has to manually start the service itself, Windows doesn't do that for the program.
Disabled - The service cannot be started at all, either by the user or another program as long as it's startup type is set to this catagory.

List of services that can be disabled or changed (in no particular order) :
The following is a list of services that are safe to disable on the average setup. Please note that I cannot guarantee this will not cause any problems because there are an innumerable amount of potential setups. So when disabling anything listed below, keep in mind that your mileage may vary. None of these changes are permanent and, if it turns out that disabling these services causes a compatibility issue, you can easily re-enable them without doing any harm to your system.

Windows Search Service|DISABLED
This is Windows Vista's version of the infamous Windows XP Indexing Service. This service creates and maintains a database of files on your harddrive to speed up file searches. Like XP's Indexing Service, it's also a notorious resource hog, and on my system, the Windows Search Service accounted for 50% of the memory that was being used by services.

If you are experiencing hitching, stuttering, or bad harddisk performance, this service is very likely the culprit. If nothing else, this is the one tweak that you should make to your Vista system. If you can't live without indexing, I recommend manually turning it on and off when you aren't playing games. Alternatively, there is also http://desktop.google.com which does the same thing as Windows Search but uses a fraction of the resources.

Superfetch|DEPENDS
Superfetch uses heuristic algorithms to populate unused memory with frequently used applications in an effort to speed up launch time. In otherwords, Superfetch anolyzes your computer usage patterns and then preemptively loads programs. So if you get up at 6:00AM, log on and open up Firefox, Superfetch will catch on and start prelaoding Firefox into memory shortly before 6:00AM. If you have plenty of RAM (2+ GB), this is a good thing because it puts your unused RAM to work and significantly speeds up system response times. However, the Superfetch Service itself has an overhead of about 100MB in terms of RAM usage, so if you don't have a lot of RAM, you might end up with a 100MB Superfetch Service that can't do anything because there is no memory left to use for cache. In a nutshell, leave it on if you have 2+ GB of RAM and experiment with less to see if it helps or degrades your system performance.

-----------
Diagnostic Policy Service|DISABLED
Diagnostic Service Host|DISABLED
Diagnostic System Host|DISABLED
Windows Error Reporting Service|DISABLED

These four services comprise Vista's Problem Reports and Solutions Feature. If you've ever had a crash and then a dialog asking if you want to check for a solution with Microsoft, these are the services responsible for that. Unless you really want those features, these are best disabled because it can take up resources and the solutions provided after a program crashes are generally not that helpful.
-----------

Tablet PC Input Service|DEPENDS
If you are using a touchscreen or Tablet PC, leave this as it is. Otherwise you don't need it and it can be disabled.

Terminal Services|DEPENDS
If you use Remote Desktop or Remote Assistance, leave it as it is. Otherwise, Disabled.

IP Helper Service|DEPENDS
If you are using an IPv6 network, leave this enabled. Otherwise, disable it. If you're unsure, chances are you aren't.

TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper Service|DEPENDS
If you only have a single computer or if you aren't using Microsoft networking, this can be disabled. If unsure, leave enabled.

-----------
SSDP Discovery|DEPENDS
UPnP Device Host|DEPENDS

These services provide Universal Plug'nPlay support. UPnP has absolutely nothing to do with regular Plug'n'Play or setting up hardware in your computer. UPnP is used as a protocol designed for discovering, among other things, network appliances. If you don't use UPnP (and most people don't), then it's safe to disable these two services. If you aren't sure, I would try disabling it and see if it affects anything. Note that, if you make use of media center extenders for Windows Media Center, those use UPnP. Also if you have an XBox 360 on your network, that also makes use of UPnP so you may have trouble accessing your XBox 360 from your computer if you disable these services.
-----------

Offline Files|DEPENDS
This service keeps cached copies of files and directories that are stored on a central server so that you can access them even when you aren't connected to the server. Unless your computer is on a domain, you don't really need this service. As always, if you use your computer to access a network at work or school, check with your network administrator before messing with this service.

MORE SERVICES

If you want the absolute most amount of free resources on your computer, you can disable the following services. Disabling these services will create a configuration that uses a minimal amount of RAM (Systems with <1GB of RAM). Please note that this will disable many of Vista's fancy new features but it will make Vista useable on low RAM configurations.

Superfetch - Listing it here again. Superfetch does have resource overhead (~100MB of RAM at peak) so it will drag down your system if you don't have enough RAM to benefit from it's preemptive caching. Again, if you have a lot of RAM, leave it on because the performance improvement is dramatic with enough RAM.

Desktop Window Manager Session Manager - This will disable Aeroglass and the Desktop Window Manager and cause Vista to revert to the old Windows XP style graphics subsystem. This frees up a significant amount of memory for older systems.

Security Center - This is the little tray icon and associated window that nags you if it thinks your anti-virus is not up to date or if you disable the Windows Firewall (because you use your own hardware firewall). You don't need it and it takes up memory.

OTHER TIPS/TWEAKS

DISABLE DWM/AEROGLASS WHEN RUNNING GAMES
-----------------------------------------------------
DWM, or the Desktop Window Manager, turns the video card into a shared resource which allows for the Aeroglass effects and the tear-free desktop. When running normal applications, this is a good thing because it offloads the graphics work (the bulk of which was handled by the CPU in Windows XP) to the GPU, which, when running normal applications is sitting in your computer doing nothing. With Aeroglass/DWM on, the CPU is freed up for other duties as all of the desktop graphics are now handled by the GPU.

In DirectX 9 and OpenGL games however (such as Oblivion), having Aeroglass/DWM on can decrease performance. This is for a number of reasons :
1.DWM makes the video card a shared resource. When DWM is on, programs are not allowed direct access to the video card.
2.DWM uses both System RAM and VRAM because it maintains an offscreen buffer for every window.

Fortunately, Microsoft has provided a way to disable DWM on a per-application basis so you can still enjoy Aeroglass when not running games. To disable DWM on a per-application basis, right click on the application/game's icon and select properties. Navigate to the compatibility tab, then find and check Disable Desktop Compositing. Now, whenever you launch that program, Windows Vista will temporarily switch back to the Windows XP style graphics subsystem.

DirectX 10 games shouldn't be affected as much (if at all) by having DWM on because the DirectX 10 API is designed around having the GPU as a shared resource and is better able to handle GPU multitasking.

With a few simple steps, on most setups, you can easily make Oblivion run as fast or faster than in Windows XP under Windows Vista.

This will work on both the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows Vista. Also, a word of caution, if your computer is on a domain (if you're not sure, it's probably not unless you use the computer to connect to a network at work or school. In addition, Windows Vista Home Editions lack the ability to connect to a domain at all so if you are using those, you are defiantly not on a domain), then you should apply these tweaks at your own risk because some of the services that are disabled might be required for connectivity to a domain-based network.

USE THE 64-BIT VERSION OF WINDOWS VISTA (WHERE APPLICABLE)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The majority of people today have 64-bit processors, even if they are still running a 32-bit operating system. Unlike Windows XP x64 edition, all Windows Vista licenses are good and legal for both the 32-bit and 64-bit editions. However, only the Ultimate Edition of Windows Vista comes with the 64-bit install out of the box. If you aren't using Ultimate, you can either http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/editions/64bit.mspx from Microsoft. Your existing 32-bit product key is good for the equivalent 64-bit version.

Using a 64-bit version has a number of advantages :
1.The ability to use more than 4 gigabytes of address space. This means that you can have those two 512MB 8800Ultras in SLI and not have to worry about only being able to access 1.5 gigabytes of System RAM. The practical memory limit in a 32-bit operating system is anywhere from 1.5 - 3 gigabytes depending on your system configuration.

2.32-bit programs that are large address aware can use 4 gigabytes of address space (on 32-bit versions of Windows, by default, 32-bit programs can only use 2 gigabytes of address space as the other half is reserved for the kernel.) Certain memory intensive applications (such as Supreme Commander and Google Earth) will crash when they exceed this two gigabyte limit and, when a 32-bit program is made large address aware (it's very easy and I'll detail how to do it later), using a 64-bit system doubles the amount of address space available.

3.You'll be able to run 64-bit programs and your system will be better equipped to deal with future applications. Simply put, the limits of the 32-bit architecture are being rapidly approached, and, in a few years, there will probably be 64-bit only games. Also, if you want to run http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&ct=res&cd=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ea.com%2Fcrysis%2F&ei=Tn4IR7rxLZDQeticmKEF&usg=AFQjCNETomwJvhg02SRYqDCnx2Gq-6387w&sig2=UjFqdM631EsHmig2D8VilA at it's best, you'll probably want a 64-bit operating system because it will have native 64-bit support.

64-bit applications do not simply have access to more memory address space. A 64-bit application also has access to twice the amount of registers as a 32-bit application (8 vs 16) which means that performance can be improved dramatically.

4.Vista x64 can natively execute 32-bit programs. The majority of your software will work fine in Vista x64 if it already works in the 32-bit edition of Vista. You will want to make sure that you have 64-bit drivers for all of your hardware however, because Vista x64 cannot use 32-bit drivers. In addition, 16-bit software (Windows 3.x) will not work under 64-bit editions of Windows Vista with the exception of a number of 16-bit installers which Vista x64 has been hard-coded to work with. I've personally installed and run both Alpha Centauri and System Shock 2 (both use a 16-bit installshield) under Vista x64 and they installed and run flawlessly.

MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE LATEST DRIVERS
---------------------------------------------
This is important in any version of Windows but is especially important in Vista. As Vista is a new operating system, the drivers released by hardware manufacturers are constantly being updated. The performance difference, especially with video drivers, between driver releases, can be dramatic.

Also, don't be afraid to use beta drivers. They generally offer better performance and compatibility than the non-beta drivers (when beta drivers are available) and the risk is minimal.

You can get access to beta drivers at these locations :

For nVidia Cards : http://nzone.com/object/nzone_downloads_rel70betadriver.html (If none are listed, there are no current beta drivers available)
For ATI Cards : http://ati.amd.com/products/catalyst/betatester.html

DISABLE IPv6
--------------------------------------------
The IP Protocol or Internet Protocol provides routing, path determination, and internetwork communication. In laymans terms, it is responsible for connecting all of the networks of the internet together and determining where and how to get to different computers on the internet.

Every computer on the internet has at least one IP address which is used to logically identify it. Right now, the defacto standard is IPv4 or Version 4 of the IP Protocol. IPv6 is an upcoming replacement designed to solve a number of issues with IPv4. Windows Vista comes with a brand new networking stack that has integrated IPv4 and IPv6 support. However, right now, I am not aware of any home internet service providers that use IPv6 and the percentage adoption rate of IPv6 worldwide was in the single digits last time I checked. Simply put, a home user has no use for IPv6 at this point in time and won't have any use for IPv6 for the foreseeable future and it can be safely disabled to improve networking performance and reduce overhead.

Please note that if you use your computer to access a network at work or school, you'll want to check with your network administrator before doing this.

To disable IPv6 :
1.Click the start button then select Network.
2.In the window that comes up, click the Network and Sharing Center Button. Another window will open.
3.In the next window, on the side select Manage Network Connections.
4.Right-click on Local Area Connection and select properties. If you have User Account Control enabled, click continue.
5.In the window that comes up, find Internet Protocol Version 6 and uncheck it.
6.Click OK
7.Repeat steps 4 through 6 for any additional network connections (if you have more than one network adapter).

MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE LATEST HOTFIXES
-----------------------------------------------
Microsoft has released a number of performance and gaming related hotfixes for Windows Vista. Some, but not all, are pushed through Windows Update and the others you will have to manually download.

They are :

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/936710
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/938194
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/938979
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/940105
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/941649

----
I'll add more to this guide tomorrow. These tweaks should hopefully improve your gaming performance under Vista.

Nice work damicatz. This should come in handy for Vista users.

I wont pollute your thread with my anti Vista rant.

Hmm, i can't find Windows Search Service or any other sevices.

EDIT: nvm, I have finnish languange, just have to translate.

What kind of PF have you managed to get it down to with Vista then? If all this stuff makes a large difference, I may at some point consider switching, although XP is treating me just fine at the moment.

I got it down to 500MB on Vista x64 on boot.

However, it is important to note that the page file size isn't particularly important when comparing one operating system to another.

In order to understand why, it is important to understand how virtual memory works. Every program has it's own memory address space and anytime a program links to a DLL or another program, that takes up part of the program's virtual address space.

These virtual addresses have to come from somewhere. Since all of your RAM is being used either for programs or for cache, Windows Vista uses the pagefile's address space. In this case, nothing is actually being stored in the pagefile, the pagefile's addresses are simply being used. And if 800MB worth of pagefile addresses are being used, then that's 800MB less that you can actually store in the page file, even if that 800MB is only being used for virtual addresses and not for actual storage. However, under task manager, anytime an address is allocated, it counts that as page file usage, even if nothing is actually being stored in the page file.

Would you mind going further into compatabilty issues with x64? I have 32 bit Vista right now with 4 gigs of memory, an e6850, and an 8800gts, I wouldn't mind getting the most out of my system.

Sure thing.

16-bit software
16-bit software, such as software that was designed for Windows 3.0x will not work under 64-bit Windows. The part of the operating system that handles the emulation of a 16-bit environment (NTVDM) was never ported to the x64 architecture.

What this means :
Any software designed for Windows 3.0x or earlier will not function on 64-bit editions of Windows. It is very unlikely as a home user that you will still have any 16-bit software because Windows has used 32-bit software since 1995.

16-bit installers
A lot of 32-bit games use 16-bit installers, particularly those games created before Microsoft released Windows Installer. The most commonly used 16-bit installer is the older versions of InstallShield. 16-bit InstallShield Installers can be identified by having a window with three bars during the install process corresponding to disk space, percent of disk completed (if the install uses multiple disks) and percent of install completed.

Windows Vista x64 has hard-coded support for the most common 16-bit installers, so a 32-bit game with a 16-bit installer will more likely than not, work fine. I have personally tested and run many games with 16-bit installers on Vista x64 including Alpha Centauri and System Shock 2 (Both are from 1999 and use 16-bit installers.)

What this means:
For the most part, nothing. You may run into the obscure 16-bit installer that isn't supported but the most common ones (especially as far as games are concerned) work just fine. This is one of those issues that has been overplayed a lot; and most people seem to be under the mistaken impression that no 16-bit installers work at all under Windows x64.

32-bit software
Existing 32-bit software, with a few exceptions which I will detail below, can be run natively in a 64-bit environment and at native speeds. There is no emulation of any sort; 32-bit software running on a 64-bit version of Windows is the same as 32-bit software running on a 32-bit system. Underneath the hood, Windows maps the 32-bit memory addresses to 64-bit memory addresses, maps a few directories (so no changes are required on the part of the 32-bit software) and Windows maintains both 32-bit and 64-bit copies of all system files.

Exceptions :
1.32-bit and 64-bit code cannot be mixed. A 32-bit application cannot load or link to a 64-bit DLL and a 64-bit application cannot load or link to a 32-bit DLL. 32-bit and 64-bit applications can be run simultaneously, and side-by-side, they simply cannot link to each other.

A good example of this is browsers. If you are using a 64-bit browser, you will need 64-bit plug-ins as 32-bit plug-ins will not work. This is why Microsoft provides both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Internet Explorer. More than likely, you'll end up using a 32-bit browser, be it IE, Firefox or another browser because browsers are not the type of application that will benefit from being 64-bits. So as far as browsers are concerned, you aren't likely to run into this issue.

The other big thing is Explorer Shell Extensions. Windows Explorer (the file manager) is 64-bit which means that shell extensions have to be 64-bit. Shell extensions are icons or items that are installed into Windows Explorer such as the right-click menu options to extract a RAR file that come with WinRAR. The program itself does not have to be a 64-bit program but it's shell extension must. The majority of programs released recently have 64-bit shell extensions, including WinRAR so this is only going to be a problem with older versions of software. If you encounter a piece of software that does not have 64-bit shell extensions; the software itself will continue to function but you won't get the shortcuts in Windows Explorer. Again, this is a minor issue because the majority of newer software I have encountered that uses shell extensions provides a 64-bit shell extension for x64 versions of Windows.

What this means:
Any software that integrates into Windows Explorer will need to provide a 64-bit version of the shell extension. If it doesn't, the software itself will still function but you won't have access to the shell extensions.

If you are using a 64-bit browser, you must use 64-bit plugins. If you are using a 32-bit browser, you must use 32-bit plugins.
----------------------
2.You must use 64-bit drivers. You cannot load 32-bit drivers onto a 64-bit version of Windows. If you have older hardware, you might want to check to see if it has 64-bit support. Newer hardware shouldn't be a problem because a requirement for getting the Windows Logo now is that the hardware has to support 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows equally.

There are some exceptions to this rule as far as user-mode drivers are concerned but it's best to assume that, by default, a 32-bit driver will not work. Any 32-bit applications that rely on their own drivers will have to have a 64-bit version of their driver (with some exceptions), though the program can remain 32-bits. Almost any modern application that uses drivers (there aren't that many) is going to have a 64-bit driver included.

What this means:
Make sure your hardware has 64-bit driver support before installing a 64-bit version of Windows. If you're unsure, feel free to post the hardware item in question here and I can check.

Also, some software that relies on it's own drivers may need a 64-bit driver to work. Most of the recent software that relies on drivers again has a 64-bit version. If you are unsure, again feel free to post here.
----------------------
3.Kernel-mode drivers must be signed. A kernel-mode driver is a driver that runs alongside the kernel and has direct access to system hardware. This is not as big of an issue as some make it out to be and there has been a lot of FUD on this. In Windows XP x64 and Windows Vista x64, a kernel-mode driver must have a digital signature before it will be loaded. This is not the same thing as WHQL; anyone can buy a code-signing certificate from any number of sources and use it to sign code to their heart's content without talking to Microsoft or paying Microsoft a dime.

This digital signature works similar to how a certificate for a secure (HTTPS) website works. It verifies that the driver is from who it claims to be, and that it hasn't been modified. Any modification to the file will make the signature invalid and Windows will refuse to load any driver that has been modified without being re-signed. This is to hinder the ability of rootkits and other malicious software as far as installing kernel mode drivers goes (I don't know many rootkit writers that are going to sign their rootkit with their own name).

As an end-user, you don't have to worry about this because 64-bit drivers have always had to be signed from the get-go. You aren't going to find unsigned kernel-mode 64-bit drivers on the internet because it's always been this way for x64 versions of Windows. User-mode drivers do not have to be signed at all.

What this means:
Nothing for the average end-user. Despite the FUD, this is only a concern to programmers who are developing drivers for x64 versions of Window.
----------------------
4.Patchguard. Patchguard is a mechanism in x64 versions of Windows that prevents third-party software from modifying or patching the Windows kernel. This is another defense against rootkits and other trojans because they frequently use methods such as modifying the kernel to hide from applications. Also, this increases system stability. A lot of crappy anti-virus programs and "system maintenance" utilities (Norton comes to mind) would patch the kernel with their own patches; which resulted in an unstable system and a lot of support calls to Microsoft. There are ways to do the kinds of things that a kernel patch would do that don't affect system stability and Microsoft is encouraging software vendors (or ISVs) to use those instead.

What this means:
Pretty much every major and recent anti-virus, anti-spyware, and system maintenance program now has 64-bit support (where applicable) or is planning on it within the near future. Again, in order for the Windows Logo and/or Microsoft Certification, both 32-bit and 64-bit must be supported equally. If you are using an older version of this type of software, you may run into issues and will need to update.

Fascinating. I'll have to see if I can' scrounge up 64bit drives for my printer and network adaptor. My graphics card should be find..not sure if creative backs 64bit drivers for my x-fi, I'll have to look into that.

Creative does provide 64-bit support for the X-Fi.

As for your printer and network adapter, if you want, I can look and see if Windows Vista x64 includes support for those with the operating system.

And if you're interested, you can read a more detailed description of how the 64-bit mode works and it's benefits http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X86-64#Architectural_features.

Thanks for all the help. I'll post up what i have later tonight when I get home.

Very informative damicatz, thanks, and I fully agree with setup for Vista here if you are a gamer(I already use/had these OS tweaks and confirm they work).

YESSSS!!! :celebration:
That's the ONE thing I've been able to do to stop completely freezing when I level up! Hopefully, this will work for a while. I disabled about 8 of the things you mentioned on your list.

THANK YOU!!!

Updated to add information about hotfixes.

This is a very nice guide. I already have lots of services you don't need disabled. Some of which are not on the list so if you want i can add some extra services you can disable to the list. Using the msconfig utility also works to disable the services. This thread should be stickied imo

I'm off to school now but when i get back I'll make a list of my disabled services and some other tips that might come in handy

Here you go: Most of the names already show the purpose of the service.

SERVICES

DISABLED BUT NOT ON DAMICATZ LIST YET:

• Application layer gateway service
  
• COM+ system application
  
• Cryptographic services
  
• wired autoconfig
  
• windows presentation foundation
  
• Health key and certificate manager
  
• windows cardspace
  
• server
  
• distributed transaction coordinator
  
• microsoft iSCSI initiator service
  
• Peer networking goruping/identity manager
  
• program compatibility assistant service
  
• protected storage
  
• remote registry
  
• RPC locator
  
• smartcard
  
• smartcard removal policy
  
• windows back-up
  
• Shadow copy provider
  
• telefony
  
• virtual disk
  
• volume shadow copy
  
• parental controls
  
• windows search

Disabling these services had no effect on the OS in terms of things not working

THINGS YOU SHOULD ALREADY BE DOING IN XP TO OPTIMIZE BUT ALSO HELP FOR VISTA

Do a regular defrag. A very nice and free utility is http://www.kessels.com/JkDefrag/ This will speed up loading times and harddisk performance
Regular virus and spyware check. Well you know why.
Not installing junkware programs you don't need which install lots of useless startup entries.

Disabling startup Services

Various programs install services and startup entries which slow down the boot of your pc and the pc altogether.
To find what services belong to programs instead of windows, click the windows button, type msconfig in the search box, enter.
Go to the services tab. Press the button hide all microsoft services. Now you can view all non-microsoft services. Take a look to see what you don't need and disable them.

Disabling startup programs

click the windows button, type msconfig in the search box, enter. go to the startup tab, here you can find all your programs that start. Take a look for what you need and what you don't need and disable the worthless programs.

Always get the windows update updates

Microsoft gets out new updates at least every week so checking regularly can improve stability performance and safety

And last but not least

Hate microsoft for DRM: Digital Restrictions Management. :hehe:

no need for this guide?

I can say that with this guide I am more than ever wishing to upgrade to vista 64.

Will look for compatible drivers, and will wait for the end year vacation for full time free.

Actually, a lot of those services I wouldn't recommend disabling, simply because they are required for a number of applications. You might disable them, find out it doesn't immediately screw up your system only to find out that a certain application or feature doesn't work. Then you'll have to manually go through each one to find the service you need to enable again.

For example, disabling the WPF service will slow down any applications that use the Windows Presentation Foundation. Which means pretty much any future .net based application. And http://www.blackviper.com/WinVista/Services/Cryptographic_Services.htm will prevent Windows from verifying the digital signatures of executables or drivers; which will result in Windows Update no longer working among other things.

Also, you shouldn't use MSCONFIG to disable services because it has no mechanism in place to prevent you from screwing up your system. By contrast, the service manager will not let you disable any services which are crucial to your system's operation and you can set services to delayed start or manual, which you can't do using MSCONFIG.

When I've tried Vista, superfetch has done nothing but degrade the performance of my systems. It has now become the first thing I disable (Along with readyboost and the search indexing).
If I start my PC or laptop and want to just check my E-mail, it takes around 2mins before I can get into outlook express while I wait for superfetch to do it's thing (even though it's SUPPOSEDLY a low priority process). If I disable it, this drops to around 45secs (Around the same as XP).
Superfetch only seems to work if you have your PC switched on 24/7. How is this good for anybody except for your electricity supplier?

Another process that I always disable is the task scheduler. You are not allowed to disable this nasty little service by default, but it is possible.
As to why you would want to do this, it is the service that runs the MS consumer feedback programs, and these still run and try to send information even if you decline to take part.
Stranger still, the only way to disable it that I know is to go through and disable every task. Nothing in this service is essential for the system so why can't you just disable it as you can any other service?

Edit: Just re-read this and to clarify things, task scheduler in itself is not bad (in fact it can be quite useful), but I do think that most of the tasks MS put in there by default need to deleted or disabled as they can slow down your system (and in the case of the regularly scheduled defrag that is enabled by default) quite dramatically. (I have never de-fragged any PC I own, If they are set up correctly in the first place , you don't need de-frag).

Excellent thread!! Thanks very much. This'll come in very handy indeed.

Thanks!!

Thanks for the thread.

I've actually found Vista much more responsive at boot time. It takes 3-8 boots on average for Superfetch to properly anolyze your booting procedure and reorganize your file system accordingly and until then, boot time will be slower if it is on. The other thing is that you really won't get the most out of Superfetch until you have at least 2 gigabytes of RAM and a reasonably fast hard drive (7200 RPM or better).

Windows XP actually has a similar technology called the prefetcher; it'll anolyze your boot processes and the order in which things load and move the files on your disk accordingly so that the files needed to boot your system are at the beginning of the hard-disk (where read times are the fastest) in the order they are loaded. The prefetcher will also go ahead and load needed files into memory. The difference between the prefetcher and SuperFetch is that SuperFetch is working at all times preloading data onto your harddrive (using empty RAM as cache) whereas prefetcher only works during the system bootup. And SuperFetch is much more agressive about not letting any RAM go to waste.

Lastly, disabling the task scheduler service will prevent the Windows XP prefetcher from working and inhibit the boot-time optimizations and preloading that SuperFetch does from working.

Nice research Dami.

Perhaps the admins should sticky a complete comprehensive Oblivion on Vista preformance and troubleshooting guide, or add it to the existing tech FAQ.

I've had no problems with windows update not working nor with slow .net applications. I disabled them one by one and disabling these services caused me no problem, but did cause faster boot time and lower RAM usage.

I went from completely unplayable to very acceptable performance with the help of this thread.
Thx alot!!! Was considering dualbooting with XP, but it feels neat to have it work with Vista (Vista is so shiny after all lolol).

Edit: My only remaining problem is this, I was gonna reinstall the game (cause I wanted it in another folder). So I uninstall no problem I thought, then I reinstall and the game won?t start. It remembers my video settings (those that you can set outside the game in the launcher), so I suspect it never really uninstalled..
Tryed uninstalling and reinstalling 2 times...

Is there any good uninstaller utility for Vista? Or should I do something more to completely uninstall the game?

Also, when it was working, I noticed that it jerks for like 3 secs. every time it loads a new area. This did?nt happen on my older system which was?nt as funky as my new system... hmm

AM2 athlon X2 4200+
2 gigs ddr2 800mhz Corsair something
MSI 8600something Silent 512mb
Asus micro-ATX [bunch of numbers] mobo

But then, I?ve installed the "Almost everything visible when distant" and "Qarl?s texture pack 3" mods - Maybe that makes it jerky when loading new areas? Flows nicely otherwise...