I just concluded chatting with a HP technician online. The tech offered me something I didn't ask for - a list of recommended Vista performance and speed tweaks: 1. Turn off Windows Search Indexing 2. Turn off Remote Differential Compression 3. Turn off Automatic Windows Defender Operation For the third recommendation, you have to remember to do it manually every once in a while. Do you agree with this recommended tweak? i_Xp/VistaUser

This is my set up for both Vista and Server 2008 beta :- 1. It seems to me that once it has 'done' its job of indexing, it becomes a non-problem. 2. Never heard of it, so no comment. 3. I've never used this.

Whenever I install or reinstall Windows XP or Vista, I immediately turn off Indexing and Compression but Windows Defender is always on. With my system P4 3.0 GHz, 2 GB RAM, Radeon x1600 graphichs card w/512 MB RAM and with the above setup, I never experience any inconvenience or slowdown. But I must confess I am no gamer. Please be advised. Regards SuatCINI

I agree with turning Indexing off. When I got my new computer a month ago with Windows Vista Home Premium on it, at random times the hard drive would suddenly jump up to 100% usage according to performance monitor, but performance monitor indicated system files like C:\System Volume Information were taking all the resources. As a result, it would use up a lot of the system resources, and wouldn't stop for 10 minutes. After turning Indexing off, I haven't had that problem since with Vista or Windows Server 2008 beta 3.

I need to update this post by sharing with you what I have already done. 1. I turned off Windows Search Indexing. Why? Windows Vista search indexing is constantly reviewing files on the laptop to make their contents available for quick searching. While this is handy, it severely impact system performance. How did I disable it? a. Click Start then Computer b. Right Click the C: Drive c. On General Tab, Uncheck Index this drive for faster searching d. On the subsequent dialog box, Select Include subfolders and files. This process took longer because it applies attributes change to files on a global basis. 2. I turned off Remote Differential Compression. (Vista turned it ON by default) Why? Remote Differential Compression measures the changes in files over a network to transfer them with minimal bandwidth rather than transferring an entire file that has previously been moved. By constantly checking for file changes, this service can hinder system performance. How did I disable it? a. Open Control Panel b. Switch to Classic View c. Select Program Features d. Choose Turn Windows features on and off d. Scroll down and uncheck Remote Differential Compression 3. I turned off the automatic component of Windows Defender operations. Why? Windows Defender real-time protection against malware continues to run despite having Automatic operation disabled. How did I disable it? a. Open Control Panel b. Select Windows Defender c. Choose Tools from the top menu d. Select Options e. Uncheck Auto Start at the bottom of the window The end result is that not only have the laptop boot up faster from cold start but the RAM gauge decelerated to a constant 15% - 18% fluctuation with no applications running. i_Xp/VistaUser