How do I turn off graphical features in Windows Vista to make my computer run faster?

Windows Vista contains a number of advanced graphical effects designed to improve the user’s experience, although if your computer is not powerful enough these can cause your machine to run slowly. To turn off these effects and experience a sharp increase in performance, open the Start menu and then right-click on Computer and select Properties. Once the computer properties screen has opened, click on Advanced System Settings, and then the Advanced tab. There should be an area in this window entitled Performance with a Settings button. Clicking on this will open the advanced performance options window, and from here you will be able to select the following choices:

Let Windows choose what’s best for my computer. This option automatically configures the graphics in Windows Vista depending on your computer’s hardware.
Adjust for best appearance. This option turns on all visual effects, including fading menus and Windows Aero, which makes Windows Vista look spectacular, but does take up computer resources which may slow down your PC.

Adjust for best performance. This option turns off all visual effects for Windows Vista, resulting in a simple interface similar to previous versions of Windows. Although this option results in a rather drab and boring desktop, you will notice significant performance improvements as the pressure is taken off the graphics card of your PC.

Custom. This option is the best choice if you wish to choose which visual effects are enabled yourself, allowing you to strike the right balance between appearance and performance that is appropriate for you and your computer.