Windows Vista Performance and Tuning
Windows Vista and SP1 focus on delivering greater performance and overall system responsiveness. By striking a balance between speed and responsiveness, Windows Vista and SP1 deliver a level of performance that has the greatest positive impact on the system’s usability.
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31.7.2008 Access Windows Server 2008 SP2 Performance Tuning Guidelines
The need to squeeze every last drop of performance out of a specific system running Windows is even more stringent when it comes down to server infrastructures compared to client machines.
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29.7.2009 Windows 7 Performance Tools - Performance Tools Kit 4.1.1
Internet Explorer 8 will be not only an apex of performance, but also the next major iteration of the Windows client, according to Microsoft.
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1.9.2008 Vista SP1 a Performance Dud
With the initial performance characteristics of Windows Vista leaving much to be desired (see our previous post on the subject), many IT organizations have put off deploying the new OS until the first service pack (SP1) is released by Microsoft early next year.
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20.11.2007 Another Vista Reliability & Performance Update
Vista’s performance is one of those topics that won’t be exhausted until Windows Seven hits RTM. It all comes down to trade-offs.
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12.12.2007 Vista Performance Post SP1
Poor performance was one of the sins associated with Windows Vista RTM, especially in comparison to Windows XP throughout 2007.
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9.10.2008 Windows Vista Imaging and Installation Performance
Ideally, installation of an operating system is two fairly simple steps. First, copy all the OS files to the hard disk.
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4.10.2006 Vista Compatibility, Performance and Reliability Pack
Windows Vista Compatibility, Performance and Reliability Packs – SP1 Preview - Microsoft offers fresh Vista updates to testers.
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31.7.2007 New Performance and Reliability Updates for Vista SP1
A reliability and performance update is available for download for Windows Vista Service Pack 1. This specific release targets all Windows Vista editions, provided that they have the first service pack integrated.
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25.6.2008 x64 Vista SP2 JPG Rendering Performance Inferior to x86 Vista SP2's
The JPG rendering process on 64-bit flavors of Windows Vista Service Pack 2 is inferior to that on the 32-bit variants of the operating system.
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10.6.2009 Final Names for Windows Vista Performance Features
Windows PC Accelerators is the new term that encompasses Windows Vista's new performance-enhancing technologies.
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7.4.2006 Performance Results Mixed with Vista Service Pack 1
Files copied faster in our initial tests, but other performance was slightly slower with the SP1 installed.
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7.2.2008 Vista SP1 Evolves with New Reliability and Performance Boost
Microsoft is indeed starting to deliver an increasing volume of details related to the upcoming Windows 7 client and Windows 7 Server releases, but the end of 2009/ the debut of 2010 is still not even on the horizon, and neither are the next iterations of the Windows platforms.
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19.8.2008 12 Tweaks - Squeeze Every Last Drop of Performance Out of Windows Vista
Windows Vista is a resource hog. Microsoft’s latest operating system will swallow every last bit of hardware resources you throw at it in the race for a top user experience, a concept synonymous with high performance.
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15.9.2007 Install Vista SP1 RC Refresh for the Added Performance
According to Microsoft, one reason to install Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Release Candidate Refresh and test drive it is the added performance.
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15.1.2008 Check PC Performance Details with WinSAT in Windows 7 or Vista
Since Windows Vista, including in Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows System Assessment Tool (WinSAT) has been added into the operating system. WinSAT is a free benchmarking tool that measures various computer performance ratings, characteristics and capabilities, and display the ratings as Windows Experience Index or WEI score.
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20.4.2009 Microsoft releases the Windows Vista Performance and Reliability fix packages
These are the fixes that leaked last week, now the fix packs are publicly available (Validation Required).
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8.8.2007 Windows XP SP3 Yields Performance Gains Over Vista SP1
After a disappointing showing by Windows Vista SP1 (see previous post), we were pleasantly surprised to discover that Windows XP Service Pack 3 (v.3244) delivers a measurable performance boost to this aging desktop OS.
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24.11.2007 Boost Vista's Performance, Responsiveness, and Reliability ahead of Vista SP1
Windows Vista Service Pack 1 RTM is without a doubt in sight. But the fact that the service pack's availability is contouring on the immediate horizon, and is now but a month away, provides little comfort for the users of Windows Vista RTM.
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14.2.2008 Windows 7 Search Performance – Superior to Vista SP1 and XP SP3
Get ready for the Windows 7 indexer on steroids, as Microsoft will deliver the first taste of the operating system to the world at the end of this month.
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14.10.2008 Windows 7 build 7057 - Performance that blasts past XP, Vista
Over the weekend I’ve been spending time with the latest leaked build of Windows 7 - build 7057. While this isn’t the release candidate (RC) build that some people claim it is, this build is certainly pretty close to being RC.
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16.3.2009 Vista to XP Copying Performance Slower with Intel I/OAT Enabled
One of the issues that plagued Windows Vista when the operating system was launched in January 2009 was the slow copying speeds delivered.
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5.7.2009 Windows Performance Blog
As I said in yesterday’s introduction, my job as an engineer on the Windows Vista team is to improve performance. I wanted to look at a study that measure a key area that we focused on for Windows Vista – consistent responsiveness during the times that matter most to users (when starting up their machine, after being idle, and when you are under the gun running tons of apps, etc.).
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29.12.2006 Microsoft tweaks IE 7 for performance
Microsoft has quietly released a patch aimed at improving the performance of Internet Explorer 7's phishing filter ahead of the company's regular patching schedule, which occurs on the Tuesday of every month.
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8.2.2007 Microsoft IE 8 - Great Performance
This morning, my editor asked why I hadn't blogged about Internet Explorer 8. My response: "Who cares?" Do you? Maybe we both should.
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27.8.2008 Windows 7 Performance Pillars
Attempting to avoid the rather sluggish experience that has become inherently associated with Windows Vista RTM, Microsoft promised, through the voice of Steven Sinofsky, that Windows 7 would not set a single “bit” out of Redmond until it would meet a set of performance criteria.
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29.8.2008 Windows 7 Performance, Explained
From startup to the way it handles hardware resources available, power consumption and applications, Windows 7 has been applauded as delivering a level of performance superior to that of Windows Vista, even as early as pre-Beta Build 6801.
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29.11.2008 How Microsoft really does employee performance reviews
You don't need to ask your boss for a raise at Microsoft, because each year we have an annual performance evaluation where managers review employee accomplishments in a process used for deciding things like salary increases or bonuses.
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22.12.2006 Windows 7 -- Approach to System Performance
Many folks have commented and written email about the topic of performance of Windows. The dialog has been wide ranging—folks consistently want performance to improve (of course).
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28.8.2008 Squeezing Every Drop of Performance Out of Windows 7
In the sense in which Microsoft is building Windows 7 as the evolution of Windows Vista, the next iteration of the Windows client will perform as if on steroids, compared to its precursor.
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17.12.2008Overview Series: Windows Vista Performance and Tuning
Windows Vista and SP1 focus on delivering greater performance and overall system responsiveness. By striking a balance between speed and
responsiveness, Windows Vista and SP1 deliver a level of performance that has the greatest positive impact on the systems usability. This guide looks
at the following areas of performance improvement:
- Making configuration changes that help a computer feel more responsive when you
use it.
- Using hardware to boost the actual physical speed of a computer.
- Making configuration changes that help a computer to start
faster.
- Making the computer more reliable may help increase performance.
- Monitoring performance occasionally so that you can stop
problems before they get too big.
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29.07.2008Windows 7 HD and SSD Performance Analyzed
Today we're going to look at how various types of disks perform under Windows 7, both of the traditional platter based variety and new solid state
disks. We're not only curious about how disk performance changes between the operating systems, but if Windows 7's new solid-state specific
optimizations and tuning give you even greater performance compared to Vista.
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29.05.2009Gibson Shows Self-Tuning Guitar
Musicians of the world are getting a new kind of artistic freedom with technology that eliminates the challenging chore of tuning.
"Powertune," a robotics technology developed by German company Tronical Gmbh in partnership with Gibson Guitar Corp. enables Gibson's
newest Les Paul model, available globally on Dec. 7, to tune itself in about two seconds. The system is based around a processor which directs motors
on its six tuning pegs to tighten or loosen the strings accordingly after listening for the guitar's pitch. To set the instrument to a particular
tuning, the user pulls a knob, turns it to the desired style, indicated with a blue light, and then pushes the knob back in. An electric signal
travels up the strings to the motors on the tuning pegs. The system is powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. The Les Paul Silverburst model
is to cost about $2,780 in Japan and $2,499 in the U.S., with self-tuning offered for $900 extra.
Read full story.....
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04.12.2007Microsoft: Another Vista Reliability & Performance Update
Vista’s performance is one of those topics that won’t be exhausted until Windows Seven hits RTM. It all comes down to trade-offs. Ever
since the features of Vista were finalized, Microsoft tried to tip the scale the other way by focusing on performance, with the obvious limitation of
not disabling any services. Updates regarding performance and stability are numerous, but most have not hit Windows Update as they are not quite ready
(preview releases). The Windows Serviceability Team wants feedback on one such update, available for download at the Microsoft Download Center, before
its expected release on Windows Update in January.
Read full story.....
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13.12.2007Inside CNET Labs: Windows Vista SP1 performance
The long-awaited Service Pack 1 update for Windows Vista brings with it a number of significant bug fixes and other improvements. Microsoft promises
that with it you will also see a number of noticeable performance improvements as well. In
our initial round of testing, we saw a mixed bag of results:
we saw a few notable performance improvements under some conditions as well as significant performance degradations in others. For the most part,
however, we saw little difference in performance between Vista and the Vista SP1 update.
As we dug a little deeper into
Microsoft's claims, we discovered that many of the performance improvements being touted aren't actually directly attributable to SP1. Many
of the claimed performance improvements, such as improved boot-time, are actually more a function of improved third-party drivers and applications
that are benefiting from a year's worth of programming for Vista and from the programmers getting continued feedback and guidance from Microsoft. So
as long as you have been diligent about keeping your Vista system current with the latest Windows updates and third-party drivers, you likely
already have many of the potentially performance improving enhancements.
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14.02.2008Windows XP SP3 Yields Performance Gains Over Vista SP1
After a disappointing showing by Windows Vista SP1 (see previous post), we were pleasantly surprised to discover that Windows XP Service Pack 3
(v.3244) delivers a measurable performance boost to this aging desktop OS. Testing with OfficeBench showed an 10% performance boost vs. the same
configuration running under Windows XP w/Service Pack 2.
Since SP3 was supposed to be mostly a bug-fix/patch consolidation release - unlike
w/Vista SP1, Microsoft made no promises of improved performance for XP - the unexpected speed boost comes as a nice bonus. In fact, XP SP3 is
shaping-up to be a "must have" update for the majority of users who are still running Redmond's not-so-latest and greatest desktop
OS.
Of course, none of this bodes well for Vista, which is now more than 2x slower than the most current builds of its older sibling.
Suffice to say that performance-minded users will likely choose to stick with the now even speedier Windows XP - at least until more "Windows
7" information becomes publicly available.
Read full story.....
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24.11.2007Virtual Roundtable discussing Vista configuration, and optimizing performance
On September 24, at 9am PST, Mark Russinovich and a panel of experts will be hosting a virtual roundtable to discuss common isues in configuring Vista
clients, performance issues, and other ways to optimize Vista performance. He will be asking questions as well during this roundtable. You can use the
following link to join:
https://ms.istreamplanet.com/springboard winbeta.org -
28.08.2008Microsoft study: Vista improves networking
Companies that deploy Windows
Server 2008 and Windows Vista
in tandem could see more than
a threefold increase in
networking performance for
file transfers, downloading
roaming profiles for mobile
users and accessing files on a
portal, according to a
Microsoft-commissioned study
conducted by the Tolly Group.
In a 38-page white
paper titled "Enhanced
Network Performance with
Microsoft Windows Vista and
Windows Server 2008," the
Tolly Group compares the
networking performance for
file access on WANs and LANs
using various configurations
of Windows Server 2003 R2 or
2008 on the backend and XP SP2
or Vista on the frontend.
Not surprisingly, the
combination of the newest
operating systems brings the
best gains in network
performance in large part,
Tolly concludes, because of an
upgraded TCP/IP stack and
updates to thefile-sharing
Server Message Block (SMB )
protocol...
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07.06.2007Optimizing for Virtualization
It's no secret, we love performance tuning at AnandTech IT. It is simply in our blood to want to get the very best out of each platform available to
us, and especially on as sticky a subject as virtualization. During the past year of intensive virtualization research at our lab, and the building up
of our own "real world" benchmark suite, we have encountered countless applications that take quite a bit of work to get performing as expected with
virtualization...
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16.06.2009How to fix Vista's network bottlenecks
As much as I enjoy using Vista, I've definitely noticed that in some networking activities, it definitely seems to struggle. Particularly compared
with Windows XP.
For the most part it's not a problem - I just assumed that Vista's beefy network stack was responsible, and made a
mental note to fix it at some point. And then forgot.
But recently I encountered a really frustrating problem. Using Remote Desktop
Protocol (RDP) to connect from a Vista Enterprise machine to a Windows 2003 server, the performance was so woeful that I was starting to worry whether
there was a problem with the server.
As it happens, my fears about the server were unfounded, but the thought that Vista's networking
stack was to blame turned out to be correct. The Next Generation TCP/IP stack in Windows Vista supports something called Receive Window Auto-Tuning.
This is nothing to do with the RDP "window" you see on the screen, but rather a TCP buffer which TCP/IP clients use to ensure smooth
transmission.
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27.09.2007Last-minute reminder: Windows Vista performance webcast Wednesday morning (PST)
Anyone interested in a webcast on Windows Vista performance? Mark Russinovich is hosting a roundtable discussion webcast tomorrow morning, part
of the Springboard series, at 9 a.m. Pacific time with a panel of IT pro experts: customers, partners, MVPs, etc. It should be a good
discussion, focusing on common causes of Windows Vista performance problems and how to improve overall system performance. There will be live
Q&A toward the end of the session, so start thinking of questions.
For more information, visit
https://ms.istreamplanet.com/springboard/.
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24.09.2008XP SP3 speed lead over Vista SP1 narrows under similar workloads
A heavily promoted performance test by an evaluation software firm appeared to situate Windows Vista SP1 performance against Windows XP SP3. But the
initial workloads were actually different due to the Office software used...
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28.11.2007XP SP3 outperforms Vista SP1, but less when running same Office version
A heavily promoted performance test by an evaluation software firm appeared to situate Windows Vista SP1 performance against Windows XP SP3. But the
initial workloads were actually different due to the Office software used...
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28.11.2007Vista SP1 benefit will be stability and reliability, not performance
The problem is one of the major issues with Vista is performance...
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes: Will Vista SP1 and how this
wont bring any relief to those who find Vista a bit slow or sluggish? Not really, but then again service packs arent about performance increases;
theyre about reliability and stability.
Ive seen a lot of service packs in my time. Windows 95 and ME both got one service pack,
NT 4.0 saw six, Windows 2000 had four and XP has so far seen two. But what I dont remember regarding any of these service packs is installing it onto
a system and then seeing any significant boost in performance. Service packs dont really work that way. Sure, youll feel specific improvements as a
result of some of the tweaks and fixes contained in the service pack, and you might feel the benefit of having your operating system refreshed by
loading the service pack onto it, but a service pack should not be looked upon as a performance upgrade. If your system cant run an OS, what it needs
is upgrading or replacing, not the application of a service pack.
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26.11.2007Performance Results Mixed with Vista Service Pack 1
Microsoft's newly released Service Pack 1 may solve some of the performance glitches that have annoyed Windows Vista users and discouraged others
from adopting the OS, but it doesn't appear from our initial tests to be a panacea.
In our first tests of the service pack, file
copying, one of the main performance-related complaints from Vista users, was significantly faster. But other tests showed little improvement and in
two tests, our experience was actually a little better without the service pack installed than with it.
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07.02.2008AMD: With Vista, Time to Re-evaluate Price/Performance
In its multi-faceted campaign
to wrest back the title of
performance leader in
consumers' minds, AMD is
leveraging its fusion with ATI
and ATI's cooperation with
Microsoft to make a bold new
case for itself: Now that the
Windows Vista era is upon us,
AMD's executives and managers
believe the time has come to
throw out the old XP-based
benchmarks, and re-evaluate
AMD's current line of
processors using more updated
metrics...
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03.02.2007Gaming Performance: Windows Vista SP1 vs. XP SP3
Even as Microsoft tries to shove Windows Vista down the collective and unwilling throat of computer users worldwide, the company is still perfecting
the well-aged and well-loved Windows XP. The latter of the two operating systems just received its third (and evidently last) service pack.
<...> Of course, with the release of a new service pack comes a huge, pressing question: How does it compare to Windows Vista and its own
recent update, Service Pack 1, in the game performance department? Vista, of course, has been plagued by criticism that games run on it don't perform
as well as they do in Windows XP, even though most of the problems were due to early graphics drivers and have gradually been worked out.
Come with us as we install XP SP3 and take it for a test drive, and more importantly compare it to Vista SP1 with a batch of performance
tests. Though DirectX 10 is Vista-only, many a gamer has sworn not to upgrade; will XP SP3 cement their decision, or has Vista and its drivers matured
enough to change a few minds?
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12.05.2008E-mails: Microsoft execs raised 'Vista Capable' concerns
At a hearing in federal court in Seattle today, lawyers debated whether the lawsuit over Microsoft's "Windows Vista Capable" stickers should be
granted class-action status.
As in past legal cases against the company,
internal e-mails from Microsoft executives and employees were once again used as evidence to bolster the plaintiffs' case.
Quick
background, for those just tuning in: The suit, filed last year, alleges that some people bought "Vista Capable" machines thinking they would be
able to run all the Windows Vista features that Microsoft was promoting -- such as Aero Glass, Flip3D, and the Media Center interface -- even when
their machines were only capable of running the bare-bones Windows Vista Home Basic. Microsoft says that there was plenty of information available to
people to distinguish among the different Vista editions.
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09.02.2008Vista Shootout: Hotfixes Vs. SP1
The Web has been abuzz with chatter about Windows Vista's upcoming Service Pack 1 (SP1): What it will and will not fix, how it will affect
performance, how long will it take to install, and so on. PC manufacturers, some journalists, and a great deal of torrent addicts already have the
service pack, and we're among that crew.
While there are lots of things to write about SP1, the first thing we're going to
focus on is performance. Sure, security is important as is compatibility, but we're hoping SP1 turns Vista into the screaming speed demon Microsoft
once seemed to suggest it would be. Of course, when we say performance , we're mainly talking about games, but we checked out other areas in
which it supposedly improves the Vista experience as well.
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05.03.2008Intel Launches Developer-Focused Sites
Intel on Thursday unveiled several sites for software developers, including one in which the chipmaker will share ideas and alpha code in order to
solicit feedback.
In addition, Renee James, VP of Intel's software group, said during her keynote at the Intel Developer Forum
in San Francisco, that the company had completed the acquisition of Havok, a maker of software tools for creating computer graphics. Intel had
announced last week it planned to buy the Irish company, which would operate as a subsidiary of Intel.
On the new sites, James
introduced
Whatif.intel.com, which currently has
information on performance tools that won't be available until 2009, James said. The tools include a debugger for use in cases where Java
applications can not be written entirely in the Java language, a Performance Tuning Utility, and a C++ compiler.
"We are
contributing intellectual property, our tools, our people, and our sample code to really communicate with developers," James told attendees. ..
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21.09.2007
