Windows Vista Performance Enhancements - Will it
enhance user experience
Computers are basically invented for getting faster
results for the inputs that we give. Therefore, every
one expects the performance of the system to be high.
In today’s fast life, people expect almost faster
systems to be used. The need for building faster system
became important, when the programs were developed to
produce graphics. People started using Menus, Window
driven applications more than ever before, when world
of graphics opened its door. The development of Windows
began a new era of computing. This certainly ignited
craze of going for high performance systems.
Microsoft has brought changes to the programs such
that, to improve the performance in the shut down and
resume and also in the area of responsiveness.
These two are the core areas of the operating system
that are to be addressed.
Run your programs before startup
In Windows XP, one cannot make other programs to run,
unless the startup routine gets completed. This means
one cannot run program of his own choice, till startup
programs gets loaded and executed. If run, the program
Window will appear only after the startup process is
completely performed by the system. This makes the user
to feel badly. In Windows Vista, the system will not
wait for the startup process to get completed. Instead,
it does the startup processing in the background, while
it allows the other programs to get executed. In Windows
Vista, the requirement for shutdown and restarting the
computer is very less, because, there is a significant
improvement in process isolation. It also includes a
new sleep mode. The sleep mode is in between stand by
and Hibernate mode. It ensures that one optimal mode
is used with one setting. If the battery is low in power
in a notebook, then the sleep mode setting can put the
computer to go hibernation. The time to hibernate is
also reduced. The resume from hibernation takes a few
seconds.
Excellent use of available Cache memory
In Windows XP, if the RAM capacity available in the
system is low, then one may face the problems of non-responsive
programs. To resolve this problem one simply needed
to add additional memory to the system. In Windows Vista,
however, there are some excellent features, which can
make excellent use of available RAM, management of cache.
Super Fetch works like virtual memory
SuperFetch is a new approach to memory caching. Memory
is one of the expensive parts among other computer resources.
Super Fetch works like virtual memory. In the previous
version of Windows, Users were experiencing slower response
time than normal, especially after a couple of minutes
of inactivity. The system starts working slower, because,
Windows runs a couple of background tasks, when no activity
is performed on the system. In Windows Vista, using
SuperFetch, the cache is filled with background tasks,
whenever the system goes idle. The existing contents
of cache are written to disk. Whenever, the system becomes
active, the contents in the cache are exchanged or swapped
with the written contents of disk. This feature works
only in the background, thus the user does not feel
any difference with system, while active or idle.
Automatic background Defragmentation
Another feature in Windows Vista which is to be looked
into is the automatic background Defragmentation. Defragmentation
is done in order to make faster disk access. This process
enhances the system performance by bringing the data
nearer that are originally written far apart. In older
versions, only manual Defragmentation was possible.
This means, the Defragmentation program was needed human
interaction to start. In Windows Vista, the Defragmentation
program starts automatically in the background, when
the system is not in use, but, kept switched on. Thus,
the computer gets utilized fully, when the user is not
using it.
In Windows XP and other subsequent windows editions,
the processes and I/O (Input/Output) operations had
the same level of importance. So, the Background processes
running were preventing I/O operations to take place
smoothly. In windows vista, the background programs
and processes were assigned lower priority than the
user I/O applications. For example, the automatic defragmenter
program will be given a lower priority than calculator,
thus, ensuring the calculator to work smoothly. The
Windows Media Player 11 also supports this feature,
to provide continuous flowing music to its users.
support to Hybrid Disks
Windows Vista offers a support to Hybrid Disks. The
disks have got special non-volatile RAM intended to
increase the speed of the hard disks. These disks, meant
for mobile computers, are just entering into market
will make extensive use of new ReadyDrive technology
in Windows Vista. This technology aims to improve the
speed of startup and resume from sleep and hibernation
modes. This also aims to save power, by reducing the
disk rotations. This improves the life span of the disk.
In Windows Vista, NVRAM increases the speed of booting
and returning from hibernation.Another performance enhancement
feature is the ReadyBoost. Suppose, if the system is
low in RAM, then one can make use of this new option
to make use of a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory stick.
If the system lacks in RAM, then, one can make use of
USB memory sticks to achieve the required amount of
RAM. USB memory sticks are as fast as the RAM’s.
Therefore, the performance will not affect adversely.
The USB is a Serial Bus standard to interfacing devices.
The USB is a popularly used interface.
ReadyBoost on USB drive
Plug in a USB memory device into computer. Now, Windows
will prompt the user to use the device for increasing
system performance. Now, Select speed up my system to
configure and enable ReadyBoost. The system will start
using the card or device as a special memory. To enable
ReadyBoost on USB drive one need to follow the following
steps. They are,
- Open Windows Explorer and Navigate to Computer
- Right click on the USB drive and select properties,
a window open, with multiple tabs on it
- Select the ReadyBoost Tab. If there is no ReadyBoost
tab displayed then, the selected USB drive does not
meet the requirements to make use of ReadyBoost feature.
Try for different device by following the step 2 instructions
- Click “Use This Device” option in the
tab.
- Now, set the amount of space to be reserved for
the ReadyBoost. And then click the Ok button.
The Windows ReadyBoost is that it is secure and reliable.
The data in the drive is encrypted. Encryption protects
the data, by converting data into some unknown form.
Various mathematical formulas are involved in the process
of encryption. Decryption is the process of data which
is in unknown form into original form. In order to get
back the original form to the data that are encrypted,
decryption must be carried out. One can remove the drive,
whenever one wants without causing loss of data. Delayed
service start in Windows Vista allows services to start
only when they are needed. This ensures that the system
takes less booting time and also less startup time.
clean service shutdown
The clean service shutdown in Windows Vista has the
capability of delaying shutdown if the process needs
to be completed. The clean service shutdown also ensures
that the data gets saved before going to shutdown. Crashes
and restarts have been also reduced, because the services
are not damaged by a forced shutdown anymore.
The development of performance enhancement features
look like putting up foundation stone for more robust,
versatile, secured operating system. The next generation
computer systems will have the physically a high speed,
high capacity RAM. Along with performance enhancements,
one can expect the system to produce output within no
time, in the years to come. |
