Windows 7 Tweaks, optimizing, and customising

[Bann]

I was just going through process of re installing and setting things back up again and I was wondering, what themes, wall papers, boot and login screens others used and what tweaks they did to the standard installation, to personalise it and/or make it run better.

MInes a bit geeky at the mo, although I do change it regularly

At the mo, ive got a Transformers theme -

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/35074137/Desktop.png

and up to now I am thinking of using, this as my bootup skin -

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/35074137/Bootskin.jpg

I am undecided on which Login skin to use.

With regards to tweaks, I tend to stop pretty much all applications that run on login to windows and stop some of the services, pretty much the same as Black vipers List.

Im using RT Tweak, to amend some of the standard stuff in windows and put 'god mode' on my right click menu. As for maintenance, I got a few different programs I run every so often, dunno if they actually make a difference, but keeps me happy nothings, hogging my system that shouldn't be :P

My only reason for starting this post was to get possibly a few ideas off other people, for images and such.

I only have a 60GB SSD, so I was planning on putting most my programs, on my normal hard drive and the only (apparently more correct, but they are both not supported) way to do this although MS won't support it through an 'unattended' XML File during installation, so I may as well make my own Windows installation using RT7Lite. I could ghost it but, it wouldn't be much good if I change motherboard.

Think I need to get out more again.... haha

[dlouhys]

If I'm reading this right, you want to put only your OS on your SSD and all other apps on a traditional drive?

---------- Post added 2011-09-11 at 02:29 PM ----------

In regards to desktop/boot images, there are some absolutely amazing images of castles on the Rhine river.

http://www.germanyhd.com/gallery/

I've always wanted to visit Germany and take a trip down the Rhine. Sadly, my finances don't allow me to vanish for a month to take a stroll through Germany.

[Tigre]

Intresting, because I've heard before that having Windows 7 on my computer actually drags it down, this will help?

[Deleted]

Can you change your log in screen paper? If so, how? I also want personalise mine! I also use ROCKET BAR! Its awesome :-P

[dlouhys]

Intresting, because I've heard before that having Windows 7 on my computer actually drags it down, this will help?

You can easily the trim the fat off Windows 7 to the point that it uses about the same resources as WindowsXP.

[MrHappy]

Intresting, because I've heard before that having Windows 7 on my computer actually drags it down, this will help?

speaking from a perspective that has CompTIA and Microsoft Win 7 certifications i'll tell u this. Windows 7 is the currecntly the best operating system for PC. If u wanna do a comperative its the "xp" of 64bit platforms. What made vista "better" than XP is that it is the 1st system to use xml. it was buggy as crap and then windows 7 came in. Honestly for end user with home pro version is bout 40% of what windows 7 can do. If u upgrade to enterprise or ultimate u have ALOT of secuirty options as as bitlocker, applocker. and even if u dont the library indexing system makes finding and organizing your files ezer than b4.

bottom line is that win 7 is a great operating system and if it drags your PC down then you need to upgrade your RAM and/or Hard-Drive. if your pc slows down it is not because of the OS it is beacuse you have out-dated hardware. if u need help or have questions you wanna ask feel free to PM me and i'll try to replay asap

[Bann]

Language packs alone takes a big chunk of it as it is. I will see what I can get it down to without taking to much funtunality out of it and let you know.

You can also get about 1.5GB back from uninstalling updates prior to Windows 7 SP1, the only thing is you couldnt then unisntall SP1.

---------- Post added 2011-09-11 at 08:46 PM ----------

I would agree that Windows 7 is a better Operating system, ill agree to disagree with regards to Vista I just skipped it totally.

There are just a lot of things init I don't need and I am just being picky cuse I have a 60GB SSD Drive, in hindsight I should have got a SSD, but you can still cut Windows 7 File Space and get system resources back from just cutting out things like language files, scheduled defrags, silly things like Java update and other things checking for updates booting with the system. Id rather just check them all once a fortnight manually

---------- Post added 2011-09-11 at 08:47 PM ----------

Anne, here is a link if thats the only thing you want to do

http://www.intowindows.com/how-to-ch...g-hacks-tools/

[Rixis]

you can "move" the program files folders off the ssd, so that every program you install will be installed and run from the hdd, requires a couple of regedits, trying to find the link now, i did it a month or so back when i made my system, never had a single problem with it yet