Vista SP1 - slowed system down a LOT

[727stretch]

I dunno if I'm unique in this instance, but I doubt it. I downloaded SP1 yesterday via Windows Update (the download/install took about 20 min.). Anyhow, my Vista laptop (HP w/ 2.2 Core 2 Duo, 3GB PC-5300 RAM) now takes about 4 minutes to start up. It took 45 sec. before. Specifically, it pauses right after the Windows 'sphere' comes up and before the desktop shows (right before the startup sound). Additionally, all of the stock start-up programs that I deleted from the registry re-appeared, and some setting tweakage was reset.

Anyone else notice SP1 slowing down their system? I knew there were not going to be monumental performance gains, but c'mon MS...

[xxmikexx]

727stretch,

Is there a System Restore snapshot you can roll back to while waiting for an answer to your question?

Also, is there any chance of your having picked up a virus before you rebooted? Or did the slowdown appear upon the system rebooting itself after the SP1 install completed? (I don't really know what I'm talking about here. I'm simply asking questions in hopes that something will occur to you.)

[727stretch]

Yup, I have multiple restore points & registry backups.
Unless there was a virus in the actual SP1 file itself, I had done a complete scan prior to installing it yesterday. I'm going to run a couple of scans just in case though.

[angels355]

727,

Try going into safe mode and defragging your hard drive about three times, after that shut it off completely wait a minute or two, then start it back up again and then see how it performs.

[xxmikexx]

And don't forget to turn around three times and click the heels of your Ruby Slippers.

[Paxx]

Vista sp1 resets ReadyBoost and SuperFetch by default. Even if your not using a flashdrive (ReadyBoost) the Vista cache (SuperFetch) will need some time to re-learn all your values. This may slow down boot times and responsiveness until superfetch is back up to speed.

Or ...

It could be something else

[loki]

I haven't noticed any overall performance changes yet. Network transfers are faster though.

As was mentioned, the Windows prefetch cache gets reset and will rebuild itself. I would also check all third party software you have installed, especially anti-virus and firewall apps. Some need updates to work properly with Vista. Same goes for some drivers too.

Here's a good overview of the SP1 changes.

http://www.anandtech.com/showdoc.aspx?i=3233&p=1

[angels355]

And don't forget to turn around three times and click the heels of your Ruby Slippers.

It's just good house keeping that contributes to better speed. And if I install a challenging piece of software, it makes a big difference if I defrag. Defragging in safe mode is also beneficial because you turn off many other programs and functions which allows for a more thorough defrag. I have defragged at the command prompt also but wouldn't recommend it to many people.

What loki and Paxx are saying seems to make sense, that vista needs to relearn the computer system. Also I can imagine that there might be other programs that need updates. I wonder how that is going to affect video drivers, and other drivers. I've done updates on ME and 98 in the past which have made my video drivers either nonfunctional (especially ME, ME catastrophes!) or nonfunctional to run Fly!2K which can be sensitive to such issues.

People have been really looking forward to this SP1 patch, I'm very interested to hear how it has improved things. One computer savvy salesman held his hands up to calm me down and said, an sp1 patch is coming out, it's going to get better! I certainly hope it's going to be better!! "WHERE'S MY LIMO??" --movie "Galaxy Quest"

Paxx,

Try asking the computer to "open the pod bay doors!" (2001)

On one of my newly resurrected junkheap computers (spotlessly clean and functioning great, 2.53 ghz celeron d, but with onboard everything ), I was using it as an ubuntu live disk computer, but now I'm preparing to install ME on it...cover me!!...AAAAARRRRRGH!!!!

[xxmikexx]

angels355,

I wasn't challenging what you wrote, I was making a joking reference to the hoops we often must jump through to keep our systems peforming properly.

In case you're too young to remember, it was a reference to the movie "The Wizard of Oz", a movie that I can still happily watch at age 64, along with Jeremiah Johnson, which may well be my favorite movie ever.

Except for "The French Connection"
And "Pulp Fiction"
And "The Gambler"
And "2001 ..."
And "The Spy Who Came In From The Cold"
And "The Hustler"
.
.
.

(Are we seeing a pattern here? As I keep reminding my wife, the last few movies we went to theatres to see all had "Batman" somwhere in their titles. We will watch no movie before its time.)

[angels355]

angels355,

I wasn't challenging what you wrote, I was making a joking reference to the hoops we often must jump through to keep our systems peforming properly.

(Are we seeing a pattern here? As I keep reminding my wife, the last few movies we went to theatres to see all had "Batman" somwhere in their titles. We will watch no movie before its time.)

I see. As I have somewhat weaker computers I'm just accustomed to responding with a defrag, and I've known plenty of frustrations. When my first ME experience happened, complete meltdown, I should have tried using garlic! One 98se became haunted from some sort of unidentifiable infection I'm guessing, immediately erased the hdd and started over, and the problem disappeared; that might have been a job for the "Ghost Busters".

I've been tempted to view Vista as ME II, however most people say that no, that is not the case. One pro user with a critical application was so happy with his vista laptop that he was talking about putting it on his production computer. I had to stop him, damn fool kid! Vista is not ready for critical work yet, plus there are no drivers for his specialized equipment. Call it vista mania, full Moon, "Saturday Night Fever", what have you, but many people seem to like Vista. Others have come into MANY MANY computer repair shops and have demanded that their computer be exorsized from vista, and they've been mad and irrational about it, and don't care that there's no drivers for the hardware on their computer for xp!

One computer engineer told me that MS is having a drive to have all hardware manufacturers produce certified drivers, so somewho xp is left out of the loop, so believe it or not, many new hardware parts are coming out with no xp drivers! That might seem unimaginable/ghastly to xp users, but I've become accustomed to the idea being a 98se/me user. I hope to get some newer OS's also, but just have to wait for the budget. Would like to get win 2000 pro eventually. I think only high end computers deserve xp, that I own at least. I might not mind vista if the flight simulator application was really stunning. But that doesn't seem to be the case so far. And when fs11 comes out probably along with Windows Seven (NT7 I'd guess), Vista will probably seem passe. Or might seem old school, back when there was only a strident WGA, DRM, and activation programming, which makes me wonder what MS has in store for the future with regards to such restrictions on the OS. I get excited about new OS's (I don't get out much to see Batman movies!), but then wonder about the new restrictions and policies. Like, things that were taken for granted in the old days, become VERBOTTEN (!!!) in new products and policies, even though we are the ones providing the money for it.