Consider the following scenario:

• On a computer that is running Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008, you add a shared printer.
• This shared printer is located on a print server that is running an earlier version of Windows, such as Windows Server 2003.
• The shared printer’s status is “Driver Update Needed.”
  Note: This status is displayed in the Status field in the Printers item in Control Panel.

In this scenario, the print server’s performance gradually decreases. Eventually, the print server constantly runs at 100-percent CPU utilization.

Microsoft releases its own guide to Performance and Tuning, available as a download. Keep reading →

You may experience random connectivity issues when you connect a Windows Vista-based mobile PC to certain Wi-Fi hotspots, access points, or routers.

These connectivity issues include the following:

• The wireless network connection is dropped.
• You experience poor performance.

You experience this issue if the Windows Vista-based computer is connecting to a wireless access point or router that is not fully vista compatible.

Consider the following scenario:

• On a computer that is running Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008, an application uses legacy methods to query performance counter values. For example, the application uses the RegQueryValueEx function to perform a global query for performance counter data.
• Counter data is returned from more than 64 counter sets that are registered by performance counter version 2.0 APIs. For example, the application performs a global query on a system on which more than 64 of these counter sets are registered.

In this scenario, the application may crash.

Ed discusses an article from ExtremeTech that, while showing Vista is 16% faster than XP in the games tested, still tries to pooh pooh on Vista and not acknowledge the news. A caress with the left hand, a slap with the right! Keep reading →

Ed suggests the same thing I’ve found so far, disabling most services gains you nothing, and in the end will probably just caused you problems. Keep reading →

Description:If for some reason you have not been able to upgrade to Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1), an update is available from the Microsoft Download Center that might improve the performance and reliability of Windows Vista. If you are already running Windows Vista SP1, you should not download this update. The fixes that are included in this update are already included in Windows Vista SP1. Keep reading →

An example of how it’s drivers that are giving Vista a bad name, and an examination of who is at fault. Keep reading →

When you use Microsoft System Center Operations Manager 2007 to monitor system performance on Windows Server 2008-based computers, a memory leak occurs. Specifically, this memory leak occurs in the performance counters that are used by System Center Operations Manager 2007.

Note: Any applications that use performance counters in Windows Server 2008 may also experience this problem.

Ed continues his series on fixing Vista by demonstrating how to use tools built into Vista to help track down and fix performance problems. Keep reading →