How to Fix Windows Vista

When Windows Vista was first released it was a disaster. It was filled with bugs and felt like a beta release of software, and perhaps it was. Now that’s mostly bug free, why is the OS still so annoying? Well, there are many aspects of Vista that are designed to help you, the user, but instead they just end up being even more of an annoyance. This article will outline a few of the things in Vista that can drive a person mad and how to fix them.

* UAC (User Account Control) - UAC was a feature that Microsoft added to their Windows OS with the newest iteration, Windows Vista. UAC was designed to keep the user safer, due to the increasingly loud voice of people complaining about viruses and virus protection, but instead UAC has been more of an annoyance than a helper. So how do I get rid of the annoying UAC messages EVERY time I try to run something? If you’re annoyed by the UAC settings in Vista, they can be removed by: going to control panel then User Account and Family Settings, Add or Remove User Accounts, Go to Main User Account page, Change Security settings, and then uncheck UAC. If you ever need to turn the UAC features back on, you just have to follow those instructions and click the checkmark again, but trust me, you won’t want too.

* Compatibility- Compatibility of programs was one of the biggest initially complaints of Vista, and it still is! So what can you do to run programs that don’t run well under Vista? Well luckily, Microsoft added a nifty feature called compatibility mode which lets you choose to run an option under XP capability. To run a Vista application in XP compatibility mode, simply right click the exe, go to properties then compatibility mode, and under the drop down box select XP mode and apply. This will help you run older software that didn’t translate well in the jump to XP to Vista.

* Disable the Clicking Noises- One of the most aggravating things that Microsoft decided to include in Vista was a clicking noise that you may have noticed while generally using your computer. Well you’re in luck, because there is a way to disable them! All you need to do is go into your start menu and in the start box type mmsys.cpl and then move over to the sounds tab. Browse the list until you find the ‘Start Navigation’ sound and then simply click ‘none’ under the sounds tab and click apply. This will solve your clicking problem permanently.

Vista can be an annoying OS, but these three fixes should help you immensely in making your experience a better one. If all else fails you can simply reinstall Windows XP and Windows 7 is right around the corner!

Photo Credits: Alan_D

Originally posted 2009-10-09 03:25:11.