14 DAY TRIAL // If you are like me, then Windows Vista out of the box is simply not enough. Not even by far. I am always talking about personalizing the operating system. Well, for me customization does not stop at the visual level. I want to get my hands dirty and that inevitably means going under the "hood" of the operating system. This process involves various changes across the operating system, so before you proceed it is advisable to perform a routine maintenance task such as a backup and a restore point for the Registry via System Restore.
With this small but vital detail out of the way, you are all ready to go. I should probably mention before it gets thrown in my face that these hacks are rather simplistic, but extremely useful nonetheless.
1. Unlock the Secret Default Administrator Account
You have to understand the fact that Windows Vista ships with a few default accounts. Microsoft refers to them as built-in accounts. Without a doubt, you have already seen one of them on your own copy of Vista. It is the Guest account. The Guest account is present by default in the User Accounts section of the Control Panel and you only need to activate it.
The same is the case with the default administrator account. If the Guest account is the "Built-in account for guest access to the computer/domain" the Administrator is the "Built-in account for administering the computer/domain." Now the administrator account is not only disabled by default such as the Guest account, but it is also hidden.
In order to enable it and bring it to the surface enter "cmd" in the Search Box integrated in the Start Menu and right-click the Command Prompt icon that will be displayed at the top. Make sure that you launch the process with elevated privileges via the Run as Administrator command. In the Command Prompt windows enter "net user administrator /active:yes" in order to enable the Administrator account. If at any time you change your mind and want to revert to the original settings, then type "net user administrator /active:no" and hit enter. The built-in Administrator account will show up just like all the other accounts when you will log in, but it will have absolute power over Windows Vista and will not be limited by the User Account control.
2. Kill or Configure Windows Aero
Now those of you that have used the high end editions of Windows Vista, already know that the operating system is a tad slower than Windows XP. Responsible for the slow speeds is in par Windows Aero. Even on configurations that satisfy the systems requirements of Aero, there is a trade-off between the special effects and the actual functionality. In this case, there is also a direct impact on the workflow.
Windows Aero can be turned off by navigating to Personalize via the right-click menu on the desktop and the View Color and Appearance > Open classic appearance properties for more color options. In the menu that pops up, users can select Windows Vista Basic graphical user interface.
Additionally, you can right-click Computer and select Properties and then Advanced System Settings in the left menu followed by Performance Settings. You can set up your Windows Vista system for best appearance versus best performance or even customize the effects you want enabled or disabled.
3. Advanced System Configuration
This is not a hack. In fact, this is one of the most useful tools around Windows Vista together with the advanced panel for User Accounts. Simply press the Windows key and then the "R" key to bring up the Run dialog box. Type "msconfig" and hit enter. Via the System Configuration window you will have complete control over the Vista startup, the Boot process, the active services, the startup list and the tools across the operating system. You can even disable and enable the UAC from here.
