CCleaner
Diskeeper
Spybot - Search and Destroy

These are the only programs I use.

Programs that optimize your computers performance and functionality alone won't keep your computer fast. Checking what auto-starts with your computer and generally not installing junk that get bundled with your favorite software is probably the most important.

Hit the start button, go to Run, type in "msconfig", hit enter, and go to the services and startup tabs. You want to keep as few services and startup programs as possible in these two tabs. Doing so will result in faster startup times and will keep your RAM free for when you need it.

Using just those programs and making sure my startup programs aren't junk, I've been able to keep my Vista install clean and functional for about a year and a half so far. At this point I see no need to format anytime soon as everything is fast and working good!

generally not installing junk that get bundled with your favorite software is probably the most important.

yeah this is the big one. about a half a dozen of my friends have asked me to fix their PCs and the biggest culprits of slow-ass computers are bullshit programs that people shouldn't have installed in the first place.

limit the software installed on your computer to the bare necessities that you actually need or use on a regular basis and when you're installing shit be sure to uncheck the box that says "HEY DUDE WANT THIS SUPER USEFUL ASK DOT COM TOOLBAR??"

Jesus I forget what it's bundled with but I can't even explain how many times I've installed the ask.com toolbar from one specific program that I didn't expect anything to ever be bundled with (I think it didn't use to have bundled stuff but now it does).  And the problem is I obviously can't remember what program it is so I'm sure it'll happen again.  At least I realize and uninstall it right away.

yeah it may be uTorrent  and i do the same dang thing. it's just hidden away in the eula screens. i usually install utorrent fairly soon after a format so if i miss it then i format again, because i'm a pendantic douchebag when i've formatted.

Actually I think maybe it was another torrent client, but now that I think of it it was definitely torrent-related.  You wouldn't think of torrent programs as having that shit since pretty much everyone torrenting is going to uncheck it, but i guess that's why you don't realize it (THEY GOT US)

I've been using SmartDefrag for a while and it seems to be doing a good job. I don't notice anything better or worse about it than Diskeeper. Plus I have had issues with the most recent versions of Diskeeper on Windows 7 but SmartDefrag works fine.

sorry i quit windows like a year ago never going back.

looks like one of those programs I forgot about was CCleaner, d'oooh

sorry i quit windows like a year ago never going back.

that's nice.

sorry i quit windows like a year ago never going back.

If that's because of Vista, then I may understand why. I heard it wasn't as great as XP, so I'm not going to risk it.

yeah, deleting malware is a pretty good idea. windows is usually the one with the highest memory use so probably best start with that. if you can't live without it, learning how it works and using it carefully is probably the most effective way to delay its inevitable implosion. i.e. don't be dumb and your computer won't break. this is especially applicable to 'windows optimisation', as a lot of people manage to fuck up their windows machines in very creative ways when installing programs to 'make windows go faster'.

I love Tweak XP Pro, it has a lot of hidden settings for windows like system memory settings that can help you wring some extra performance out.

that's nice.

I was called out specifically in the title of the topic.

If that's because of Vista, then I may understand why. I heard it wasn't as great as XP, so I'm not going to risk it.

I have used both. I prefer Vista to XP.

what is wrong with windows? 

I don't like with the windows way of doing things. Consider this, if I need a tool to do something on windows that is not provided, then I have to install some program and have it running constantly. Each one of these programs has its own distinct ui and methodology when it comes to simple things like registering hotkeys, storing preferences, and performing their action. They have to be "installed" into a big unmovable blob called the registry. Each one of these programs has their own installation and un-installation program which differs through both ui and what it deletes and doesn't delete. I like to think consistency should be important in an operating system.

In linux, I have a collection of command line tools. I can chain them together by writing a simple script. I can bind the script's execution to a hotkey in my window manager and now I have this functionality in the operating system without any additional programs running. They run on demand when I press the hotkey, and they are small so they start instantly. If I am missing one of these tools I have a universal software installation repository from which I can instantly install directly from the internet.