Tweak Windows Vista to the extreme

Changing the core elements of your operating system used to only be achieved by people with too much time on their hands. This is because it meant delving into the Windows registry and fiddling around with endless bits of code.

Then along came Tweak, which gave users an interface, and did all the hard work for them.

Windows Vista may still be in its infancy, but the latest incarnation Tweak VI is here, and it allows you to do pretty much whatever you like.

To make this all possible, download Tweak VI here.

First things first, make sure you take images of your system using Tweak VI, so if you don’t like your changes you can revert to the original quickly and easily.

It would also be advisable to use the restore points in Windows Vista, just in case everything goes horribly wrong. These are worth doing anyway, and can be accessed in Control Panel > Backup and Restore Center.

Now you’re finally ready to start tweaking Windows Vista.

There are so many different changes to make, which vary for so many different users it would be rude to suggest which path you should take. But here is one simple tweak to get you started:

1. In Tweak VI go to the visual tweaks menu and then Font Smoothing and ClearType configuration
2. Choose ClearType Font Smoothing and select the bottom right menu
3. Click the ‘Change screen font DPI settings’ button, and then Custom DPI.
4. Change the percentage figure to somewhere in the region of 115%. Trial and error will lead you to a DPI setting you like.
5. When you restart your machine, your Windows Vista text will be a lot more pleasing to the eye.

Have fun, and don’t forget to take the snapshots of your system before you start.