Trick to Increase Windows Vista Performance / Experience Index upto 9.9

We all know about new feature “Windows Experience or Performance Index” in Windows Vista. Its a new feature which automatically calculates your system performance index based on the hardware you have. It can be between 0.1 to 9.9

Better system hardware, better Performance Index and better system performance.

“Windows Performance Index” is shown in “System Properties” which can be accessed by right-clicking on “My Computer” icon on Desktop and select “Properties” or from “Control Panel“.

Using this trick, you can increase that Index upto 9.9

Before:

After:

The benefit of this hack is, there are a few features in Windows Vista which can only be used if your “Windows Experience Index” reaches the minimum requirements. So by increasing the Index manually, you can use those features.

Like You’ll get toolbar in “Photo Gallery’s Slide Show” while opening a wallpaper in Explorer.

How to:

1. Type following in Startmenu Searchbox / Run / Explorer Addressbar:

%windir%\Performance\WinSAT\DataStore

And Press <Enter>.

2. You’ll one or more .xml files in the folder. Sort them by Date Created or look at their name. The file name will be in following format:

2007-11-08 22.23.17.858 Assessment (Initial).WinSAT.xml

Where “2007-11-08 22.23.17.858″ might differ from machine to machine and Windows Installation date/time.

3. Open the latest file in “Wordpad” and goto line having <WinSPR>. It’ll be approx. 12th line and will look like following:

<WinSPR>
<SystemScore>1</SystemScore>
<MemoryScore>4</MemoryScore>
<CpuScore>3.4</CpuScore>
<CPUSubAggScore>2.9</CPUSubAggScore>
<VideoEncodeScore>3.9</VideoEncodeScore>
<GraphicsScore>1</GraphicsScore>
<GamingScore>1</GamingScore>
<DiskScore>4.2</DiskScore>

4. Now you can edit the numbers between > & < and can increase them upto 9.9 as following:

<WinSPR>
<SystemScore>9.9</SystemScore>
<MemoryScore>9.9</MemoryScore>
<CpuScore>9.9</CpuScore>
<CPUSubAggScore>9.9</CPUSubAggScore>
<VideoEncodeScore>9.9</VideoEncodeScore>
<GraphicsScore>9.9</GraphicsScore>
<GamingScore>9.9</GamingScore>
<DiskScore>9.9</DiskScore>

5. Thats it. Save the file and check the Index again in System Properties. It’ll 9.9 now.

NOTE: If you can’t save the file, then take ownership of the file. For taking ownership, follow this tutorial:

Add Take Ownership Option in File / Folder Context Menu in Windows Vista

Also if you don’t see the updated Index in System properties, then make sure there is no file having “(Formal)” in its name in the above mentioned folder. If its there, then delete it and you’ll have updated Index.

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