Surface 2: What tips and tricks do you have to tell?

[rav16]

Ok, Here's what I did. When you right click the Windows Defender folder click on Permissions. Then click the Advanced button. At the top of the Advanced security settings it says Owner: click change. Then where is says "Enter the object name to select" type in "Users". Click ok. Then Ok again. Now you should be able to check off the full control box for Everyone.

Thank you sir. That worked!

Was there any major improvement after disabling the W defender ?

 

[WillysJeepMan]

Was there any major improvement after disabling the W defender ?

It's subjective. Applying all of the tweaks listed resulted in a significant improvement in performance.

 

[TechAbstract]

If you guys want to block ads in IE. You can block ads through host file. Probably the most effective way to block ads on Windows RT.

Blocking Unwanted Connections with a Hosts File

http://winhelp2002.mvps.org/hosts.zip (Link to the zip file) Extract and run


https://www.grc.com/dns/benchmark.htm Pick out the fastest DNS and use that.

 

[Paolo Cardelli]

If you guys want to block ads in IE. You can block ads through host file. Probably the most effective way to block ads on Windows RT.

Blocking Unwanted Connections with a Hosts File

http://winhelp2002.mvps.org/hosts.zip (Link to the zip file) Extract and run


https://www.grc.com/dns/benchmark.htm Pick out the fastest DNS and use that.

I do not recommend modifing Hosts: it's true it will block ads (even in apps), but internet response time and loading page will slow down noticeably.
With TPLs ads/cookies will be blocked, but IE11 will benefit from them even in performance, and everything will load faster with the same results...

 

[Neo Nuke]

To figure out which snapped view is active (especially useful to figure out where a new app will slide into frame after swiping from left edge) look for the tiny white bar next to the three gray dots in the slider bar.

To get more tiles on the screen (6 rows vice 4 rows) go to settings > PC and devices > Display and in "more options" choose "smaller

If you want an app to fill the whole screen when running apps snapped, drag out and then up to the top and let go. BOOM. Full screen app. Slide out from the left, and BOOM your two snapped apps are back side by side. Just the way you left them.

 

[Will6371]

Boost your Surface 2 Performance (without negative effects)

• Disable Windows Defender - Using Windows RT means every apps installed are already scanned by MS for malware/dangers thanks to Windows Store. IE11 has also "SmartScreen" filtering -> every file downloaded in the system is analyzed in the Cloud in very few seconds before finally saving it. So, Windows Defender service is not useful on this platform and disabling it general performance and battery life will dramatically benefit from it
  
  1. Open regedit. Find HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Defender
  2. Take ownership of the key and add write permissions to yourself (Right click Windows Defender key, click Permissions, click Additional settings, click Owner, type your username and accept. Now on the Permissions window click Add, type your username and check Full Access and click OK)
  3. Change the value of DisableAntispyware to 1
  4. Reboot
  
  
• Disable Logging - Generally logging can cause some sluggishness at times because log files are constantly accessed and written to. You can turn these off if you wish.
  
  Search for gpedit.msc and launch it.
  Navigate to User Configuration, Administrative Templates, Windows Components, and then select Windows Error Reporting in the left column of the Group Policy editor. Double-click Disable Logging in the Settings section of the Group Policy editor. Select Enable and then click OK to save the changes. Do the same for Disable Windows Error Reporting;
  
  
• Reduce Visual Effects - Many visual glory can be safely disabled without any noticeable differences, especially considering they came from the Desktop side of things, but the performance/smoothness of animations increase can be solid on Metro side too.
  
  Go to Control Panel -> System -> Advanced Settings -> Performance Settings. And un-check all the Visual Effects you can (except "Fonts Smoothing" , "Animate windows when minimized" and "Show thumbnails")
  
  
• Disable Remote Assistance - If you don't need remote Assistance, go to Control Panel -> System -> Advanced Settings -> Remote Assistance and un-check the box;
  
  
• Set a static Virtual Memory Pagefile - Creating a static Virtual Memory Pagefile means that Windows does not continuosly scan the cache memory management trying to understand how much memory must be allocated to Virtual Memory, and with a fixed size performance the system will immediately benefit from it.
  
  Go to Control Panel -> System -> Advanced Settings -> Performance Settings -> Advanced Tab -> Virtual Memory.
  Un-check the "automatic" box, and set Initial VM size to: 2047 , and the End VM size to 2047 too. Click to "Set"
  Apply and Reboot.
  
  
• Use OpenDNS - The fastest, most secure and reliably Public DNS server in the World. No matter where you are, you will immediately benefit from it in every sense while on the Internet. More info here: OpenDNS: Cloud-Delivered Security Enforcement and Intelligence
  
  Go to Control Panel -> Networking -> Right click on Wi-fi Adapter -> Proprerties -> TCP/IP IPv4 -> Manually set Primary DNS as: 208.67.222.222
  Secondary DNS as: 208.67.220.220
  
  You can do it even with TCP/IP IPv6, with Primary DNS as: 2620:0:ccc::2
  Secondary DNS as: 2620:0:ccd::2
  
  
  
  Enjoy yor new, blazing FAST, Surface 2 :smile:

Will this work with the Surface RT

I have tried it and to me my surface rt seems a lot faster or am I just imagining it.

 

[WillysJeepMan]

Will this work with the Surface RT

I have tried it and to me my surface rt seems a lot faster or am I just imagining it.

Yes it works on the RT and yes it feels faster.

 

[Will6371]

Yes it works on the RT and yes it feels faster.

Thanks for clearing that up. I thought that it had mad it a lot faster but I was also thinking that maybe I was just thinking it. I only got my surface rt last week and wasn't that used to it before doing the mode.

I got a touchpad 2 today and it wouldn't connect to the rt so I had to do a refresh to get the keys to work and it changed the setting back to normal and after trying a couple of different websites and timed how long it took to load the page and it works out at at least twice as quick as before the changes were made.

 

[Paolo Cardelli]

Thanks for clearing that up. I thought that it had mad it a lot faster but I was also thinking that maybe I was just thinking it. I only got my surface rt last week and wasn't that used to it before doing the mode.

I got a touchpad 2 today and it wouldn't connect to the rt so I had to do a refresh to get the keys to work and it changed the setting back to normal and after trying a couple of different websites and timed how long it took to load the page and it works out at at least twice as quick as before the changes were made.

I never Lie... :smile:

 

[Will6371]

I never Lie... :smile:

Please don't get me wrong, I wasn't saying that I didn't believe you, it was more like I wasn't believing what I was seeing. Plus the advice you gave was for a surface 2 and I have a surface rt and I wasn't sure if it worked on that device or just on the surface 2

I did see a great difference after changing the settings but at the same time I had that feeling in the back of my head saying "dam, am I just imagining this or is it really that much better. However as I said after having to refresh my rt because the type 2 touchpad wouldn't work I did some fairly basic testing on it before and after I readjusted the setting you suggested and the difference was night and day.

Some sites that I tested on like vwvortex, the biggest difference was to be seen on the photo heavy threads and it was at least twice as quick with your settings. Also going back to the home page again was pretty much instant, unlike before.

One more question, can I do this on my Nokia 2520? I am sure the answer is yes but just to make sure before I do something that I shouldn't.

Lastly, thank you very much for your advice.

 

[Paolo Cardelli]

Please don't get me wrong, I wasn't saying that I didn't believe you, it was more like I wasn't believing what I was seeing. Plus the advice you gave was for a surface 2 and I have a surface rt and I wasn't sure if it worked on that device or just on the surface 2

I did see a great difference after changing the settings but at the same time I had that feeling in the back of my head saying "dam, am I just imagining this or is it really that much better. However as I said after having to refresh my rt because the type 2 touchpad wouldn't work I did some fairly basic testing on it before and after I readjusted the setting you suggested and the difference was night and day.

Some sites that I tested on like vwvortex, the biggest difference was to be seen on the photo heavy threads and it was at least twice as quick with your settings. Also going back to the home page again was pretty much instant, unlike before.

One more question, can I do this on my Nokia 2520? I am sure the answer is yes but just to make sure before I do something that I shouldn't.

Lastly, thank you very much for your advice.

You can apply those tricks to any device that run Windows RT.

You're Welcome!

 

[TechAbstract]

I do not recommend modifing Hosts: it's true it will block ads (even in apps), but internet response time and loading page will slow down noticeably.
With TPLs ads/cookies will be blocked, but IE11 will benefit from them even in performance, and everything will load faster with the same results...

Some websites I go to with flash ads put Surface to lag mode and videos would have very low frame rate. Block ads through Host file is only thing that could speed up videos to watchable framerates.

 

[Paolo Cardelli]

Some websites I go to with flash ads put Surface to lag mode and videos would have very low frame rate. Block ads through Host file is only thing that could speed up videos to watchable framerates.

1) You can block unwanted Banners/Ads/Malware and Annoying Social Fuzz with "Tracking Protection Lists" build right in IE11. Just go HERE and Add "EasyList", "EasyPrivacy" and "Privacy Choice" TPLs (you will make pages rendering/loading faster too);

That's another VERY useful trick I posted too.
It's way more effective then modifying Hosts files.
TPLs will remove Ads (in browser) AND speed things up (in browser), instead of Hosts removing Ads (everywhere) BUT slowing down the whole system (everywhere)...

 

[WillysJeepMan]

1) You can block unwanted Banners/Ads/Malware and Annoying Social Fuzz with "Tracking Protection Lists" build right in IE11. Just go HERE and Add "EasyList", "EasyPrivacy" and "Privacy Choice" TPLs (you will make pages rendering/loading faster too);

That's another VERY useful trick I posted too.
It's way more effective then modifying Hosts files.
TPLs will remove Ads (in browser) AND speed things up (in browser), instead of Hosts removing Ads (everywhere) BUT slowing down the whole system (everywhere)...

This was the very first tweak I made to my Surface RT back in the day. It is indeed the preferred method over using a Hosts file for the reasons Paolo has stated.

 

[PLGomez]

1) You can block unwanted Banners/Ads/Malware and Annoying Social Fuzz with "Tracking Protection Lists" build right in IE11. Just go HERE and Add "EasyList", "EasyPrivacy" and "Privacy Choice" TPLs (you will make pages rendering/loading faster too);

That's another VERY useful trick I posted too.
It's way more effective then modifying Hosts files.
TPLs will remove Ads (in browser) AND speed things up (in browser), instead of Hosts removing Ads (everywhere) BUT slowing down the whole system (everywhere)...

So I overlooked this one from the first page. Just applied it and I'm loving browsing again! I tried the hosts files thing but it wasn't working out. It was messing up some pages I wanted to see so I just changed that back. And now with the TPLs I get what I want!

 

[Will6371]

So I overlooked this one from the first page. Just applied it and I'm loving browsing again! I tried the hosts files thing but it wasn't working out. It was messing up some pages I wanted to see so I just changed that back. And now with the TPLs I get what I want!

That was the first thing I did and boy is it nice to not have loads of ads.

I have now done both sets of tips on my Nokia 2520 and what a difference on that as well. I am now thinking of getting rid of my 2520 and getting a surface 2 because I find the surface nicer to hold and the combination of kickstand and touchpad make it the winner for me. Plus I have never used the lte in the Nokia.

 

[mclark2112]

Did everything in this post to my Surface 2, and it is noticeably faster. Next, I'll optimize a friends Surface RT to see how that works out.

Thanks All!

 

[Will6371]

Did everything in this post to my Surface 2, and it is noticeably faster. Next, I'll optimize a friends Surface RT to see how that works out.

Thanks All!

You will be more than surprised with the out come on the RT

 

[TechAbstract]

1) You can block unwanted Banners/Ads/Malware and Annoying Social Fuzz with "Tracking Protection Lists" build right in IE11. Just go HERE and Add "EasyList", "EasyPrivacy" and "Privacy Choice" TPLs (you will make pages rendering/loading faster too);

That's another VERY useful trick I posted too.
It's way more effective then modifying Hosts files.
TPLs will remove Ads (in browser) AND speed things up (in browser), instead of Hosts removing Ads (everywhere) BUT slowing down the whole system (everywhere)...

I have pretty much tried all those in Tracking Protection List before going with host file. They don't seem to block anything and streaming videos on some sites were around 2-5 frames per second with Adobe Flash and javascript ads everywhere lol. I am glad TPL is working for some people.

 

[Paolo Cardelli]

I have pretty much tried all those in Tracking Protection List before going with host file. They don't seem to block anything and streaming videos on some sites were around 2-5 frames per second with Adobe Flash and javascript ads everywhere lol. I am glad TPL is working for some people.

That's weird.
I suggest you to reset yout IE11 to default settings and then re-apply TPLs.

Go to IE11 (Desktop) -> Tools -> Settings -> Advanced tab -> Restore Defaults.

They should work properly then (be sure to add EasyList, EasyPrivacy and PrivacyChoice at least).

Ads should be gone with them.