Disabling Vista's resource hungry features: help needed

Hi there. I just received my Vostro 1500. It has Vista Business 32bit on it.
I would like to trim Vista in order to

avoid unnecessary resource wasting
avoid unnecessary cpu usage
prolong battery life​

Of couse the key term here is "unnecessary" being that a matter of personal tastes. So here's my tastes: I am a paranoid essentialist.
Vista gurus, can you tell me if it is possibile to do what follows (and pointing me to a term to be used for a google search for the solution)?

1. I do not want Windows to make backup copies of all my files: only those in certain folders. I think this can be arranged, can't it?
   
2. I do not want to waste 15% of my disk on multiple restore point. Just let me select the restore points as in XP. Can this be done?
   
3. I do not want any application to access the internet without my prior consent.

Can someone list the application that automaticall connect to the internet to download stuff?

• Windows update is one (and that maybe okay)
• Windows Media player is another (I think I alread took care of it)
• Google desktop search has been uninstalled at first boot.

What else should I cripple?

Other sources of power and resource consumption that can be turned off?
I alread killed all the eyecandy and turned to Vista Basic theme, will this help me saving battery life by not stressing my video card?

Suggestions are welcome.

 

I wouldn't be to worried. If you have 2 gigs of RAM, you really don't need ANY downgrades. It's not going to get much faster.

And from a website I used earlier

http://bertk.mvps.org/html/diskspacev.html

 

You would love this site.

And this.

 

I sure do, especially this page.
Thanks.

Bookmarked.

 

I'm doing that as a matter of principle. A PC is a tool, to me and I don't want it to do anything that is not strictly necessary to the fullfillment of its tasks.

http://bertk.mvps.org/html/diskspacev.html[/QUOTE]

Thanks a lot.

 

I don't have Vista yet, but some obvious resource users include the desktop search (especially the indexing for the search), the sidebar and gadgets, and Windows Defender. Of course, these all have potential benefits that you'll lose by turning them off.

 

This site might also be of interest.

 

This is great! Thanks, Cheerfulnut.

 

Glad to be of some help

 

Maybe http://www.tweakvista.com will give you some nice suggestions/tips/tweaks too

 

bump

does anyone know with my specs should i disable the index search

i want as much performance as possible

 

There's a tweaking thread. I believe it's one of the sticky threads.