Knowledge Base

The Windows Experience Index rating may inherit an incorrect value after you make a change to your computer's hardware configuration or you start Windows Vista for the first time

Article ID: 933478

Article Last Modified on 9/3/2007

APPLIES TO

Windows Vista Ultimate
Windows Vista Business
Windows Vista Enterprise
Windows Vista Home Basic
Windows Vista Home Premium
Windows Vista Enterprise 64-bit Edition
Windows Vista Home Basic 64-bit Edition
Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit Edition
Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit Edition

SYMPTOMS

In Windows Vista, the Windows Experience Index rating may inherit a lower value or a higher value than expected. You may experience this problem if either of the following conditions is true:

You start Windows Vista for the first time.
The Windows Experience Index runs before you update a driver.
You make a change to your computer's hardware configuration. For example, you add memory or remove memory.

CAUSE

This problem occurs when the Windows Experience Index evaluates the scores of hardware configurations and updates items that have high scores. Each score in the Windows Experience Index relates to a particular hardware item. For example, the Memory score relates to random access memory (RAM). The Graphics score relates to the video card. The Windows Experience Index may inherit earlier ratings. The index is especially likely to inherit earlier ratings for components that relate to gaming graphics, such as memory.

RESOLUTION

Method 1: When you start Windows Vista for the first time or when the Windows Experience Index runs before you update a driver

To do this when you start Windows Vista for the first time or when the Windows Experience Index runs before you update a driver, follow these steps:

Click Start, type performance information and tools in the Start Search box, and then click Performance Information and Tools in the Programs list.
If the following information appears, click Refresh Now to update the Windows Experience Index:

Your Windows Experience Index needs to be refreshed.

If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or click Continue.

Windows Experience Index assesses the components in the computer.
Note the value that appears next to Your computer has a Windows Experience Index base score of.
Click Update my score.

If you are prompted for an administrator password or for confirmation, type the password, or click Continue.

Windows Experience Index assesses the components in the computer.

Method 2: After you change the computer's hardware configuration

To do this after you change the computer's hardware configuration, follow these steps:

Click Start, type the following path in the Start Search box, and then press ENTER:

%SYSTEMROOT%\Performance\WinSat\DataStore
Delete all the .xml files in the folder.
Follow the steps in method 1.

STATUS

This behavior is by design.

MORE INFORMATION

The Base score value in Windows Experience Index displays the minimum value for the five components that Windows Vista tests to determine the Windows Vista Experience Index. Therefore, the Base score value represents the value of the lowest sub-score when Windows Vista tests the components in the computer. Windows Vista tests the following five components:

Processor
Memory (RAM)
Graphics
Gaming graphics
Primary hard disk

Consider the following example.

The following table displays results from Windows Vista Experience Index:

Component	What is rated	Sub-score
Processor	Calculations per second	4.8
Memory (RAM)	Memory operations per second	4.9
Graphics	Desktop performance for Windows Aero	5.0
Gaming graphics	3D business and gaming graphics performance	4.9
Primary hard disk	Disk data transfer rate	4.5

In this example, Windows Vista sets the Base score value as 4.5 because the lowest value for these tests is 4.5.

For more information about Windows Experience Index, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/Help/f59082f4-6385-4a61-ba7e-2de9625a780a1033.mspx

Keywords: kbtshoot kbbug kbhardware kbprb kbexpertiseinter kbexpertisebeginner KB933478

Microsoft KB Archive/933478

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