Ok, go to msconfig and services tab. uncheck things like "CardSpace" and all that crap. it's just vista's features (aka bloatware)
Here is a list of what i disabled:
Windows CardSpace
ReadyBoost
Windows Firewall
Remote Registry (this service is vulnerable to malware/hackers)
Smart Card
Windows Defender
Parental Controls
Windows Search
I also disabled things like search indexing, but that isnt done in msconfig.