OCModShop published a guide about speeding up Windows Explorer in Vista
>> How to Speed up Windows Explorer in Vista
Windows Vista of course, has lots of extra features, which usually means you need a faster computer to keep the same speed as the previous generation. One of the most basic things people do with their comptuers is browse for files using Explorer. Sometimes you can think your comptuer is really slow, because Explorer is busy getting video or photo thumbnails, or doing other automatic things to "make your life easier"
Explorer can be made to display faster if you toggle some of these optional features off. The result of these tweaks mean your Vista computer will only work faster, at a cost of some eye candy.
>> How to Speed up Windows Explorer in Vista