If Holiday Lights is slowing down your computer, it's probably because either:

• You've set your bulbs to draw "On Top" and you're using add-on bulbs that change shape as they draw; or

• The bulb arrangement you've chosen is using a lot of memory, and your computer doesn't have enough total memory (RAM) to handle it.

 
Bulbs On Top that Change Shape

In this case, the problem is that as each bulb changes shape, it leaves behind a piece of empty screen that needs to be filled in. To do this, Windows sends a message to every other application, telling each to draw into that space if they need to do so. Depending on the type of computer you have and how many other applications are running, this can be time consuming.

You can make this problem less noticeable by setting the bulbs to flash more slowly, or by using bulbs that don't change shape. (Bulbs that change shape are marked as "slow" in the Bulb Factory for this very reason.) Of course, you can also set the bulbs to draw on your desktop, which eliminates this problem entirely.

 
Complicated Bulb Arrangements that Use a Lot of Memory

The amount of memory Holiday Lights uses (and therefore the amount it might slow down your computer) depends entirely on the bulb arrangement you choose. The 40 bulbs that come with Holiday Lights use very little memory, and if your bulb arrangement includes only these bulbs, Holiday Lights should not slow down your computer at all.

Memory requirements for the free add-on bulbs on our Web site vary greatly, however. Most of them won't cause any slowdowns, but a small percentage of them can use a great deal of memory, causing some computers to slow down. These bulbs are usually clearly marked with a warning that they can cause slowdowns on older computers.

If you're having this problem, try using simpler bulbs, such as the original 40 that are included with Holiday Lights. Assuming this helps, add other bulbs slowly, one at a time, to make sure they don't cause slowdowns.

If you still have trouble, let us know and we'll try our best to help.