Open Windows Explorer (Start> All Programs> Accessories). From there, click on the tab next to the one that says 'Sharing'. Select ‘Show Classic Menus’. Once they are displayed select 'Tools' > 'Folder Options'. Then click the 'View' tab.

Uncheck the following:

Automatically search for network folders and printers **performance tweak

Display file size information in folder tips

Display simple folder view in Explorer’s Folder list

Hide extensions for known files and folders

Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)

Use Domain Folder Sharing Wizard

And check the following:

Display the Contents of system folders

Hidden Files and Folders - Select Show hidden files and folders

Launch folder windows in a separate process (on some configurations this can cause performance degradation and system freezes)