Lately I’ve found that the my vSphere Client has been really slow.

It turned out that deleting the following 2 registry keys does the trick:

HKCU\Software\VMware\Virtual Infrastructure Client

HKCU\Software\VMware\VMware Infrastructure Client

Check out the original post here:

Apparently, all the prior versions and settings get retained during updates / upgrades and seem to cause significant delays due to components referenced that no longer exist.

Update 2011-04-21:

I also found this guide that shows you how to disable some Aero features that’s slowing down the client on Windows 7. Here is a link to the VMware KB.

This issue occurs when desktop composition is enabled.

To workaround this issue, disable desktop composition:

1. Right-click the shortcut for the vSphere Client and click Properties.
2. Click the Compatibility tab.
3. Select Disable desktop composition.Note: This disables Aero desktop effects while the application is open.
4. Click OK.
5. Run the vSphere Client.