How To Tweak XP For Maximum Performance

jemc · Post by **jemc** » 16 Feb 2005, 23:12

i found this browsing on the net (it works)

To increase system performance
Right click my computer. Click properties.
Click advanced.
Click settings (under performance).
Click Adjust for best performance.
Scroll to the bottom and check the last one �use visual styles on windows and buttons�.

How to disable XP's crap built in CD Burner

Click the start button.
Select Run.
Type services.msc and click ok.
Go to IMAPI CD-Burning Com Services open it and click on start up type, change to "Disabled".

These Settings will fine tune your systems memory

You need at least 256MB of ram to do this:

Go to start\run\regedit -and then to the following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Contro l\Session Manager\Memory Management

1.DisablePagingExecutive -double click it and in the decimal put a 1 - this allows XP to keep data in memory now instead of paging sections of ram to harddrive yeilds faster performance.

2.LargeSystemCache- double click it and change the decimal to 1 -this allows XP Kernal to Run in memory and improves system performance a lot.

3.Create a new dword and name it IOPageLockLimit - double click it and set the value in hex - 4000 if you have 128MB of ram or set it to 10000 if you have 256MB set it to 40000 if you have more than 512MB of ram -this tweak will speed up your disckcache.

Reboot

Unable to delete from Avi files from HD

XP holds files in it's memory even after you have closed the application using them making it impossible to delete them from your harddrive. To fix this:

Start -> Run -> Regedit
Find the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SystemFileAssociations\.avi\shellex\PropertyHandler\ directory and delete the "DEFAULT" key.

Tweak The Swap File

For Users with 256 MB RAM or more this tweak will boost their Windows- and Game-Performance.
What it does: It tells Windows not to use any Swap File until there is really no more free RAM left.

Open the System Configuration Utility by typing msconfig.exe in the RUN command. There in your System.ini you have to add "ConservativeSwapfileUsage=1" under the 386enh section.

Restart your Windows and enjoy better Game performance

Disable Services

XP Pro runs a lot of services by default that are pointless if your not on a corporate network, the following services are ones that I safely disable thereby freeing up memory but check what each one does first to make sure your not using it for something:

Go to Run and type services.msc, right click on each service, properties and choose disable.

Alerter
Application Layer Gateway Service,
Application Management
Automatic Updates
Background Intelligent Transfer
Clipbook
Distributed Link Tracking Client
Distributed Transaction Coordinater
Error Reporting Service
Fast User Switching Compatibility
IMAPI CD-Burning
Indexing Service
IPSEC Services
Messenger
Net Logon
Net Meeting
Remote Desktop Sharing
Network DDE
Network DDE DSDM
Portable Media Serial Number
Remote Desktop Help Session Manager
Remote Registry
Secondary Logon
Smartcard
SSDP Discovery Service
Telnet Themes
Uninterruptible Power Supply
Universal Plug and Play Device Host
Upload Manager
Webclient
Wireless Zero Configuration
WMI Performance Adaptor

Speed Up The File System

NTFS is a great file system, but its feature-set comes at a slight cost in performance. You can negate this a little with the following tips:

* By default NTFS will automatically update timestamps whenever a directory is traversed. This isn't a necessary feature, and it slows down large volumes. Disable it by going to Run and type regedit:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Contro l\FileSystem and set 'DisableNTFSLastAccessUpdate' to 1.

* NTFS uses disparate master file control tables to store filesystem information about your drives. Over time these core MFT files grow and become fragmented, slowing down all accesses to the drive. By setting aside a little space, MFT's can grow without becoming fragmented.

In the same key where you disabled the last access feature creat a new DWORD value called 'NtfsMftZoneReservation' and set it to 2.

Disable DLL Caching

Windows Explorer caches DLLs (Dynamic-Link Libraries) in memory for a period of time after the application using them has been closed. This can be an inefficient use of memory.

1. Find the key [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Explorer].

2. Create a new DWORD sub-key named 'AlwaysUnloadDLL' and set the default value to equal '1' to disable Windows caching the DLL in memory.

3. Restart Windows for the change to take effect.

Tweak The Prefetch
1. Run "Regedit"
2. Goto [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Contro l\Session Manager\Memory Management\PrefetchParameters\EnablePrefetcher]

3. Set the value to either 0-Disable, 1-App launch prefetch, 2-Boot Prefetch, 3-Both ("3" is recommended).

4. Reboot.

It will decrease the boot time but double and increase the performance of your XP.

SpeedUp Your Connection By 20% (Cable Users Only)

1.Log on as "Administrator".
2. Run - gpedit.msc
3. Expand the "Local Computer Policy" branch.
4. Then expand the "Administrative Templates" branch.
5. Expand the "Network" branch.
6. Highlight the "QoS Packet Scheduler" in left pane.
7. In the right window pane double-click the "Limit Reservable Bandwidth" setting.
8. On the settings tab check the "Enabled" item.
9. Change "Bandwidth limit %" to read 0.
10. Then go to your Network connections Start=>Control Panel>Network & Internet connections>Network Connections and right-click on your connection. Then under the General or the Networking tab, (where it lists your protocols) make sure QoS packet scheduler is enabled.

It may take effect immediately on some systems. To be sure, just re-boot.

Sir Ibi · Post by **Sir Ibi** » 16 Feb 2005, 23:21

i'll be sure to have a good look at that, when i've finished playing some games. This is very usefull stuff, jemc, nice one.

jemc · Post by **jemc** » 17 Feb 2005, 00:35

Tweak The Swap File

For Users with 256 MB RAM or more this tweak will boost their Windows- and Game-Performance.
What it does: It tells Windows not to use any Swap File until there is really no more free RAM left.

Open the System Configuration Utility by typing msconfig.exe in the RUN command. There in your System.ini you have to add "ConservativeSwapfileUsage=1" under the 386enh section.

Restart your Windows and enjoy better Game performance

i allready did that... now i just need to try it out. i also disabled all that stuff that you don't need.
it's like putting lvl1 nitro in my computer

Post by **GT3x24x7** » 17 Feb 2005, 10:43

There's a freeware util called TweakXP available that does most of this stuff without the dangerous registry editing. Go Google!

jemc · Post by **jemc** » 17 Feb 2005, 14:46

well i had Tweak XP and it sucked imo. this registry editing aren't really dangerous (if you don't get it wrong). plus you don't need to be a l33t to do that because the instructions are really good.
ok, let me see now how that gaming tweak did it's job...

909 · Post by **909** » 17 Feb 2005, 16:19

a good idea for M$ is that of supplying just the kernel of XP, without all the overheads... install vid card and lan drivers only... and play a fast game...

well, linux is better at that..

on the page file thingy...
i categorically dsapprove of removing it
what is best to do is to allocate X2 the total ram to paging, and place the pagefile on a separate hard drive other than root (another physical disk, preferibly on a different IDE bus)

jemc · Post by **jemc** » 17 Feb 2005, 20:14

i have a statement to make about the game thingy...AMAZING! i really felt the difference. plus my AA got better which is wierd because i didn't buy a new GFX or anything.

maybe a sticky this one?

Sir Ibi · Post by **Sir Ibi** » 17 Feb 2005, 23:14

I CAN READ THAT SMALL PRINT JEMC......

Stereo · Post by **Stereo** » 17 Feb 2005, 23:53

This is awsome! Now my games won't have the BSOD often! (BSOD is "Blue Screen Of Death")

wowirace · Post by **wowirace** » 18 Feb 2005, 00:42

nice nice nice!!

but, sorry2 say...i wont be using it till i git MY OWN comp...which is like in a few years...i already f**ed up my dad's comp a week ago (now its fixed)...i dont wanna do the same thing again..

!!STICKY!!

Stereo · Post by **Stereo** » 18 Feb 2005, 00:48

lol, my computer don't break so you can do the game performance thing.

ghost_4ce · Post by **ghost_4ce** » 18 Feb 2005, 02:51

How much ram do you have again?
because turning those page-file options on means that while there will be an improvement in performance with some software, but there will a longer delay to allocate the pagefile once the RAM is full. This can be bad for activities such as writing a full 4.5+ GB of data on a DVD and other such programs (unless you have 4+ GB of Ram that is).

Disabling background apps is always usefull, just make sure you dont turn of the OS-critical systems!

boganbusman · Post by **boganbusman** » 18 Feb 2005, 06:33

Made the changes, and I can't see any difference. And I still get the BSOD.

^TuRboDiEsEL^ · Post by **^TuRboDiEsEL^** » 23 Feb 2005, 18:05

It works. Thanks for the info:)

Koffy · Post by **Koffy** » 23 Feb 2005, 19:14

It has some improovement,vhich is good. Besides it is easy to do. Thnx for the tip.

FarCry loads faster now.