Re: Any tweaks to speed up games under XP?

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From: Jimmy S. (Private)
Date: 03/14/04 

Date: Sat, 13 Mar 2004 19:24:20 -0500

Thanks for the compliment Anthony, however I learned awhile ago
that I will never know all there is to know about Microsoft products.

About the Disable All button however...

I Actually tried that once on this system. I clicked Disable All in
the Services tab and my system was left in an unbootable state. :-)

Cheers!
Jimmy.

"Anthony Procissi [MSFT]" <procissi@online.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:%23v%23ND5TCEHA.2304@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
|I can't believe I'm going to dispute a statement made by the all knowing
| Jimmy S... I might as well go after Chris H! :) However, the "Disable All"
| button in MSConfig - Services will leave "Essential Services" enabled.
|
| You could use the Disable All button, reboot and run XP.
|
| Please note: I have test machines for such things, and do not recommend
| trying this at home. I did so because if the Disable All button caused
| Windows to no longer operate we would need to address that.
|
| Thanks,
|
| --
| -Anthony Procissi [MSFT]
| US-Application Experience & Compatibility
|
| This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
| "Jimmy S." <Private> wrote in message
| news:ePp0rfSCEHA.596@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
| > Hi pjp,
| >
| > I echo Chris's caution. You should upgrade to a P4 instead of tweaking.
| > You found one good trick already though, (run high) here's some more...
| >
| > USE THE FOLLOWING INFO AT YOUR OWN RISK!
| >
| > I don't really want to provide a tweaking guide, however it's
| > clear that there's a demand, so I'll share some tricks I've used
| > as long as you promise to set a restore point right now. Is that
| > a fair deal? ;-) Here's how to use Windows XP System Restore:
| > http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/using/howto/gethelp/systemrestore.asp
| >
| >
| > I use these methods only for special games such as grudge matches.
| >
| > A: Setup Hardware Profile for Gaming
| > Control Panel / System
| > Hardware Tab / Hardware Profiles button
| > Copy Profile 1 and rename it Gaming Profile
| > Leave Profile 1 at the top of the list
| > Set to Select the first profile in 5 seconds
| >
| > B: Disable Services for Gaming.
| > Control Panel / Administrative Tools / Services
| > For each service listed below do the following:
| > Right Click / Properties / Log On Tab
| > Click on Gaming Profile / click Disable Button
| > Click Apply but Do NOT disable for Profile 1
| >
| > List of Services: Alerter / Automatic Updates / Computer Browser
| > Cryptographic Services (Will cause "Logo" Errors when installing SP1 or
| > DX9)
| > Fast User Switching Compatibility / Help and Support / Messenger
| > Print Spooler / Remote Registry / Secondary Logon (Run as... will not
| > function)
| > System Restore Service / Task Scheduler / Terminal Services / Themes
| > Upload Manager / VMWare Authorization Service (These services only appear
| > if
| > you use VM Ware) / VMWare DHCP Service " " / VMWare NAT Service " "
| > Windows Image Acquisition (I won't be scanning while playing) / Windows
| > Time.
| >
| > * You cannot expect to install games and use windows everyday with the
| > above
| > services disabled. Those are just safe services to disable *WHILE*
| > you're in
| > a game. After the games are over, reboot and use the original Profile
| > 1 again.
| >
| > C: Disable Page File
| > Since I have 512 MB Ram I find it faster to use RAM than to page to the
| > HD.
| > Control Panel / System / Advanced / Performance Settings / Advanced
| > Tab
| > Virtual Memory Change / Select each drive / click No Paging
| > file and
| > click SET. ****If you do not click Set it will not accept
| > your change.
| >
| > * Once you're finished your games turn back on the System Managed page
| > file!
| >
| > D: Use XP's Firewall Instead of 3rd Party Firewalls
| > We've already disabled your firewall (Norton's, Zone Alarm, etc.) by
| > disabling
| > Startup programs in step D. Check your services using the method in
| > step A to
| > see if the firewall or antivirus program has services you should
| > disable, i.e. Zone
| > Alarm installs a True Vector service you can disable for the Gaming
| > Profile.
| >
| > E: Improve Framerates by Lowering Game Eyecandy and Sound
| > I found that by setting my resolution in Halo to 800x600, and lowering
| > the
| > visual effects, I was able to improve my framerate from 24 to 52 FPS!
| > :-)
| > This is more improvement than any of the other tweaks provided.
| > Sound is something that you don't need. Only keep sound settings that
| > will
| > help keep you alive, for example to hear a tank rumbling near you.
| > Music and
| > the sound effects made when you fire your weapons are expensive ear
| > candy.
| >
| > F: Set Performance Options for Best Performance
| > Control Panel / System / Advanced / Settings / Visual Effects
| > Adjust for best performance (remember to change it back after your
| > games).
| >
| > G: Disable Startup Programs
| > Start / Run / type msconfig / Startup Tab / Click Disable all button.
| > You will be prompted to restart, when it restarts you'll have 5 seconds
| > to pick
| > Gaming Profile or it will default to Profile 1 instead.
| >
| > WARNING - DO NOT CLICK THE SERVICES / DISABLE ALL BUTTON!
| > *Never touch the Services Tab in msconfig! It allows you to disable ALL
| > services
| > for ALL profiles with the click of one button and Windows won't startup
| > again!!!
| >
| > Okay, so now I've shared some of the tweaks I've used on my own system. I
| > hope this information will be helpful, and if used properly help you pwn
| > your opps!
| >
| > --
| > Cheers, Windows XP MVP Shell / User
| > Jimmy S. http://mvp.support.microsoft.com
| >
| > Game FAQs: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=FH;[LN];gms
| > Visit my Zone.com / Gaming Helpsite: http://nibblesnbits.tk or Call /
| > Contact
| > MS Support at: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=sz;en-us;top
| > My advice is donated "AS IS" without warranty; nor do I confer any
| > rights.
| > _________________________________________________________
| >
| > "Chris H." <winxpnews@hotmail.com> wrote in message
| > news:eZBPqzRCEHA.3348@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
| > | Have you tried, instead of "tweaking" what you might think is necessary
| > in
| > | Services, to run the default? Indexing, for instance, when turned off
| > will
| > | actually stop some games in their tracks. It is there for a purpose,
| > and
| > | that is to make things run smoother and faster. There are a couple web
| > | sites and a PC magazine article which make recommendations to "speed up"
| > XP
| > | for gaming, but they don't tell the consequences - like turning off
| > | Cryptographic Services.
| > | --
| > | Chris H.
| > | Microsoft Windows MVP
| > | Associate Expert
| > | Expert Zone - www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
| > |
| > | "pjp" <pjp_is_located_at_@_hotmail_._com> wrote in message
| > | news:u3fQ0uRCEHA.3024@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
| > | > XP Pro with integrated sp1 plus all criticals from Update site
| > applied.
| > | > Latest VIA 4-in-1;s applied as first install after OS up and going.
| > | > DirectX9.0b, passes all DXDiag tests and there's "No Problem ..." all
| > | > around.
| > | >
| > | > Tyan Trinity 400 S1854 motherboard
| > | > PIII at 733Mz (to spec)
| > | > 512 megs ram running at 133mz fsb (to spec)
| > | > Radeon 64 DDR VIVO (7200)
| > | > Xpert98 (2nd display multi-monitor)
| > | > two wd hd's, 15 & 40 gigs with plenty free space on each
| > | > Creative SB-PCI128 sound card
| > | >
| > | > 2 Logitech Rumblepads
| > | > 2 Logitch wheels (MOMO Force & Racing)
| > | >
| > | > Mustek flatbed scanner "Twain", (lpt port pass thru model)
| > | > Creative Webcam (also appears as a Twain scanner)
| > | > Fuji digital camera as webcam or Mass Storage Device
| > | >
| > | > 3 printers, 2 Epson inkjets and an old Canon laser
| > | >
| > | > Logitech mouse
| > | > Wacom pressure sensitive tablet
| > | >
| > | > Ethernet card connected to four other older 98SE pc's in-house (TCP/IP
| > and
| > | > Netbuie as protocols, including XP)
| > | > USR Robotics 56K external modem
| > | >
| > | > 2 self-powered external four port USB hubs for all the USB devices.
| > Does
| > | > provide 500Ma spec to every port simultaneously, e.g. no attached
| > device
| > | > shows any kind of problem in use..
| > | >
| > | > The hardware seems stable an there was/is specific XP drivers for it
| > all
| > | > (I
| > | > was surprised I found scanner driver). The ethernet is up and running
| > with
| > | > printers and folders being shared as expected from both sides. I even
| > | > managed to get the Guest account to be able to use a proxy server on
| > one
| > | > of
| > | > the other pc's to connect to the net after giving up in frustration at
| > | > it's
| > | > refusal to allow use of the dialup modem connection even though it's
| > | > specified as "shared by all" by the "Admin" account that set it up
| > (Users
| > | > are ok and can use it). The only problem hardware wise is, I can't get
| > the
| > | > back speakers working off the sound card as there appears to be only
| > XP's
| > | > built-in support for the card.
| > | >
| > | > This is the one thing I've found really makes a difference for games
| > is,
| > | > use
| > | > batch files to start the game so you can elevate it's priority, e.g.
| > "cmd
| > | > /c
| > | > start /High LinksLauncher.exe" is noticably faster (as I'd expect).
| > | >
| > | > I feel the basic problem is background "tasks" as Performance under
| > | > Ctrl-Alt-Del shows cpu bouncing from 2 to 13% continually (but
| > randomly in
| > | > magnitude). I've tried to determine exactly what all these various
| > | > services
| > | > do but when you try to research them it seems like the answer becomes
| > a
| > | > circular reference and it's never really explained. In particular,
| > it's
| > | > undetermined what's going on in the background regarding the ethernet.
| > | > There
| > | > seems to be a number of various services that might be doing some type
| > of
| > | > "polling" for shares or something but as they're not really documented
| > I
| > | > have no idea what one's I can turn off etc. at no risk to basically
| > | > mucking
| > | > up what works now (the Guest account can connect to web using a Proxy
| > | > server
| > | > running on one of the other pc's as it "refused" anything to do with
| > the
| > | > dialup miodem connection). Basically, I'm very wary of blindly
| > changing
| > | > things under any version of Windows because as often as not
| > "un-changing"
| > | > it
| > | > doesn't bring the system back to what it was (e.g. unknown inadvertant
| > | > consequences).
| > | >
| > | > For example, I have no idea what the "Alerter" service REALLY does,
| > what
| > | > "other features" absolutely require it to be running in order to
| > function
| > | > correctly nor what these "other services" also do. Ask help for "them"
| > and
| > | > you get another reference etc. which eventually seems to lead no-where
| > | > usefull.
| > | >
| > | > I have turned off the obvious, e.g. disk performance monitoring
| > service,
| > | > indexing and the like.
| > | >
| > | > As usually MS's help isn't helpfull, just frustrating.
| > | >
| > | > "Chris Catt" <notknown@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
| > | > news:uhM4JnPCEHA.712@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
| > | >> Hi, all depends upon your hardware specs, we really need to know your
| > | >> hardware specs before we can give you advice. What we need are cpu -
| > | >> type/speed. motherboard, ram - amount/type, video card. If you have
| > any
| > | >> problems finding this out then here
| > | > http://www.aida32.hu/aida32-download.php
| > | >> is a good tool to use. Suffice to say that XP hardware requirements
| > are
| > | > much
| > | >> higher than those of win98, therefore if you've not much ram, say
| > 128mbs,
| > | > XP
| > | >> will really need twice that before you get reasonable game
| > performance. I
| > | >> expect Jimmy S will have more to say on this, over to you Jimmy :-)
| > | >> Chris C
| > | >> Chris
| > | >> "pjp" <pjp_is_located_at_@_hotmail_._com> wrote in message
| > | >> news:OiF0SEHCEHA.2308@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
| > | >> > Just installed XP Pro as dual-boot with existing 98SE.
| > | >> >
| > | >> > Same game (NFS:U) running from same folder (e.g. just created new
| > | > shortcut
| > | >> > under XP) is basically unplayable under XP it's running so slow
| > (slow
| > | >> > motion) at 640x480 where-as under 98SE I can run it acceptably at
| > | >> 1024x768.
| > | >> > All other settings the same including under Properties DirectX
| > | >> > settings.
| > | >> > Links 2003 and Flight Sim 2004 seem the same but not so
| > exaggerated,
| > | >> > probably because they're not high speed "action" type games.
| > | >> >
| > | >> > Is this typical? I'm running same revision drivers for the Radeon,
| > e.g.
| > | >> Cat
| > | >> > 4.3.
| > | >> >
| > | >> > I'm hoping it's all the crap running in the background so wondering
| > if
| > | >> > there's any site(s) document what all that crap actually does as
| > MS's
| > | > help
| > | >> > doesn't even try to explain what they actually "do" in most cases.
| > | >> >
| > | >> >
| > | >>
| > | >>
| > | >
| > | >
| > |
| > |
| >
| >
|
|

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