Optimize Your Windows 2000/XP PC For Audio

subhuman · Post by **subhuman** » Thu Sep 27, 2001 2:54 pm

Before Installing Windows 2000
<li>I suggest you format your drive for FAT32. There is some discussion about this in the ProRec link below, but basically it's faster. You can also go back to 98/ME later if you use FAT32. However Logic users are being advised by Emagic to use NTFS...
<li>Flash your BIOS to the latest version from your motherboard manufacturer. (Proceed at your own risk, read all the information about flashing your BIOS on your motherboard manufacturer's website first, etc).
<li>Turn Plug & Play OS to NO in your BIOS.

During Windows 2000 Installation
<li> When the Install asks for SCSI, press F7. This will install your PC in Standard PC mode. This is very important, as the ACPI mode forces everything to share one IRQ. If you made the mistake of not doing this during install, you can still change to Standard PC mode (see below).

After Windows 2000 Installation
<li>Be sure you're in Standard PC mode. If not, Device Manager, Computer, ACPI, Properties, Update Driver, Show all drivers, then select Standard PC. You'll need your driver disks handy, and the best way if you didn't do this during the install, is to reinstall windows, pressing F5 during install for Standard PC.

<li>Install the latest Service Pack. Currently, this is Service Pack 2. This is important.
<li>Turn on DMA. Device Manager, IDE Controller, Advanced Settings. If you can't select DMA, be sure you're using an 80pin cable. Install the Microsoft HotFix to get ATA100 support: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/rele ... seID=22161
<li>Static Swap File. I use 1024 for 512megs of ram. Set Minimum and Maximum to the same value, then your swapfile will not resize while you're recording audio.
<li>Disable Windows 'System Sounds' in the Control Panel.
<li>Disable Services which you aren't using. Follow the ArsTechnica link if you need help deciding which. Start with Task Schedule, nuke that.
<li>Turn off Power Managment and Screen Savers

Windows XP Specific
<li>Turn off System Restore on all disks.
<li>Turn visual effects to "best performance" especially with sub-1Ghz computers.
<li>Turn off MSN Messenger, at least when recording.

General
<li>Install Luna/Pulsar/SCOPE only after you've done the optimizations here.
<li>Use msconfig (Start, Run, msgconfig, ENTER) to remove msmsg (MS Messenger), and any other background tasks you can.

Links and Resources
http://www.prorec.com/prorec/articles.n ... 7F007D8FA4 -- As usual, ProRec creates a great guide Tuning Windows 2000 for Audio. Only a few things that bother me, and the guide is a little vague in areas, but over all, among the most solid guides for Windows 2k and audio.

http://arstechnica.com/tweak/win2k/index.html -- Probably the best non-audio-specific Windows 2000 tweak guide on the net. ArsTechnica does tend to get down to VERY low level tweaks, many of these offer very small enhancements, and can be dangerous if you're not very careful. For the extreme GEEK only!

http://www.tascam.com/support/faq/pc_optimize/index.cfm -- A few of the suggestions such as disabling Video Acceleration, are not recommended, however there is still a good amount of useful information here, just be sure you check your system performance after each step, so you can see how each tweak effects your system. Some of the ideas here I wouldn't do on my own box.

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/cook/Win2000.htm -- Excellent Windows 2000 Tips & Tricks, with a search function, although not to be used alone if working with audio. 

http://www.tweakxp.com/performance_tweaks.asp -- TweakXP, an excellent source for more Windows XP tweaks, and this section gives you the performance tweaks.

http://www.rojakpot.com/Speed_Demonz/Sw ... ion_01.htm -- The Definitive Swap File Guide. Everything you needed to know about your swapfile, including pictures of exactly how to change this, and how to optimize your swap file speed/size.

http://www.storagereview.com/ -- Store Review, everything you ever wanted to know about the different DMA modes, etc.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/rele ... seID=22161 -- Microsoft Hot Fix for ATA100 support and Windows 2000 - now part of the latest Service Pack

[ This Message was edited by: subhuman on 2001-12-12 22:35 ]

braincell · Post by **braincell** » Fri Sep 28, 2001 1:56 pm

Thanks a lot subhuman. I'm going to give this a try. I found a beta nt driver for my ancient opcode studio 64x midi interface. I hope standard mode supports scsi because I don't see my scsi raid listed and usually windows installs a generic driver when I do a clean install. So many drivers so little time...

at0m · Post by **at0m** » Sat Sep 29, 2001 12:52 pm

you're welcome

[ This Message was edited by: atomic on 2001-11-11 12:41 ]

subhuman · Post by **subhuman** » Mon Oct 01, 2001 11:54 am

Thanks atomic, updated

I actually don't have problems with having Auto Insert on (on my slot DVD), however the main goal I have is to eliminate as many CPU-cycle-eating background tasks as possible, to get rock solid recordings without glitches.

I think once I switch to Windows 2000 and Logic 5, I'll make some more changes to this guide. Until then, your contributions are appreciated.

braincell · Post by **braincell** » Mon Oct 01, 2001 3:40 pm

I just got my Pulsar 3.0 drivers properly installed in windows 2000. I'll tune it up like you said and test it. I think this will be my OS and computer for the next several years.

marcuspocus · Post by **marcuspocus** » Sat Oct 06, 2001 9:02 pm

Hi Subs! Here a little link that is interresting about NTFS and FAT32, i choose to go with NTFS for reason explained there more in details than the prorec link you put.

http://www.microsoft.com/hwdev/storage/ ... erformance

_________________
Marcus Pocus
The king is ALIVE!

[ This Message was edited by: marcuspocus on 2001-10-06 22:03 ]

braincell · Post by **braincell** » Sun Oct 14, 2001 5:30 pm

Someone posted a message on this site saying it's impossible to turn off auto insert notification in windows 2000. This is a bald faced lie. I'm sorry... this is not correct. I found out how to do it at:

http://www.annoyances.com

Please note the instructions say you have to log off for it to take effect but I had to reboot.

Windows 2000/XP

Run the Registry Editor (REGEDIT.EXE).
Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesCdrom.
Double-click the Autorun value, and type 0 for its value. (If it's not there, create it by selecting Edit -> New -> DWORD Value, and typing "Autorun" for its name.)
You may have to log out and then log back in for this change to take effect.

hairbrain · Post by **hairbrain** » Mon Oct 15, 2001 2:08 am

that'll be... http://www.annoyances.org/ ... I presume

braincell · Post by **braincell** » Mon Oct 15, 2001 11:39 am

That's right. http://www.annoyances.org

algorhythm · Post by **algorhythm** » Mon Nov 05, 2001 4:34 pm

there are some Xtra tips here you might want to check out:

http://www.bluelifeaudio.com/~pcconfig/

peace

subhuman · Post by **subhuman** » Mon Nov 05, 2001 10:57 pm

Updated... I need to check out al's link still, too.

darkrezin · Post by **darkrezin** » Mon Nov 12, 2001 5:10 am

To Subhuman :

Why did you take your info off this thread? I personally found it quite valuable. Now that my own machine is set up, I often refer people who are having problems setting up 2000/XP to this thread. However I now find that the info is gone. Also, on your home page, it is not freely viewable.

My initial instinct was that this was a dodgy business-instigated move, but I just read another thread in this forum, and it seems that you want to wait until you have added pictures...

Please leave the text up while you get the pictures sorted! I often refer people who are having problems to this thread!

Thanks

[ This Message was edited by: dArKr3zIn on 2001-11-12 05:14 ]

[ This Message was edited by: dArKr3zIn on 2001-11-12 05:19 ]

at0m · Post by **at0m** » Mon Nov 12, 2001 2:42 pm

glad they're back, sub.

[ This Message was edited by: atomic on 2001-12-15 08:23 ]

subhuman · Post by **subhuman** » Wed Dec 12, 2001 10:29 pm

Back...

dblbass · Post by **dblbass** » Thu Dec 13, 2001 7:59 pm

10,000 thanks, sub! this will help many

at0m · Post by **at0m** » Sun Dec 16, 2001 5:53 am

[ This Message was edited by: at0mic on 2003-07-12 18:01 ]

subhuman · Post by **subhuman** » Mon Dec 17, 2001 9:59 am

Yes, it is possible, but when you reboot, the machine sits and 'thinks' for a LONG time before continuing, do not reboot while it does that or you'll have to reinstall.

BTW, at least with the TigerMP+XP, MPS doesnt work as well as ACPI MultiProc, so far in our tests.

at0m · Post by **at0m** » Mon Dec 17, 2001 10:52 pm

*erased*

[ This Message was edited by: atomic on 2002-01-29 18:49 ]

shloomper · Post by **shloomper** » Fri Dec 21, 2001 4:03 am

Hi
10x alot for the kind info (:

q: why do you recommend not installing into ACPI?
using 8KHA+, installed XP in ACPI mode,
I could still control the IRQ'S assignments from the BIOS.

at0m · Post by **at0m** » Fri Dec 21, 2001 4:12 am

[acpi problems on my old dual cpu mobo]

[ This Message was edited by: at0mic on 2003-10-30 05:14 ]