Optimizing Windows for DV editing

[dang]

Wanting to optimize the computer for DV? Then you have to know quite a bit more about the operating system, IRQ DMA buss mastering and assignment (overriding Plug and Play), memory optimization including the pagefile, IDE channel assignment, partition types and placement etc. Don't forget to cripple and deactivate the many non-essential (but default) "services" and subprocesses/TSRs running in a typical Windows OS installation and tweaking it.
Can someone please explain these things, I have Windows XP pro. Thanks a bunch.

[808smokey]

NB: Registry tweaks will be posted and could damage your system if not used correctly. Try these tweaks at your own risk!

I got these from the AMD forum. The best overall improvement is I think is number (3) and (9). When you alt-tab through programs it's virtually instantaneous

1. Disabling the 'last file access stamping' feature. Every time you access a file, XP tags it with the cureent date/time. This obviously wastes resources and decreases disk performance.

type 'FSUTIL BEHAVIOR SET DISABLELASTACCESS 1' in a dos prompt.

2. Another one I use, is the bootvis application to speed up boot times.
This program analyses your boot sequence and gives awesome reporting and also has a 'speed up' function, to increase your boot speed. It most certainly does speed up your boot time in most cases.

3. Memory usage gives me better performance when I set it to System Cache.

CONTROL PANEL => SYSTEM => ADVANCED => PERFORMANCE => SETTINGS => ADVANCED => MEMORY USAGE. Change the option from Programs to System Cache.

4. Turn of System Restore - I have honestly never used it, and disabling this gives better performance.

CONTROL PANEL => SYSTEM => SYSTEM RESTORE => Check the 'Turn off System Restore on all drives' box.

5. Defrag your drives often This DOES help a lot and I would recommend doing this at least once a week.

6. Turn off splash screen for Outlook, makes it load faster
Start Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Identities\{60C1DB40-3D7D-11D3-9948-E8F007254B26} \Software\Microsoft\Outlook Express\5.0
Add a DWORD: NoSplash
Right click on the new DWORD and modify. Give it a value of 1

Change the Title Bar in Outlook to "Your name" vs. Inbox - Outlook Express
- In the same folder as above, make a new String value named WindowTitle . Double click on the new String and create your title.

7. Disable DLL caching - When you run a program, dll files are introduced to memory for the running of the program. After the application using these same dll's has been closed, Windows Explorer caches these DLL files (Dynamic-Link Librarie) in memory for a period of time. This is an inefficient use of allotted memory. It should cut your RAM use in half
To disable the caching of these DLL's, Find the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Explorer.
Create a new DWORD named "AlwaysUnloadDLL" and set the default Decimal value to equal "1" to disable Windows caching the DLL in memory.
Restart Windows for the change to take effect.

8. I also turned off the Office assistant and the animated search character I hate the crazy dog.

9. Also have "Use visual styles on windows and buttons" unchecked in the Performance section under system.

10. Change the default save file to go from My Documents to whatever I want Go to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Explorer\
User Shell Folders
Click on the User Shell Folders and on the right look for the String named "Personal" with the value of %USERPROFILE%\My Documents
Change the %USERPROFILE%\My Documents to what ever drive or folder you would like to have the Save dialog box to open to. A lot less clicking this way and safer with multiple users on the machine if you don't want them saving into any other folder.
I also go in to MSCONFIG - Startup and services tab and turn off all the programs I don't use or need. There's too many to list. Exp. Windows Auto Updater, Remote Assistance/Access, Wireless Zero Config, etc....

This is what you need to do if you want to somewhat improve the performance of win XP. Just follow the provided steps:
11. Start > Run > type: regedit
This with bring up the Registry Editor!
From here open the following folders until you get to Memory Management.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SYSTEM > CURRENTCONTROLSET > CONTROL > SESSIONMANAGER
In this folder you will fine Memory Management. Just click on it don't open it. So make sure the contents of the folder is disployed in the right portion of the window. There should be a list of main "REG_DWORD" type files. You need to create a new one so right click go to new and click on "DWORD value."
Once this new file is created give it the name "IOPageLockLimit." In continuance open the file and give it a value corresponding to the amount of RAM that you have in a hexadecimal form.
examples: 128 > 4000; 256 > 10000; 512 > 40000; 640 > 64000; 768 > 90000.
Essentialy take the amount of RAM you have square it then convert into a hex value for anyone who has a different amount of RAM than I've given in my examples.
From here save that. Next you want to change the values of some of the others. I'm going to give a list of all the files that need to have a "1" for there value data:
DisablePagingExecutive; LargeSystemCache; WriteWatch.
Most of the others should have "0" for there value with the exception of
SessionPoolSize, SessionViewSize, and SystemPages. Leave these values alone.
This should improve the performance of your XP OS.

[BJ_M]

geez -- don't override plug and play ... you will really give your self aggravation for nothing ...

editing dv is not that hard on system resources -- compared to uncompressed or HD that is ...

some of the other tips above are real good ones ... i kinda question the memory set to system cache (background process) vs. program process though ..

[808smokey]

BJ_M

i kinda question the memory set to system cache (background process) vs. program process though ..

I know it doesn't sound right but for some reason Xp works a heck of a lot better that way. Try it out and you'll see what I mean

[BJ_M]

BJ_M

i kinda question the memory set to system cache (background process) vs. program process though ..

I know it doesn't sound right but for some reason Xp works a heck of a lot better that way. Try it out and you'll see what I mean :)

i did and fusion doesnt even run hardly anymore (it uses all your memory - 4 gigs) .. photoshop also ran slower when i was rendering at the same time compared to before .... i have dual cpu so maybe different results ...

but i did give it a shot ..

[rallynavvie]

I tried the system cache thing before and switched it back. It really slowed Streamline down to a crawl. It's back to program for good now. I set my pagefile allocation to add one of my SCSI drives; that was annoying. You know how SCSI drives sound when they access, well imagine it accessing for a split-second every second like a clock ticking. On the plus side my performance seemed to be better with a lot of apps open (though be sure to set scratch disks to other drives).

DLL caching is handy sometimes. You know how long it takes to load up Illustrator? After it has been opened I generally leave it open as I use it a lot but if I close it and need it back again it takes less than half the time to load up again. I'm pretty sure the reason why is because of DLL caching. Also nice with AfterEffects and Premiere. I wonder if there's a way to lock those DLLs in memory on command? That would be handy.