Optimize XP - A Windows XP Optimization Guide

By Mastertech
in Tips, Tweaks & Customization

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capoguy

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Nice guide, I even got two new tweaks from there. I have a question about one, the SystemPages - what does it do, why should I set it the smallest size possible when benchmarks were bigger with the 0xffffffff value wich is quite a number in decimals and what was it all about Radeon owners?

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Mastertech

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It's a good Guide, but you really don't need Cacheman with 2000/XP

Cacheman optimizes quite a few settings in Window 2000/XP:

1. Disk Cache

Windows NT4/2000/XP has a much better Disk Cache handling as Windows 95-ME. Windows NT4/2000/XP uses certain criteria to decide how to prioritize memory usage between the Disk Cache and applications. This dynamic allocation process is a continual juggling act. Four configuration presets are available.

- Minimize memory used

This setting minimizes the amount of memory used for the Disk Cache in order to maximize the amount of memory available for applications. This is the default setting for Windows NT Workstation and Windows 2000 Professional.

- Balance

This setting instructs Windows to give the Disk Cache and applications the same priority.

- Maximize throughput for file sharing

The Disk Cache gets a higher priority with this preset. It should be the best for file servers and workstations with very high I/O activity.

- Maximize throughput for network applications

This setting instructs Windows to give applications higher priority. It should be the best preset for application servers.

2. Icon Cache

Every executable file has an icon associated with it. Every time the shell displays a folder full of files it needs to obtain icons for each of those items. By saving icons that it has already retrieved into a cache, the shell is relieved of the need to constantly retrieve icons from executable files and icon libraries. This can make a vast difference to system performance, especially when accessing network drives.

After changing this setting you need to reboot at least 2 times until it becomes effective, but since it's not a critical setting Cacheman will not ask you on exit to reboot.

3. IO Page Lock Limit

If your system is very IO intensive you can increase the amount of memory that can be locked for IO operations when data is read from or written to the hard disks. When this value is 0, the system uses the default (512 Kbytes). Raising this value can give you a significant performance boost.

4. Disable NTFS last access update

By enabling this option, NT Filesystem will not record the last time a file was accessed. This can speed up disk operations if applications write many small files very frequently.

5. Hung App Timeout

Windows waits by default a long time to finally acknowledge that a particular program is "Not responding", and only after that allowing you to shut it down by clicking the End Task button.

6. Wait to Kill App Timeout

This value sets the timeout until Windows shuts down/restarts, while trying to exit all open programs.

7. Disable executive paging

Parts of system code and device drivers can be swapped out to paging file when the system needs more RAM. The system slows down when it needs that code or drivers since it must load them from the paging file. Windows stops while the required code is swapped in or out of RAM dependent on very long hard drive access times. If you have more than sufficient RAM, disabling Executive paging should improve performance.

8. Unload DLLs from memory

Windows automatically unloads DLLs when the usage count is zero, but only after the DLLs have not been used for a period of time. This inactive period might be unacceptably long at times and cause performance slow downs on low memory systems. Enable this option to disable Windows holding the DLLs in memory.

All of which help improve Windows XP performance. ;)

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Mastertech

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The problem with alot of the tweaks I see posted are comments like

"I don't know if this does anything"

"Seems to be faster now" ect.....

These same tweaks work their way into all-in-one tweaking programs and you wind up with situations like this: Dead Win XP after installation XP Smoker

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Dark Warhawk

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  Mastertech said:
Cacheman optimizes quite a few settings in Window 2000/XP:

1. Disk Cache

Windows NT4/2000/XP has a much better Disk Cache handling as Windows 95-ME. Windows NT4/2000/XP uses certain criteria to decide how to prioritize memory usage between the Disk Cache and applications. This dynamic allocation process is a continual juggling act. Four configuration presets are available.

- Minimize memory used

This setting minimizes the amount of memory used for the Disk Cache in order to maximize the amount of memory available for applications. This is the default setting for Windows NT Workstation and Windows 2000 Professional.

- Balance

This setting instructs Windows to give the Disk Cache and applications the same priority.

- Maximize throughput for file sharing

The Disk Cache gets a higher priority with this preset. It should be the best for file servers and workstations with very high I/O activity.

- Maximize throughput for network applications

This setting instructs Windows to give applications higher priority. It should be the best preset for application servers.

2. Icon Cache

Every executable file has an icon associated with it. Every time the shell displays a folder full of files it needs to obtain icons for each of those items. By saving icons that it has already retrieved into a cache, the shell is relieved of the need to constantly retrieve icons from executable files and icon libraries. This can make a vast difference to system performance, especially when accessing network drives.

After changing this setting you need to reboot at least 2 times until it becomes effective, but since it's not a critical setting Cacheman will not ask you on exit to reboot.

3. IO Page Lock Limit

If your system is very IO intensive you can increase the amount of memory that can be locked for IO operations when data is read from or written to the hard disks. When this value is 0, the system uses the default (512 Kbytes). Raising this value can give you a significant performance boost.

4. Disable NTFS last access update

By enabling this option, NT Filesystem will not record the last time a file was accessed. This can speed up disk operations if applications write many small files very frequently.

5. Hung App Timeout

Windows waits by default a long time to finally acknowledge that a particular program is "Not responding", and only after that allowing you to shut it down by clicking the End Task button.

6. Wait to Kill App Timeout

This value sets the timeout until Windows shuts down/restarts, while trying to exit all open programs.

7. Disable executive paging

Parts of system code and device drivers can be swapped out to paging file when the system needs more RAM. The system slows down when it needs that code or drivers since it must load them from the paging file. Windows stops while the required code is swapped in or out of RAM dependent on very long hard drive access times. If you have more than sufficient RAM, disabling Executive paging should improve performance.

8. Unload DLLs from memory

Windows automatically unloads DLLs when the usage count is zero, but only after the DLLs have not been used for a period of time. This inactive period might be unacceptably long at times and cause performance slow downs on low memory systems. Enable this option to disable Windows holding the DLLs in memory.

All of which help improve Windows XP performance.  ;)

Eh, most of those things can be done in regedit if you really want them and IO Page Lock Limit does nothing. The only that might be useful is the Icon cache, but if you want that you could always go LargeSystemCache-1. now I used the program when I was under 98 and loved it, but I really believe you do not need it for XP no matter what they say.

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Mastertech

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Eh, most of those things can be done in regedit if you really want them
LOL, just about any tweak utilities settings can be done manually. The whole point of including the utility is so you don't have to. Editing the registry manually is a bad practive since the registry has no native undo feature and changes are instantaneous. Not to mention it is alot easier and faster to use a utility. I like to keep things as simple as possible.
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and IO Page Lock Limit does nothing.

This is not true. But how much performance you will gain off of this value is based on what you use your system for and how much memory your system has.

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but I really believe you do not need it for XP no matter what they say.

Well I've installed this and configure it on over 1000 PCs with XP by now and it has improved performance. If you really feel so strongly against not using this program, you have every right not to. But the tweaks it includes will boost your system performance and I am not about to make it more complicated for people to use these tweaks by including them manually when a simple free utilitly can do it for you.

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Mastertech

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After some more research:

IO Page Lock Limit:

You will only notice performance differences with server or database applications (e.g. MS SQL Server). There are no negative effects for a large value, even if most applications will not profit from an increase, there is no reason for keeping the value low.

So at worst the value is harmless.

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ToastGodSupreme

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  Mastertech said:
After some more research:

IO Page Lock Limit:

You will only notice performance differences with server or database applications (e.g. MS SQL Server). There are no negative effects for a large value, even if most applications will not profit from an increase, there is no reason for keeping the value low.

So at worst the value is harmless.

Firstly, yes, this is an INVALID key now.

After I think after Win2000 Service Pack 2 (though I really think it was SP1), this key was invalidated by MS (many people ran tests and it showed that this key was no longer being called by the system). As WinXP usually follows Win2000, I would say it was invalidated for WinXP as well.

Also, performance increases are also seen in applications like video editing when this key did work.

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Mastertech

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Firstly, yes, this is an INVALID key now.

After I think after Win2000 Service Pack 2 (though I really think it was SP1), this key was invalidated by MS (many people ran tests and it showed that this key was no longer being called by the system). As WinXP usually follows Win2000, I would say it was invalidated for WinXP as well.

Do you know of any sites that confirm this? Because online information regarding this setting is very limited and the opinions on its validity seem to be coming from other forums with no real proof. I'm not saying its not true I just like to be certain. For example Microsoft makes no reference to this setting one way or the other that I could find.

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