Right, if you want to know what I do every time I go simming, do the following:
Start > Run > Type 'msconfig' without the apostrophes > Select the box 'Selective Start-up' > Uncheck 'Process SYSTEM.INI' and 'Process WIN.INI' and 'Load Startup Items' > Click on the 'Services' tab > Check the 'Hide all Microsoft services box' and then 'Disable all' box > Click on the 'Startup' tab > Find your graphics drivers (for me it is CLIStart) and select them > Apply > Restart
That should free up as many system resources as possible.
Do not go onto the internet in this configuration, all of your antivirus/firewalls have been disabled.
Once you have finished simming, simply bring up msconfig again, and select normal startup.
**!!##~DISCLAIMER~##!!**
I TAKE NO RESPONSIBILITIES FOR ANY CONSEQUENCES/UNWANTED EFFECTS OF THIS PROCEDURE. I HAVE USED THIS EXACT PROCESS HUNDREDS OF TIMES, AND HAVE NEVER ENCOUNTERED ANY SIDE EFFECTS/PROBLEMS. UNDERSTAND THAT EVERY SYSTEM IS DIFFERENT AND THAT THIS IS A TAYLORED START-UP PROCEDURE FOR MY COMPUTER ONLY, IT IS PROVIDED ONLY AS A GUIDELINE PROCEDURE TO GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR SYSTEM. YOU SHOULD NOT ATTEMPT THIS PROCEDURE IF YOU ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE WORKINGS OF A COMPUTER'S OPERATING SYSTEM OR WORKING WITH MSCONFIG. I WILL NOT BE HELP RESONSIBLE FOR ANY PROBLEMS, DO SO AT YOUR OWN RISK.
Alex
PS. Taken from one of NickN's posts:
Apparently people are trying things that are posted in the forums to improve their sim experience. A few are having difficulties with good information for different reasons.
Further, there is the issue of someone reading something elsewhere, trying it and having it work for them and then assuming what they did to their system will work for everyone else and post it.