XP/Windows Setup, System Optimizing and Drivers

[NickN]

author=MrBitsy link=1208959973/150#164 date=1225232496][quote author=NickN link=1208959973/150#160 date=1225157988]


This is not a diagnostic thread for FSX and hardware

Oops - sorry

FSX and my PC have never run so good - I am flying everyday, it is just those stutters!

Raymond Keattch

[/quote]

check for background activity... one of the reasons why I endorse NOD32 only as AV is becasue it leaves no footprint on the system that can cause stutters.

[Nashcat]

Hi Nick,

I've read this entire thread with great interest, and with a LOT of gratitude for someone to make such an unselfish effort to help others. Soon I will launch into this project with a newfound confidence. In all this thread, only one question comes to mind. I noticed no mention of Windows Defender as a primary or secondary means of protection. Presently I'm using McAfee and Defender. When I dump McAfee for NOD32 would it be ok to let Defender remain or not?

Thanks!

[NickN]

Windows Pretender?

Dump it!  Known for causing perf issues

You are fine with NOD32

Run Spybots Search and Destroy manually once a month to update it, immunize the system and scan for garbage if ou are worried about spyware

[aeugli]

Hi Nick,

what do you think about this? I´ve read it in

http://orbxsystems.com/forums/index.php?topic=5553.30
page 2 from "faser"

Here's a detailed howto I found on SimForums.com. There's plenty of similar articles if you google "FSX XP OOM 2560".


------------
I use WinXP; not sure about Vista. The instructions below reference WinXP Pro, but I've done this on WinXP Home.

The two steps are below. Remember, you do this at your own risk. Also do searches on this forum and Avsim's FS9 forum for "/3GB switch", "OOM", and "Out of Memory" to learn more. And search google for "/3GB switch" and "/userva" and you'll find the Microsoft tech pages describing this stuff.
________________________________________________________________
STEP 1 -
Here's how to enable the 3GB switch (thanx to Michael Swannick):

Adding the 3GB switch is very simple. You first need to locate your machines Boot.ini file which should be located in the root of your main system drive. (Be aware that this file may be hidden and marked as read-only initially.) You will want to open this file in a program such as Notepad to edit it properly.

Before adding the 3GB switch though it is important to note that the switch is very picky, and requires that every device and driver on your system be fully WinXP compatible in order to work at all. If anything in the system is not compatible, Windows will not load at all when restarting with the 3GB switch activated. The only way to then remove the switch from the Boot.ini file so that Windows can load is to either mount the drive in another system and manually change the boot.ini file, or reformat the drive and re-install Windows. Both solutions are far from ideal.

To safely add the 3GB switch we recommend adding a second instance of the OS in the boot.ini, and add the /3GB switch to that second version.

----- default boot.ini without 3GB Switch -----

This is what a default boot.ini file will look like. (This may differ from system to system.)

timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Pro"

----- updated boot.ini with 3GB Switch -----

This is what the updated version should look like. Notice the /3GB that has been added to the second instance of the OS line.

timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Pro"
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Pro with /3GB" /3GB

And if you have a 512MB or greater video card, you'll need to add the /Userva=? also. I have a 512MB card, and 2560 works for me so:
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Pro with /3GB" /3GB /Userva=2560

If you have a 640MB or 768MB card, you'll need to experiment.

Once you have updated your boot.ini file accordingly and have saved the changes, simply restart your system for the changes to take affect. When your system reboots you will be given the option to choose either the standard Windows XP version or the 3GB switch enabled Windows XP version. If you choose the 3GB version and it fails to allow Windows to properly load, just restart your system and you will be given the two options once again, where you can then choose the standard Windows XP version to load. Either way, if it works or doesn't, you can then remove whatever line you don't need in the boot.ini file. Alternately, you may wish to leave both settings so that you can choose to boot without the 3GB switch should you ever have problems with drivers installed in the future. The boot loader will default to the first option listed in the file. So you may want to put the /3GB option first. You may also wish to lower the timeout value to something quicker so that you don't have to wait for 30 seconds or press enter with each boot.

Is to add the 3GB term necessary? I believe you more than others, therfore the question.

Thank´s for your reply and comments

Cheers Rainer

[NickN]

You can use that method if you wish

Bill Leaming posted the process at the FS Developer Wiki as I recall

I dont see any reason for it unless you have another application that crashes with the edit in the boot.ini file and you need the option at boot to run the software

[aeugli]

Thank you Nick for your answer!

Cheers Rainer

[Anxyous]

Nick.

Here's a list of processes running, before I boot FSX.



How many of these would you say, I could safely shut down, without it affecting my system? Or do they use too little CPU to bother shutting them down?

Vista 32.

[NickN]

The task manager says there are 63 running processes yet the list you are showing only has 20

whats up with that

[Anxyous]

I found it weird, but I clicked 'Show processes for all users', and all the others appeared. Which is weird, since I'm the only user on the computer.

[NickN]

No, its not weird.. and I knew what the problem was but wanted you to find it

Other users do not have to be other accounts from people.. the system itself is considered a user

63 processes is quite a bit

it seems to me you need to do some cleanup work. And going through 63 running processes at boot is a job I simply do not have time to look at right now

Vista will run more processes that xp. Typically one can get a XP boot down to between 23 and 33 processes which is good. In XP 38 and above is excessive. In Vista I dont know the cutoff for that right off hand cause I have not played with it in months, I dont use it

[Anxyous]

Okay, thanks anyway

[NickN]

I DONT USE VISTA









I WONT USE VISTA







I CANT USE VISTA ... my basic intellect and logical engram programming wont allow such a DUMB decision to be executed







http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/29/techn ... ?th&emc=th

Its pretty bad when a company rep admits its trash in the NY Times






I knew this well before Vista was launched:

Vista is to Windows 7 as Windows ME is to Windows XP



It was a slam designed and poorly made OS and it needs to go away as quickly as possible

[aeugli]

Hallo Nick,
above in this post you sayafter settings in nHancer are done:
Open the Nivida Control panel (right click desktop, select Nvidia Control Panel) Show the ADVANCED settings. Under Managed 3D, make sure the Multi Display Mixed GPU is set to SINGLE DISPLAY MODE if you are ONLY using one video card and monitor. If you use more than one, leave the setting on default.

What do you mean with default? I don

[NickN]

Single is fine in your case

you could experiment with multi-display-performance-mode too

[aeugli]

Thanks again Nick for your answer, I will the multi-mode give a try!

Just another question came up: I have heard that Vsync "on" would give a noticable decrease in framerate - others say there is no perf-impact.
What