PC administrative services

[Gordy]

Has anybody compiled, or seen compiled, a list of MS XP services that can be safely turned off when using a PC for audio only?  Thanks!

Gordy

[stereofool]

Hey...I'd be interested in this...as well  .

[_Scotty_]

Try This Website, http://www.blackviper.com/index.html
I have used his recommendations for XP with no problems,they are not audio specific however.
Scotty

[Gordy]

...they are not audio specific however.
Scotty

Close enough    Thank you Scotty, I'll feel much safer with this as a guide when adjusting settings! 

[richidoo]

http://www.audioforums.com/resources/windows-xp-optimization.html

I have read that shutting down services gains no noticeable improvement in performance, but there are many other things that do improve speed and reliability.  When I run Sonar or do anything critical I do shut off unnecessary processes and services, manually using task manager.  If it is critical service then XP does not allow killing it, so no danger in trying to kill off all of them.   You can defeat any service permanently using the Services dialog in Computer Management to set it to manual start, but read about the service you kill first, to make sure it is really not needed. You just don't know what interdependencies exist in the Death Star operating system that could be upset by holding down a service - or 5...

Getting rid of slow PC protection software and keeping the email pst file small by moving stuff off to archive pst has helped my performance the most. Keeping the desktop uncluttered with icons and keeping the OS hard disk defragged are also important. Make sure you have at least 1G memory if not 2G.

Backup your registry! and make sure you are running system restore. You can turn it down to 10% space but it is important to run it. When windows eats your user profile or reveals some other nasty Microsft habit you will be glad you had it running.  If you have a lot of dick, run it 100%. Real men run system restore!

Check Device manager for hardware conflicts, disable audio hardware that is not being used.

Always take the static charge out of a USB connector before you stick it into the port. The static shock is a thermal even which will shutdown the PC instantly for protection, not good for OS.
Have fun Gordy!!
Rich

[richidoo]

More stuff here on google

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&suggon=0&q=optimize+XP+for+audio

[Gordy]

Google is your friend...      Thanks Rich, that's why I pm ya so often! 

Not to change the subject but, since it's my thread... any updates in the Ubuntu music player world?  Last time I tried searching there were no "plug 'n play" players along the lines of Foobar.  Actually, the better Q would be, will there ever be a p'np for linux systems or is Linux simply for code writers only? 

Do you always need to manually turn on notification here?

Gordy

[stereofool]

 ...I agree...thanks Rich!

[richidoo]

Do you always need to manually turn on notification here?

I never tried notification. Does it work??  hehe
You can check your unreads (like front page of AC) with this link:
http://www.audionervosa.com/index.php?action=unread 

I wondered the same about an all Linux music server. Nick (ik632) is THE MAN for that.

[Black Sand Cable]

Has anybody compiled, or seen compiled, a list of MS XP services that can be safely turned off when using a PC for audio only?  Thanks!

Gordy

The advice given so far has been very good but I must ask, why are you asking in the first place? Is there a specific problem you are trying to look after or is it just a case of you trying to get the best possible audio performance? If it's just audio, shutting off a bunch of stuff will in all honesty have little if any effect on the end audio performance. Properly configured audio drivers, adequate memory etc is what you need to look after first.

I'm a bit of a computer nerd and in my experience when somebody goes looking to shut down services, it's usually a result of a problem that will be unrelated to services and more often then not, they end up causing more problems then they had.

[Carlman]

Almost every problem that has caused slowness has been an application in my experience.  The key to a  fast PC is making sure you don't have lots of software you don't need.  If it came on your PC for 'free' or as a 'trial' and you've never used it, you don't need it.  I don't even run virus software on my audio PC... I just don't need it. There is no mail, I don't surf the web, etc.  Unless there is a virus on the cd I've ripped, there is no (easy) way to introduce one.  Norton is by far one of the worst pieces of software I've seen... It's a great way to make your uber-fast PC about as slow as a 10-yr-old laptop instantly.

Anyway... There are definitely tweaks for audio, like turning off the k-mixer.. and I can't remember the others at the moment.  HarmonicDiscord.com had all the settings listed at one point.  So did AC.  I'll need to find them at some point when I get my new room going.  The latest trend has been moving from Audio-PC to some kind of streamer with remote...  That route doesn't suit me so I'll be doing the Audio PC for a while.

Hope you get it all working to where it sounds good!

-C

[Gordy]

The advice given so far has been very good but I must ask, why are you asking in the first place?

I've no problems at the moment, just trying to learn and fine tune!  I've an old noisy laptop running Foobar with asio4free and it's glitch free now that I've expanded all my buffers to near max.  I've only 512 memory though and, as I understand it, all those potentially useless to me services are eating up memory while they run in the background.  As my LT has been resurrected from the dead once already, I can't see putting any more money/ memory into it. I've almost completed an audio only PC to replace it which won't have anything not needed loaded to it. 

Thanks for all the help and suggestions so far!  I'm very open to any other guidance that comes along   

Gordy