Vista Tutorial - Visual Effects Options

Hi Shawn,

Unless I missed it in the list of tutorials, there doesn't seem to be one explaining how to adjust processor scheduling for the best performance of programs using the advanced tab of performance options.

The Official Vista Magazine (UK ) recently recommended setting this to adjust for best performance of background services. The idea being that Vista switches between background service threads every 20ms or so when best performance is selected - using a lot of resources.

Trouble with that suggestion is that your foreground operations no longer get the priority boost.

A simple registry tweak allows the background services to enjoy a longer time between switches - thus saving resources, while also prioritising programs.

HKLM/SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet/Control/PriorityControl then set WiN32PrioritySeparation to 16 (hex).
A value of 14( hex) also gives this longer time between switches but adds no priority boost to programs.


SIW2

Interesting SIW2. I have done a little Googling in it, and this is what I found on it:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/pro....mspx?mfr=true

Do you have a link to that article that you can post back or send to me via PM?

This tutorial explains a temporary way to set CPU priority.

CPU Priority for Processes

Thank you,
Shawn

I have searched and there is so many places to look. I would like to know very simply, how to change the wording description under the icons on the desktop. Color mainly, but also is there a way to get the wording any size? Thanks.

Hi Starwing,

The only way to change the text size is to also increase the desktop icon size. The free program D-Color XP will let you change the text color though. It works fine in Vista.

Dindo Liboon's Website

Hope this helps,
Shawn

Nice guide thanks mate

Okay I have an issue similar to this. I turned off all the fade menus in / out options off. Then I decided to turn them back on however, they don't fade in or out, They slide. How do I make them fade again?

UPDATE:
Okay nevermind. I just did a system restore and it fixed it.

Hello. I have did a little extension:

UN mark (disable) the option "Animate windows when minimizing and maximizing"

That's speeds the interface too.

Thank you TorchMan.

It has been added to the tutorial.

Shawn

Hi. My screen looks a bit different. When I press "Settings" on Advanced tab of Performance, I have something what you have, and same goes for me. I don't see few items that you have on your shots.



Please help? I need to download something, maybe??

Hello Ilyabyk83,

The only one I spot that is missing is Enable transparent glass. This would be a feature of Aero. From the looks of your screenshots, I would say that you were using the Windows Basic theme instead of Windows Aero.

Double check in the yellow TIP box in the tutorial below to see if you meet the requirements to for Aero to be enabled.

Color Scheme

Hope this helps,
Shawn