Server

[Spearball]

Hi i wasnt sure what to put this under. I got a comp running windows xp and im using it as a server to run a game that i play with some friends on the internet. Its always on and running. Is there a way to put the pc so that the only thing thats actually working is the server. Like can you shutdown or close any of the stuff in windows to reduce system lag and cpu ressource rather than unnessesary programs running in the background?

[Ob1]

is this a custom pc or OEM like a dell

if its a dell, use decrapifier to clean it up
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=decrapifier&btnG=Google+Search

start>run>msconfig>go to the startup tab and remove all unecessary programs from running.
click the services tab, and check the box to hide microsoft services, and take a look at what other extra/useless processes you have and dont need and either disable all the ones you dont want.

remove any program that is in the startup folder by looking in start>all programs>startup

[just_enough]

There are a boatload of services that can be disabled as well. Here is a list of default services and their states for XP: http://www.ss64.com/ntsyntax/services.html ('http://www.ss64.com/ntsyntax/services.html'). They can be accessed via control panel >> admin tools >> services.

[Spearball]

Thanks. Hey i noticed in windows task manager in the prosses tab, when u right click a prosses there is a set priority option. Can i just set the server higher or is it dangerous?

[Ob1]

Changing priorities might destabilize the system. Increasing the priority of a process might prevent other processes, including system services, from running. Decreasing the priority of a process might prevent it from running, not merely force it to run less frequently. In addition, lowering priority does not necessarily reduce the amount of processor time a thread receives; this happens only if it is no longer the highest-priority thread.

[faulkner132]

Thanks. Hey i noticed in windows task manager in the prosses tab, when u right click a prosses there is a set priority option. Can i just set the server higher or is it dangerous?
It shouldn't be a problem, but I would leave it as "Normal" for overall system stability. This only effects CPU usage, it has no effect memory usage, the system will not back down from other processes requesting memory regardless of what CPU priority it has.

[rspassey]

Turn off any windows themes and run it in classical / performance mode - http://www.pcmech.com/newsletter/viewtip.php?tipid=530 - this will free up a bit of RAM.

[Spearball]

Ok thanks i got everything working. I just wanted to add that latly my pcs been slowing down. I niticed some programs take up a lot more ram than usual and a lot more system applications are starting up (even though i unchecked everything in the startup section). Here is a HijackThis scan. Is there anything that looks "out of place".

Logfile of HijackThis v1.99.1
Scan saved at 3:46:59 PM, on 10/25/2006
Platform: Windows XP SP2 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 SP2 (6.00.2900.2180)

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\Program Files\Windows Defender\MsMpEng.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVGFRE~1\avgamsvr.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVGFRE~1\avgupsvc.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVGFRE~1\avgemc.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\nvsvc32.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\Program Files\Creative\Shared Files\Module Loader\DLLML.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVGFRE~1\avgcc.exe
C:\Program Files\Logitech\G-series Software\LCDMon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\RunDLL32.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
C:\Program Files\Logitech\G-series Software\Applets\LCDMedia.exe
C:\Program Files\Logitech\G-series Software\Applets\LCDClock.exe
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CTXFISPI.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\system32\wuauclt.exe
C:\Program Files\MSN Messenger\msnmsgr.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\Program Files\Ventrilo\Ventrilo.exe
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe
C:\Documents and Settings\Joey\My Documents\Joey files\HijackThis.exe

R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://www.yahoo.com/
R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Local Page =
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Local Page =
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Window Title = Microsoft Internet Explorer
R3 - URLSearchHook: (no name) - {BAD39F86-7F18-23E3-68E5-2480083E03C7} - C:\WINDOWS\system32\xpv.dll
O2 - BHO: (no name) - {BAD39F86-7F18-23E3-68E5-2480083E03C7} - C:\WINDOWS\system32\xpv.dll
O2 - BHO: PrintViewBHO Class - {D4E0C464-30CE-4075-9A10-71FD106C2847} - C:\PROGRA~1\PRINTV~1\PRINTH~1.DLL
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [AudioDrvEmulator] "C:\Program Files\Creative\Shared Files\Module Loader\DLLML.exe" -1 AudioDrvEmulator "C:\Program Files\Creative\Shared Files\Module Loader\Audio Emulator\AudDrvEm.dll"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [UpdReg] C:\WINDOWS\UpdReg.EXE
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [AVG7_CC] C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVGFRE~1\avgcc.exe /STARTUP
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Launch LCDMon] "C:\Program Files\Logitech\G-series Software\LCDMon.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Windows Defender] "C:\Program Files\Windows Defender\MSASCui.exe" -hide
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NvCplDaemon] RUNDLL32.EXE C:\WINDOWS\system32\NvCpl.dll,NvStartup
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [nwiz] nwiz.exe /install
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NvMediaCenter] RunDLL32.exe NvMCTray.dll,NvTaskbarInit
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [ctfmon.exe] C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
O8 - Extra context menu item: &Clean Traces - C:\Program Files\DAP\Privacy Package\dapcleanerie.htm
O8 - Extra context menu item: &Download with &DAP - C:\Program Files\DAP\dapextie.htm
O8 - Extra context menu item: Download &all with DAP - C:\Program Files\DAP\dapextie2.htm
O8 - Extra context menu item: E&xport to Microsoft Excel - res://C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~2\OFFICE11\EXCEL.EXE/3000
O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.5.0_06\bin\npjpi150_06.dll
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Sun Java Console - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.5.0_06\bin\npjpi150_06.dll
O9 - Extra button: Subscribe in Desktop Sidebar - {09FE188B-6E85-479e-9411-51FB2220DF80} - C:\WINDOWS\system32\shdocvw.dll
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Subscribe in Desktop Sidebar - {09FE188B-6E85-479e-9411-51FB2220DF80} - C:\WINDOWS\system32\shdocvw.dll
O9 - Extra button: Research - {92780B25-18CC-41C8-B9BE-3C9C571A8263} - C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~2\OFFICE11\REFIEBAR.DLL
O9 - Extra button: Yahoo! Messenger - {E5D12C4E-7B4F-11D3-B5C9-0050045C3C96} - C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Messenger\YahooMessenger.exe
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Yahoo! Messenger - {E5D12C4E-7B4F-11D3-B5C9-0050045C3C96} - C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Messenger\YahooMessenger.exe
O9 - Extra button: Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - (no file)
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Windows Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - (no file)
O16 - DPF: {CD995117-98E5-4169-9920-6C12D4C0B548} (HGPlugin9USA Class) - http://gamedownload.ijjimax.com/gamedownload/dist/hgstart/HGPlugin9USA.cab
O18 - Protocol: livecall - {828030A1-22C1-4009-854F-8E305202313F} - C:\PROGRA~1\MSNMES~1\MSGRAP~1.DLL
O18 - Protocol: msnim - {828030A1-22C1-4009-854F-8E305202313F} - C:\PROGRA~1\MSNMES~1\MSGRAP~1.DLL
O20 - Winlogon Notify: WgaLogon - C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\WgaLogon.dll
O20 - Winlogon Notify: winowl32 - winowl32.dll (file missing)
O23 - Service: AVG7 Alert Manager Server (Avg7Alrt) - GRISOFT, s.r.o. - C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVGFRE~1\avgamsvr.exe
O23 - Service: AVG7 Update Service (Avg7UpdSvc) - GRISOFT, s.r.o. - C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVGFRE~1\avgupsvc.exe
O23 - Service: AVG E-mail Scanner (AVGEMS) - GRISOFT, s.r.o. - C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVGFRE~1\avgemc.exe
O23 - Service: InstallDriver Table Manager (IDriverT) - Macrovision Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\InstallShield\Driver\11\Intel 32\IDriverT.exe
O23 - Service: NVIDIA Display Driver Service (NVSvc) - NVIDIA Corporation - C:\WINDOWS\system32\nvsvc32.exe

There even a bsod i got yesterday. I think it was with my soundcard but it happened again even after i updated the drivers to newer version. Here is the log for the dump file.


Microsoft (R) Windows Debugger Version 6.6.0007.5
Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.


Loading Dump File [C:\Documents and Settings\Joey\Desktop\Mini102406-01.dmp]
Mini Kernel Dump File: Only registers and stack trace are available

Symbol search path is: *** Invalid ***
****************************************************************************
* Symbol loading may be unreliable without a symbol search path. *
* Use .symfix to have the debugger choose a symbol path. *
* After setting your symbol path, use .reload to refresh symbol locations. *
****************************************************************************
Executable search path is:
*********************************************************************
* Symbols can not be loaded because symbol path is not initialized. *
* *
* The Symbol Path can be set by: *
* using the _NT_SYMBOL_PATH environment variable. *
* using the -y <symbol_path> argument when starting the debugger. *
* using .sympath and .sympath+ *
*********************************************************************
Unable to load image ntoskrnl.exe, Win32 error 2
*** WARNING: Unable to verify timestamp for ntoskrnl.exe
*** ERROR: Module load completed but symbols could not be loaded for ntoskrnl.exe
Windows XP Kernel Version 2600 (Service Pack 2) UP Free x86 compatible
Product: WinNt, suite: TerminalServer SingleUserTS
Kernel base = 0x804d7000 PsLoadedModuleList = 0x805531a0
Debug session time: Tue Oct 24 23:49:30.687 2006 (GMT-3)
System Uptime: 0 days 2:27:05.252
*********************************************************************
* Symbols can not be loaded because symbol path is not initialized. *
* *
* The Symbol Path can be set by: *
* using the _NT_SYMBOL_PATH environment variable. *
* using the -y <symbol_path> argument when starting the debugger. *
* using .sympath and .sympath+ *
*********************************************************************
Unable to load image ntoskrnl.exe, Win32 error 2
*** WARNING: Unable to verify timestamp for ntoskrnl.exe
*** ERROR: Module load completed but symbols could not be loaded for ntoskrnl.exe
Loading Kernel Symbols
.................................................................................................... ...................................................
Loading User Symbols
Loading unloaded module list
................
Unable to load image ha20x2k.sys, Win32 error 2
*** WARNING: Unable to verify timestamp for ha20x2k.sys
*** ERROR: Module load completed but symbols could not be loaded for ha20x2k.sys
*******************************************************************************
* *
* Bugcheck Analysis *
* *
*******************************************************************************

Use !analyze -v to get detailed debugging information.

BugCheck 1000007E, {c0000005, b3925661, b1763abc, b17637b8}

***** Kernel symbols are WRONG. Please fix symbols to do analysis.

***** Kernel symbols are WRONG. Please fix symbols to do analysis.

Probably caused by : ha20x2k.sys ( ha20x2k+63661 )

Followup: MachineOwner
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