Win2k fun

[snakefoot]

15. Disable disk monitoring in Win2k
By default Win2k is running DISKPERF to monitor your disk performance. Since desktop users seldom bother looking into the data collected, you might as well turn it off. By running this command which will make it stop monitoring after next boot.

DISKPERF -N

To turn it on again run this command

DISKPERF -YD

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14. Run your speed dependent programs in high priority
WinNT is able to give some programs more ressources than others, which is nice when running games where you want your machine to give every inch it got to make it as smooth as possible

START /HIGH QUAKE3.EXE

For all the possible options run START /?

Besides using HIGH you can use theese (Though one should avoid RealTime)

Realtime (Priority 24)
High (Priority 13)
Normal (Priority 8)
Low (Priority 4)
Abovenormal (Priority 10) Win2k only
belownormal (Priority 6) Win2k only
If you don't want to make a batch file for every game you get on your computer, or install a 3rd party program to add another item on your Context Menu. Then you can try this :

Make a batch file called HIGH.BAT with this contents and save it some where

start /high %1

Make a short cut to this file into your sendto folder and now you can do a send to with your favorite games and programs

You can also change the priority right on the fly by using the task manager, though some games don't like to be minimize to get their priority changed.

Another thing you can do is to check the programs you run at start up which keep running. Determind if they are doing time critical tasks, and if not change the startup for them like this.

cmd /c start /low program.exe

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16. Use several threads to increase explorer performance
If a heavy explorer user, who likes to do file copying and such, then you can make it use multiple threads for both desktop, taskbar and each folder view.

Create/Update this DWORD in the registry :

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER \Software \Microsoft \Windows \CurrentVersion \Explorer]
DesktopProcess = 1 (Default=0)

It is said that this option is specially good for Win2k, WinNT4 users using IE 4.0 and IE 4.01 might want to check MS Q181562

This is also used when debugging the shell and want to avoid stopping and starting desktop and taskbar.

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22. How to to configure Windows 2000 File Protection
The file protection is made to avoid overwritting DLLs with older version when installing 3rd party programs. BUt it also blocks users changing system files.

You can disable it through the registry by changing this DWORD:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \SOFTWARE \Microsoft \Windows NT\ CurrentVersion \Winlogon]
SFCDisable=0xffffff9d(4294967197) (Default=0)

NOte theese other values are possible 0 - enabled (Prof.), 1 - disable will prompt at next boot to enable, 2 - disabled for next boot only, no prompt for enable, 4 - Enabled with popups disabled(Server)

You can increase it's scans by changing this DWORD:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \SOFTWARE \Microsoft \Windows NT\ CurrentVersion \Winlogon]
SFCScan=1 (Default=0)

Note theese values are possible 0 - do not scan at every boot, 1 - scan protected files at every boot, 2 - scan protected files once

You can increase/limit the space used for the backup, through this DWORD:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \SOFTWARE \Microsoft \Windows NT\ CurrentVersion \Winlogon]
SFCQuota=ffffffff

Note that Prof. uses 150 MB (0x32), Server uses 300 MB (0x12c), Advanced Server uses all the space it can find until 150 MB free (0xffffffff)

You can choose where to backup the files, by changing this STRING:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \SOFTWARE \Microsoft \Windows NT\ CurrentVersion \Winlogon]
SFCDllCacheDir=%SystemRoot%\System32

You can choose to display System File checker progress-meter by changing this DWORD:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \SOFTWARE \Microsoft \Windows NT\ CurrentVersion \Winlogon]
SFCShowProgress=1 (Default - 0 (Disabled))

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24. Add a Move To/Copy To option in the Context Menu for files in Win2k
This is done in the registry, by adding the subkeys Copy To and Move To, and set

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT \AllFilesystemObjects \shellex \ContextMenuHandlers \Copy To]
(Default)={C2FBB630-2971-11D1-A18C-00C04FD75D13}

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT \AllFilesystemObjects \shellex \ContextMenuHandlers \Move To]
(Default)={C2FBB631-2971-11D1-A18C-00C04FD75D13}


From : http://snakefoot.homestead.com/