XP performance issues.

Hi all,
I came upon this web site (http://www.jasonn.com/turning_off_unnecessary_services_on_windows_xp) just recently and thought that some of you might be interested.
This site give a detailed description of most of the Windows services that run in the background using valuable processor time while we are getting on with the serious business of Trainzing, and also lets you know which ones are expendable. For those seeking that extra performance edge this might provide some comfort. I cannot verify the content so use with care!
I currently run TRS 04 and 06 and have as yet to try at least some of the ideas here.

Cheers
Russell.

Suggestion: I've had success invoking Trainz while in diagnostic mode. In diagnostic mode none of the junk processes are loaded, only the bare bones necessary to operate the computer, so Trainz runs with no interference. You can always boot normally if you want to go on to the Net or run programs that don't need so much elbow room.

Diagnostic mode is not the same as Safe Mode. You can reach it by clicking Start, then Run, then typing MSconfig in the dialog box that will appear and clicking OK. You will then see another dialog box. Tick Diagnostic and you will be prompted to restart your machine. When it reboots, which will only take a few seconds when you don't have to load all of the extras, just x out all of the boxes that appear and you are good to go. You will see a definite improvement in the way Trainz runs, and if you invoke the Task Managers, Processes, you will see a very short list instead of 50 or 60 programs idling in the background. You can easily get out of Diagnostic by going back to start, but this time, instead of ticking Diagnostic, tick Normal startup, let the computer reboot when you are prompted, and you're done.

Very easy and effective. It's also safe because there is none of the risk involved in disabling or deleting a program.

Bernie

EndItAll

I use the little utility called EndItAll, which knocks out all background programs and allows Trainz to run better.
Just start it, then click the red/black Skull & Crossbones icon on the tool bar and away you go.
It used to be free, don't know if that still applies.

Angela

angelah said:

I use the little utility called EndItAll, which knocks out all background programs and allows Trainz to run better.
Just start it, then click the red/black Skull & Crossbones icon on the tool bar and away you go.
It used to be free, don't know if that still applies.

Angela

Click to expand...

It has now been superceded by "Task Power 3" (free download available )
from http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2253746,00.asp

R701Rusty said:

Hi all,
I came upon this web site (http://www.jasonn.com/turning_off_unnecessary_services_on_windows_xp) just recently and thought that some of you might be interested.
This site give a detailed description of most of the Windows services that run in the background using valuable processor time while we are getting on with the serious business of Trainzing, and also lets you know which ones are expendable. For those seeking that extra performance edge this might provide some comfort. I cannot verify the content so use with care!
I currently run TRS 04 and 06 and have as yet to try at least some of the ideas here.

Cheers
Russell.

Click to expand...

We ran some tests and basically if you have 2.5 gigs of memory or more Trainz runs slower under XP if you stop all the windows services you think you don't need. On a 512 mb machine you can expect a speed up which seems to stem from the extra memory freed up.

There is a thread somewhere in the forum.

Cheerio John

Be sure to run defrag on the drive where Trainz is installed. If you do this often then it won't take very long each time and speeds up everything.


William