Set Performance Options

Set Performance Options in Windows XP

Windows allocates resources according to its settings and manages devices accordingly. You can use the System tool in Control Panel to change performance options that control how programs use memory, including paging file size, or environment variables that tell your computer where to find some types of information.

This article explains how to set the performance options for your computer.

Managing Processor Time

System processing is managed by Windows, which can allocate tasks between processors, as well as manage multiple processes on a single processor. However, you can set Windows to allocate more processor time to the program that you are currently running. This can result in faster program response time. Or, if you have background programs such as printing or disk backup that you want to run while you work, you can have Windows share processor resources equally between background and foreground programs.

Note: You must be logged on as an administrator to the local computer or have appropriate network privileges to make certain changes in System. To Change the Performance of Foreground and Background Programs

• Click Start, click Control Panel, click Performance and Maintenance, and then click System.
• Click the Advanced tab, and then click Settings under Performance.
• Click the Advanced tab, and then do one of the following under Processor scheduling:
• Click Programs to assign more processor resources to the foreground program than the background program.
• Click Background services to assign equal amounts of processor resources to all programs. If you click Programs, the result is a smoother, faster response time for your foreground program. If you want a background task, such as a Backup utility, to run faster, click Background services. The Programs option allocates short, variable time slices, or quanta, to running programs, and the Background services option assigns long, fixed quanta.

Modify Settings to Improve Performance

Windows XP uses processor time to handle system performance according to default settings, which can be adjusted for your computing needs. Also, settings that govern visual effects enhance the appearance of the Windows XP interface, but can slow down performance. You can fine-tune settings in Windows XP Professional to improve performance:

• Right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
• Click the Advanced tab, and in the Performance area, click Settings.
• On the Visual Effects tab, click the Custom radio button, and then select which UI features to disable to improve performance.
• Click the Advanced tab, and in the Processor scheduling area, click the Background services radio button. Selecting this option means that background tasks that you want to run while you work, such as backup utilities or print jobs, will share processor time equally with programs. You may need to be logged on as an Administrator to make these changes. Note that applying these settings may change your current desktop theme.