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While you’re in there, it’s also a good idea to deactivate the automatic power down mode for your hard disk. These start and stop cycles tend to contribute more to hard disk wear than does actual running time. Also, disable any options that slow down the CPU when it is unused. While these settings are useful for laptops running on battery power, they offer no benefit to an AC-powered computer.
Finally, before closing this window select the “Themes” tab. Here you can choose your fonts and window dressing. There are no reported performance differences between the offered themes, but keep in mind that if you modify your theme later you will need to adjust all settings again, including system sounds (which should be disabled – see below). Once you’ve decided, click on “Save As…” and save this theme in case you need to recall it later. You can now click on 'apply' to save your changes. [an error occurred while processing this directive]
Windows Sounds
Unless you can’t live without Microsoft’s cutesy startup themes, bings and boings, it’s best to kill the windows sound scheme. Those Windows alert sounds can interfere with audio performance by temporarily causing your audio app to lose sync with the audio device.Select 'Sounds and Audio Devices' in the control panel and switch to the 'sounds' tab. Choose the 'No Sounds' sound scheme and click on OK. Now open display properties again and save all your settings as a new 'theme'. Give it a descriptive name like “AudioTheme'. This way you can easily revert back to your settings later if anything goes wrong.
System Restore
Windows is set up to write periodic “restore check points” so that, in the event of a crash or a corrupted file, your system can restore to its most recent functional settings. Some users recommend disabling system restore to improve performance. NOTE that this is not recommended unless you make regular system backups.
To disable system restore, open the Control Panel and select System. Select the System Restore tab and check “turn off system restore on all drives.”
Performance
XP: Still under Control Panel/System, select the Advanced tab. Click the Performance settings button and select the Visual Effects tab. Choose “adjust for best performance” and then select the Advanced tab. Under Processor Settings, select “adjust for best performance of background services” to ensure lowest latency with ASIO-based drivers (ASIO drivers run as background services in Windows).
W2K: Right click on My Computer and choose Properties. Select the Advanced Tab, then click the Performance Button. Change the mode from Application Response to Background Services
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