Maximum Optimization Guide For S4

[andrewdodd13]

Well this is going to be very long!
BBGC: The only tips i have found are:
A) Delete all the Multiplayer maps from the S4 map folder, and also user maps you don't need. This saves time "enumerating" maps.
B) Clear out you friends and ignore lists, this speeds up initial entry into BBGC.

Cleaner Graphics:
PLEASE INSTALL THE EXACT DRIVERS FOR YOUR MONITOR OTHERWISE THESE SETTINGS MAY BLOW IT UP. NO IM NOT JOKING!
A) Right click on a blank bit of the desktop and select properties. The end tab should be "settings". Put the screen resolution to "1024x768" for 17" monitors, "1280x1024" for larger (if its supported by graphics card), "800x600" for smaller. Color quality should be Medium (16 bit), so that maps are previewed in BBGC.
Now click "Advanced", select monitor. Change the "Screen Refresh rate" to 75-85. You may need to adjust the picture using the dials on the monitor. Please make sure the "hide modes this monitor cannot display" is checked, this is where you go to explode monitor! (Dunno why thats not automatically on...)

Windows Services
These are programs that sit between the windows kernel and the applications. To disable these you will need to be administrator. These can only be accessed by windows 2000/XP.
To get up the services program, type "services.msc" into the start > run box.
Scroll down until you find: "Automatic Updates". Now right click it, select properties. In the "Startup type" box select "Disabled". This stops this program from running. Now do the same for:
"Messenger"
"Windows Time"
"Universal Plug and Play Device Host" (unless networked)
"Uninteruptable power supply (unless using a UPS)

Now reboot your pc and see if its any faster.

[andrewdodd13]

Well this is going to be very long!
BBGC: The only tips i have found are:
A) Delete all the Multiplayer maps from the S4 map folder, and also user maps you don't need. This saves time "enumerating" maps.
B) Clear out you friends and ignore lists, this speeds up initial entry into BBGC.

Cleaner Graphics:
PLEASE INSTALL THE EXACT DRIVERS FOR YOUR MONITOR OTHERWISE THESE SETTINGS MAY BLOW IT UP. NO IM NOT JOKING!
A) Right click on a blank bit of the desktop and select properties. The end tab should be "settings". Put the screen resolution to "1024x768" for 17" monitors, "1280x1024" for larger (if its supported by graphics card), "800x600" for smaller. Color quality should be Medium (16 bit), so that maps are previewed in BBGC.
Now click "Advanced", select monitor. Change the "Screen Refresh rate" to 75-85. You may need to adjust the picture using the dials on the monitor. Please make sure the "hide modes this monitor cannot display" is checked, this is where you go to explode monitor! (Dunno why thats not automatically on...)

Windows Services
These are programs that sit between the windows kernel and the applications. To disable these you will need to be administrator. These can only be accessed by windows 2000/XP.
To get up the services program, type "services.msc" into the start > run box.
Scroll down until you find: "Automatic Updates". Now right click it, select properties. In the "Startup type" box select "Disabled". This stops this program from running. Now do the same for:
"Messenger"
"Windows Time"
"Universal Plug and Play Device Host" (unless networked)
"Uninteruptable power supply (unless using a UPS)

Now reboot your pc and see if its any faster.

[pennyuk]

Erm what or who is this in reply to???

http://www.btinternet.com/~damian.gonzalez/ClipArt/pennyUK.gif

[The_Dark_Lord]

Mmm might be useful if Id understood a word of it http://ubbxforums.ubi.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

http://www.mushy.freeservers.com/images/DLsig.gif


Angel by Day, Devil by Night

[digitaldan]

hes prolly just bored
http://ubbxforums.ubi.com/images/smiley/35.gif

but never the less, tis quite a uesful thread ,

cheers dod.

http://www.benprocter.plus.com/dans/digidan.gif

[andrewdodd13]

First thing dan i dunno if you meant it or not but im not DoD.
but you're right i was just bored and was trying to clean out my pc, so here are some more stuff:
go here to see what services are safe and what arent:
http://www.blackviper.com/WinXP/servicecfg.htm
best if youre on a network to look at the "server" column.

next if you are using XP again or another version, it is a good idea to disable the Luna theme, even thou it looks cool it takes 10MB ram, so go to the Display properties again (remember, right click desktop, then properties.)
now go to appearance and underneath "Windows and buttons:" select Windows Classic style.
Underneath "Color scheme:" select "Windows Standard".
Under the effects menu turn all of them off.

Now right click My Computer on the desktop, or press Ctrl + Break(Pause->top right button) to bring up the System Properties.
Near the bottom you should see something like :
384MB of RAM. If this is any lower than 96, consider buying more.
Now click the Advanced tab. Click the "Settings" button in the performance frame. Turn them all off again, except maybe "use common tasks in folders".
Also (for power users) under the advanced tab there are 3 options. Make sure the first 2 are set to programs. The third one alters the virtual memory. Having a fixed sized virtual memory is faster, but can cause problems if you run out.
Close the performance setting window. Now click the "Remote" tab in the system properties window. For security reasons it is best to disable "Allow Remote Assistace invitations to be send from this computer", as it can allow hackers to take over an unattended PC.

More to follow

[digitaldan]

who r u then?
http://ubbxforums.ubi.com/images/smiley/353.gif

http://www.benprocter.plus.com/dans/digidan.gif

[andrewdodd13]

Well erm me http://ubbxforums.ubi.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif
Andrew Dodd http://ubbxforums.ubi.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

[andrewdodd13]

More tips:
Under Windows 95/98/ME:
Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete once. On your OS doing this twice will reset PC.
This shows you all the processes running on your PC.
The only two that are absolutely required for 95/98 are "explorer" and "systray". others, such as "CSInject" for Norton Anti-Virus maybe running at start up.
98/ME can use the msconfig tool (run > msconfig) to disable programs running at startup. This frees up valuble RAM and even internet speed for your games.

Windows 2000/XP:
Press ctrl + alt + del as many times as you like (tho once is enough). This opens up the updated task manager. First, click on the Networking tab. It should be occasionally jumping to the 10% mark on 512kb/s ADSL because you've got BBGC/IE open.
Now click the previous tab (performance). The top graph is how much processing power is being used. It shouldn't really go above 20% for simply having taskman and bbgc/ie open doing nothing. If it does, consider upgrading your processor, or you may have nasty background task running, like im about to show you.
The bottom graph is how much of your Page File is being used, this is where the virtual memory is placed (read about 2-3 posts back).
This for windows XP and printer and video drivers should be ~120MB, unless page file has been disabled.
Now click processes. Clicking the "Mem Usage" button will list them by the amount of memory they are taking, but this isnt really accurate. If you see processes such as "xxx" or other nasty names, end them. Use www.google.com (http://www.google.com) to type in some of the names of the processes, to see what they are. Also look up how to use the msconfig tool to stop them starting at start up.
Also there is a task list at:
here (http://www.answersthatwork.com/Tasklist_pages/tasklist.htm)

This one's a little thin, with not a lot of instructions, but use www.google.com (http://www.google.com) to look up for more information.

[digitaldan]

If you really wish to speed the job up and are using Windows XP operating system, a very quick and simple way of performing most of Andrew Dodd's visual tweaks is thus:

1. Right click "My Computer"

2. Click "Properties"

3. Click the "Advanced" tab

4. Click the "Settings" button under Performance

5. Choose "Adjust for best performance" radio button.

6. Click OK, OK to confirm changes.


This method removes all "pretties" from windows XP that take up considerable memory from both graphics, physical and virtual memory.

http://www.benprocter.plus.com/dans/digidan.gif

[digitaldan]

I should also learn to read, as the Doddster has already said this stuff http://ubbxforums.ubi.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

however,

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> For security reasons it is best to disable "Allow Remote Assistace invitations to be send from this computer", as it can allow hackers to take over an unattended PC.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

If you perform Windows Update and install all critical updates, you won't have any security issues.

In fact, BBGC is itself fundamentally insecure...

I recommend that you disable "Remember previous password" from the login screen...
but this is of course http://ubbxforums.ubi.com/images/smiley/353.gif

http://ubbxforums.ubi.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif

http://www.benprocter.plus.com/dans/digidan.gif

[andrewdodd13]

well step 5 would've been a helpful i guess...
also upgrade you graphics card drivers!
these can help activate features which werent in the original relase (i remember the voodoo drivers i had only supported 233mhz clock speed, after upgrading it went to 433 http://ubbxforums.ubi.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif... -&gt; for computer illiterates, thats fast

[DoD1]

Even though my First name is Andrew, we're not the same guy!

http://melanie.ward2.users.btopenworld.com/library/SGbanner2.jpg (http://www.http://www.settlersgang.com/)

[andrewdodd13]

but it is not coincendence, every thing has purpose.

[digitaldan]

u saying u r related?

or r u just being morpheus?

http://www.benprocter.plus.com/dans/digidan.gif

[andrewdodd13]

just being morpheus lol

[andrewdodd13]

for the people (like moi) who have windows xp/2000 and more than 512mb ram a little risky trick is too disable virtual memory.
it might fail, in which case you need to reboot to safe mode and turn it on again, but it speeds the pc up a lot if it works cos:
"virtual memory uses space on your hard disc to store information which is too big to fit in your memory. because the hard drive has a slower data bandwidth than RAM it is a lot slower." so in other word, disable VM and then your HD is used less for a RAM substitute.

PS.... if it doesnt work turning it off set it to a low level
PPS.... if you get a lot of FE's turn it back to the original setting... its cos youve not got enough ram