windows xp services start/stop text file ?
 

I read some where not long ago about a way to make a single file control the start/stop of the services. You would make a text file with a line of code and the service you want to control and rename it into another type of file. I've searched the duc and various other music forums to find this and can't find it anywhere. it will be of great help to me if someone knows how I can do this. anyone know where to find this info? It would be greatly appreciated!

thanks

Re: windows xp services start/stop text file ?
 

I used to have a number of these. I'd love to see them again as well.

Re: windows xp services start/stop text file ?
 

Try here.

Tweakxp.com


I hope this is what your were looking for.

FatBelly Slim

Re: windows xp services start/stop text file ?
 

Thanks "FatBelly" but unfortunatly they don't have it. I looked there too, and found nothing about the text converstion for services. I can't find it anywhere! I searched the duc 5-6 times now, looking everywhere, and can't find it anywhere! Someone has to know where I can find this info! Anyone?

Re: windows xp services start/stop text file ?
 

Unless I'm reading it wrong you may want to check the link I posted.

I don't know If you checked to link but it appears to explain exactly how to do what you're asking about.

But then again what do I know, I'm still using Cubase. LOL

FatBelly Slim

Re: windows xp services start/stop text file ?
 

You may be talking about creating different hardware profiles. Forgot where I saw it. But it was a way you could have difference hardware/software settings which would be selectable at bootup. sort of like dual-boot os drives.

Try: "Start/Control Panel/System/Hardware Profiles tab"

Re: windows xp services start/stop text file ?
 

Services on / off? Won't that mean a reboot?

You want PTLE to run as fast as poss I assume?

In which case (here I go again) why don't you just opt for a multi-boot up option, and keep PTLE in its own boot up, with no other software running, and XP stripped right down. It's easy. Probably easier than what you're doing. I give a bit of a description of how I did this here. And there's some general advice about multi-booting here just in case you need it (which, I have a feeling, you don't)

Re: windows xp services start/stop text file ?
 

I do exactly what you are talking about. Try this...paste the following text into a blank text file and save it to your desktop with the name "stop services.bat". You will run this file to shut down services and launch ProTools automatically. Here is the text:

sc stop wuauserv
sc stop eventsystem
sc stop browser
sc stop cryptsvc
sc stop defwatch
sc stop ersvc
sc stop gearsecurity
sc stop helpsvc
sc stop ipodservice
sc stop policyagent
sc stop spooler
sc stop samSs
sc stop lanmanserver
sc stop shellhwdetection
sc stop SSDPSRV
sc stop schedule
sc stop winvnc
sc stop WebClient
sc stop stisvc
sc stop W32Time
sc stop WZCSVC
"C:\Program Files\Digidesign\Pro Tools\ProToolsLE.exe"

Now create another text file called "restart services.bat" and paste in the following text:

sc start wuauserv
sc start eventsystem
sc start browser
sc start cryptsvc
sc start defwatch
sc start ersvc
sc start gearsecurity
sc start helpsvc
sc start ipodservice
sc start policyagent
sc start spooler
sc start samSs
sc start lanmanserver
sc start shellhwdetection
sc start SSDPSRV
sc start schedule
sc start winvnc
sc start WebClient
sc start stisvc
sc start W32Time
sc start WZCSVC

The second file is what you would run after you are done with ProTools. It will restart everything that you had previously shut off.

***NOTE***
These are services on MY system that I am comfortable shutting down. I did some research as I built this file. Go to someplace like tweakxp.com and learn what each of your services does before you try this. Make sure that you have the same services in both files. I won't be held responsible if your computer gets messed up. I'm only showing you the technique of how to do it.

Re: windows xp services start/stop text file ?
 

I just created a new hardware profile that does what you want. When I boot my computer I'm given a choice of "default" or "ProTools" profiles. The ProTools profile has all non-essential services disabled. I learned how to do this, as well as which services can be disabled, at www.blackviper.com. It's true you have to manually disable each service the first time, but after you save the settings, you never have to do it again. Hope this helps.

Re: windows xp services start/stop text file ?
 

bstaley, this is EXACTLY what I wanted! Thank you so much for the help! This is the biggest help I've had on this board so far! Thanks again! GREAT!!!

Re: windows xp services start/stop text file ?
 

Bstaley,

Re: your start/stop text file:

I've used the 'Stop Services.bat' trick and it seems to be working out ok.

So, a quick question: do all the services stay off? or do any restart on boot up and the file needs running again?

I think the answer is no, but I'm just checking.

Or does anyone else know?

Thanks

Re: windows xp services start/stop text file ?
 

Why don't just run "msconfig" command and disable services from there?

Re: windows xp services start/stop text file ?
 

The idea is to be able to switch them (or the ones you may want every now and then) on and off quickly. Going through msconfig several times is a pain.

Re: windows xp services start/stop text file ?
 

Yep, that's right, but In my case that I have a dual boot system with XP and PT6.1.1 only, and ME with the rest of applications, I thinks is better to leave all unused services off. The problem I have is to know wich service to disable. In this kind of system with no internet, only PT and its plugins what do you suggest to disable??

Re: windows xp services start/stop text file ?
 

What you all need is a .vbs admin script to manualize and stop uneeded services for a standalone PT offline computer, I've seen some example service scripts before on the MSDN or technet site (cant remember which), I use a mmc profile for my XP service Tweaks cause im not too savvy with Visual Basic Scripting

Which services to disable is tricky and machine dependent, lets say you have a Printer driver that needs Spooler service running and you stop it then all of a sudden your printer is hosed and you have no clue, you get my point?

To know which services to disable, look at these sites:
the elder geek
and/or
black viper

Re: windows xp services start/stop text file ?
 

I too have a multiple boot up, details here (5 of them! The second is the most difficult to set up. Once you've done that the rest are a breeze).

But even on my PTLE one, there are things I completely shut down - like printing, and LAN - when I actually run PT at full throttle, but will switch back on because it's a pain to reboot (twice) just to retrieve a file via LAN from my other machine (which I use for the internet).

I found musicxp to be really helpful. I followed every bit of advice on that page, and got a noticeable increase in speed. There's a really excellent DUC thread by GothicV here too.

I had problems at one point, and it seemed to be to do with throwing out my prefetch files. So maybe just copy them to a folder somewhere else so you can put them back if you too get a problem.



And I'm still waiting for an answer to my question: <font color="darkblue"> do any of the services get switched back on when you reboot?

Just to be sure.

Re: windows xp services start/stop text file ?
 

The services will come back automatically if you reboot. The purpose of the "restart services.bat" is simply to avoid having to reboot. I hope this answered your question.

Re: windows xp services start/stop text file ?
 

Yes.

Thank you.

So I need to run Stop services.bat every time I reboot. Not a problem.

Re: windows xp services start/stop text file ?
 

I've never heard of prefetch files - where'd you see that?

Re: windows xp services start/stop text file ?
 

They are in the Prefetch directory in the Windows folder, and are used in XP memory management.

They're used to speed up disk i/o by anticipating commonly used data (I think!)

Also this folder houses a file called Layout.ini which is written to once every three days when XP performs a partial defragmentation and adjust the layout of the disk based upon current use.

Be nice if one could schedule this to take place when PT is not running.

Any comments anyone?

Re: windows xp services start/stop text file ?
 

Ok, maybe this will help you Karel, here's how I tune the prefetcher so its quiet for a while:

1. delete all files in here: C:\WINDOWS\Prefetch\
(keep the dir).

2. make Task Scheduler service = AUTOMATIC.
(NOTE: without Task Scheduler Service AUTO your memory prefetching is null and your prefetch dir never gets updated).

3. regedit: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Contro l\Session Manager\Memory Management\PrefetchParameters\
doubleclick EnablePrefetcher and make it a 2
(where 2= boottime prefetch only).

4. reboot and wait a few min, then open your Task manager, with that open start > run >

%windir%\System32\Rundll32.exe advapi32.dll,ProcessIdleTasks
(paste this exact line in the run box and hit ok)

Keep doing this till you see Defrag run in task manager, if defrag dont start then reboot a couple more times and repeat, lather, rinse...etc. At this point you have recreated the Prefetch files and layout.ini, leave these new ones intact.

5. Do a regular defrag then chkdsk c: to make sure your filesystem all good.

6. reboot and its good to go for a while, no idle defrag tasks should bother you when using PT.


Lot of stuff here but makes your machine run smooth as butter and boots quick too, This one of my fav XP tweaks

Re: windows xp services start/stop text file ?
 

How often do you do this?

I think you posted this up before - the name isn't on the printout I have. (I must include poster's names in the future!)

I started doing this, but then things started going a bit odd - other progs didn't strart up properly, so I put the prefetch files back, and did a system restore.

I'll give it another go, but make sure I have a system restore point set again.

But still, how can you be sure that in a few days the machine isn't going to do a partial de-frag while you're doing something important?

Re: windows xp services start/stop text file ?
 

Every few weeks with other maintenence tasks or whenever I do clean up before backup(ghost).
How do they not startup properly? slow? errors?

The app prefetch files shouldn't be there for the 2 reg entry just the layout.ini and the NTOSBOOT-*.pf, your apps will startup quicker with 3 but the idle defrag tasks will happen more often with 3.

Good question, Idle tasks shouldn't be starting when using your computer actively anyway obviously but sometimes you might walk away from PT and it might start, much less of a chance with the #2 Prefetch option as it don't have to keep track of what apps start. all #2 does is move your .sys and driver files to a fast part of the disk so your system boots quick.

Only way to be 100% sure Idle tasks wont start is kinda a comprimise of XP performance, you'd disable Prefetcher (reg = 0) and disable the Task Scheduler service also but you give up with quick boot and things get more sluggish (not recommended).

Theres some other tweak I use that also stops the performance monitoring from starting behind your back, disable Windows Managment Instrumentation Service and disable all performance counters with: Exctrlst.exe, after this your system will run more like win2k with less backround activity going on at the cost of a few broken utils in XP such as System Information, perfmon tools and any thing that relys on it such as some command line utils or any 3rd party apps that use it, some installer/uninstallers use it on XP home edition, and the firewall tab in your network properties will not work and probably many other things depend on WMI also, although I've had no probs with PTLE in XP Pro with it disabled, runs like a champ, your choice.

Re: windows xp services start/stop text file ?
 

Hi Booyah.

<font color="darkblue">1. delete all files in here: C:\WINDOWS\Prefetch\

2. make Task Scheduler service = AUTOMATIC.

3. regedit: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Contro l\Session Manager\Memory Management\PrefetchParameters\
doubleclick EnablePrefetcher and make it a 2

4. reboot and wait a few min, then open your Task manager, with that open start > run >

%windir%\System32\Rundll32.exe advapi32.dll,ProcessIdleTasks
(paste this exact line in the run box and hit ok)

Keep doing this till you see Defrag run in task manager, if defrag dont start then reboot a couple more times and repeat, lather, rinse...etc. At this point you have recreated the Prefetch files and layout.ini, leave these new ones intact.

5. Do a regular defrag then chkdsk c: to make sure your filesystem all good.

6. reboot and its good to go for a while, no idle defrag tasks should bother you when using PT.




Did all that. Kept doing 4 till I got real bored, but never saw Defrag run in task manager. Does that matter? Is there a way of forcing it?

It's certainly a lean machine now, and I'll swear PT runs faster. (But does it really? I'm such a skeptic) And no real noticeable lag in the speed of PT starting up.

I'd never do all the tweaks on this page if PT wasn't on a totally separate boot-up partition. I'd be too worried about the effect on other progs. Very happy with what I have now. Even if it's all an illusion

So what's this I hear about how sound files should be kept on an un-partitioned drive? How so?

Re: windows xp services start/stop text file ?
 

... "services.msc"... lets you also controll de- activating useless systemparameters...

Re: windows xp services start/stop text file ?
 

bstaley, this is running great! I found this may help others too...
when you make the stop/start files, you can run the line c:program files.... with protools at the end, then also underneith that run the start services file.. when you close protools, it will automatically start all the services again! I thought this was great!

So, now that I have all these tweaks going so well, I thought I'd try to further this even more. Is it possible to have actual programs running in the background, like lets say your anti-virus close automatically in the .bat file? I highly doubt this is possible, but thought it would be a good idea. I have all the services for my anti-virus start/stop by the .bat files... but the actual avg program itself is still in the system tray.

anyone know if this is possible?

and again, thanks bstaley