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Can I Get Some Tips for Improving W7 Bootcamp Performance

P

.product

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 5, 2008
30
0
Hello,
I'm running W7 ultimate on a Rev. A MBA. I'm looking for some tips on improving performance in Bootcamp.

Here is what I have done so far:
- Installed latest BC drivers (3.1)
- Defragged windows partition
- Disabled hibernate function (to save HDD space)
- Installed all updates from Windows Update
- Disabled (some) of the Aero eye candy
- Disabled unnecessary services (ala Blackviper's site)
- Disabled unnecessary startup programs
EDIT:
- Disabled Index Service
- Disabled Windows Search

My main reason for wanting to do this is that I'm having some issues when playing MP3s in WMP. They play fine until I say, launch Firefox. Doing so causes the playing MP3 to skip, or temporarily become garbled. I assume this is due to taxing the HDD, but since upgrading to an SSD is currently not an option, I'm trying to squeeze as much performance out of the system as I can.

Please suggest some other things I can try.

Thanks in advance!
 
ayeying

ayeying

macrumors 601
Dec 5, 2007
4,547
13
Yay Area, CA
.product said:
Hello,
I'm running W7 ultimate on a Rev. A MBA. I'm looking for some tips on improving performance in Bootcamp.

Here is what I have done so far:
- Installed latest BC drivers (3.1)
- Defragged windows partition
- Disabled hibernate function (to save HDD space)
- Installed all updates from Windows Update
- Disabled (some) of the Aero eye candy
- Disabled unnecessary services (ala Blackviper's site)
- Disabled unnecessary startup programs

My main reason for wanting to do this is that I'm having some issues when playing MP3s in WMP. They play fine until I say, launch Firefox. Doing so causes the playing MP3 to skip, or temporarily become garbled. I assume this is due to taxing the HDD, but since upgrading to an SSD is currently not an option, I'm trying to squeeze as much performance out of the system as I can.

Please suggest some other things I can try.

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

Is it a latency issue?

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/614302/
 
P

.product

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 5, 2008
30
0
ayeying said:
Is it a latency issue?

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/614302/
Click to expand...

I think since that post BC drivers have been updated, for example, I don't have a KBDMGR.exe process running.

It did turn me on to DPC though!

Zeoal.gif


The two spikes are from opening tabs in Firefox.

I'm glad to have a better idea of the problem, and can now look for solutions.

Thanks!
 
R

robby818

macrumors 6502a
May 2, 2007
587
6
You can make Windows 7 leaner on system resources by disabling many of the background applications (security center, system restore, indexing, etc) but even in its leanest form, Windows 7 still requires a pretty fast system to run well. I am afraid you are taxing your MBA, especially with a HDD. Windows XP is a lot less demanding and will work much better on that system. I'd install XP on a 1.8 Ghz MBA.
 
A

A.W.E.S.O.M.-0

macrumors member
Jan 14, 2010
54
0
tips:

1. CCleaner, brilliant program to run regularly. Fixes all registry programs, deletes unneeded files (can save you litterally hundreds of megs, even after a clean install) and it offers a very easy tool for deinstalling programs and start-up items.

2. disable all unneeded windows services

ah, something else;

don't use wmp to play mp3's. just download an old and sleek version of winamp 2.5 - 2.7 and you'll play all mp3s without problems!
 
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