Convert ACPI or XP?

Posted: Tue Jan 28, 2003 8:05 pm

Long story short - I had been using a ROland Studio pack and recently upgraded to an Aardvark Q10

As I tweaked performance, it was time to relook at optimization options. Never realized it before but my win 2K box (1.6 Nothwood Asus P4?266) was installed as ACPI. Yep Q10 IRQs are being shared.

Is it a better, cleaner, easier path to reinstall the win 2K as standard PC or upgrade to XP where I believe my mother board is compatible with the ACPI.

Read a bunch of articles on this - thats what I got as options.

Can someone please guide me a little?
I'd rather spend time recording but I want to be setup right.

Thanks much
Mark

Posted: Wed Jan 29, 2003 3:52 am

easier path to reinstall w2k obviously.
better path th win xp if soundcard drivers and app permits.

Cant remember in win 2k but in win xp you can succesfully change comuter driver to standard pc easilly.

try this in win 2k this is how its done in xp.
right click "my computer"
select "properties" from menu
click "hardware" tab
click "Device manager" buton
clicl the + to left of "computer at top
this will diplay current computer driver
Right click on current driver name and select "properties" from menu
Click "driver" tab
click "update driver" button
Insert win2k [or xp if relevant] CD
select istall from specific location
should be under drivers on cd
look for "standard PC" driver
continue install and reboot
magic...24 irq's [mobo dependant]

to get full advantage from ACPI you should have APIC mobo

Maak

Posted: Wed Jan 29, 2003 9:44 am

Maak
I read that converting an existing Win2k to Standard PC can create problems and should be avoided. Hence its a reinstall.

I also read that upgrading from 2K to XP can be done without reinstalling everything. If this is true then it just an upgrade.

This is why I'm still in the middle. How XP handles IRQs with ACPI is better or worse than how 2K handles IRQs with Standard PC configuration?

I also read that my motherboard does support APIC

Mark

Posted: Wed Jan 29, 2003 3:36 pm

First:
It's never recommended to upgrade from one OS to the other. Always do a fresh install.
Second: Switching from one mode to another may cause problems as the drivers are reloaded when you restart and it can cause bad registry paths and cause crashes. It's best to reinstall and do it right from the start.
You can switch but again, highly UN recommended
Opus Very Happy

Posted: Wed Jan 29, 2003 11:47 pm

Opus
I would agree with you on the new os new install one but have changed computer driver several times in xp with only good results.

Yodermr.
Go for xp if drivers permit. It's way better than win2k for audio.

Maak

Posted: Thu Jan 30, 2003 3:54 am

OK - I'm going out on a limb here - appearently - because this is not a mainstream beleif yet.

After many systematic installations of XP, heres what I have found to hold true and be very acceptable to get enormus end results with very little effort.

The most significant tweaks to try first.
I have not found any requirement to do any installation other than the default installation of Windows XP. In many case the so-called "Standard PC" install recommended by many actually made performance and interrupt issues worse, and I think I've tried them all by now.

Repeat - A Standard PC install IS NOT required under XP. It was for earlier versions. XP is very effecient at managing its resources. In fact, most of the tweak guides out there go way too far - yes, even OPUS's, which I implemented at one time and it too made my problems worse and caused some instability. I may be the odd one, but I've found the non-aggressive tweaks to be better. Now, in fairness, I've not tried the OPUS tweaks in some months, maybe they have changed? My system has now been up for several months running Logic 5.3 without any down time or crash what so ever, this was not the case with any other operating system or configuration.

Tweaking is, however, required for stability. XP is really quite good at managing resources, which is unlike previous versions. I do not recommend the Service Pack 1 update.

My findings appear to be supported by RME Audios Tech FAQ site, see heading Problems with single CPU systems and Windows 2000/XP. Under versions prior to XP, "STANDARD PC" mode did improve things, but not always so under XP, and I would advise against it.

The best 5 tips I have (use to be 4) are simple and easily reversible, unlike many of the other offereings out there. They are:

Set your computer for background optimization under System/Advanced/Performance Settings set to "Adjust for best performance".</li>
Then go to System/Advanced/Performance Settings/Advanced and set under Adjust for best performance of: Background Services and then set Memory Usage to System Cache.</li>
Next get rid of windows messenger. There are several difficult ways of doing this, but the easiest and most complete is to go to your Windows/INF directory and search out a file called "SYSOC.INF" Make a copy of it called "Copy of SYSOC.inf", just cut and paste within the INF directory, it will rename it. Then using Notepad, open SYSOC.inf and using the FIND and REPLACE function, replace every instance of the word "Hide" with nothing. So in the FIND feild you want "Hide" and in the REPLACE Feild you want a total blank. Say REPLACE ALL. Then save the file and reboot. Now in Control Panel under Add Programs you will have access to all the little unlisted program appletts in windows under the tab to the side ADD REMOVE WINDOWS COMPONENTS. Scroll down and uncheck every item that you will not use. Doing it this way fully enables you to reinstall any single app that you find you may want later. And note - that if you ever do an OS update, via the net or otherwise, re-check these components for their ststus because MS Update always seems to want to reinstall Messenger if an update is available.</li>
If you are to use the computer for things other than DAW, buy PowerQuest Partition Magic and do a dual boot installation where you have XP installed on two different partitions and leve everything that is non-audio related off the DAW startup partition, like MS Office, WORKS, Photoshop, etc. Having access to the internet from the DAW partition is not an issue in most cases, just leave all the games etc. off.</li>
Don't have anything scheduled to run in the background that will initiate itself based upon a date and or time. These are programs like Windows Update, Norton Update, an Anti-Virus scan, Defragmentations, Clear out temporary files, etc. The reason is first the system constantly polls to see if there is a scheduled event and that dramatically robs resources and can lead to glitches in audio. Second is, the last thing you want is for the system to initiate something during a recording.</li>

Remember, the focus here is on XP - Others who have followed this have been greatful because its very simple and lets the OS do most the alterations required. I hope this helps some that may need an alternative.

PS - I don't mean this as an attack on the otherwise wise and very helpful OPUS! Heed his warning and just do a whole new install if moving to XP.

Posted: Fri Jan 31, 2003 2:30 am

Esystem responds differently to tweaks. You cant really make blanket statement that any tweak is bad or good. and most people base this on their own personal experience, which although important, is not the full picture.

An ACPI setup on APIC mobo CAN be a good thing.

There seem to be many tweaks that do little or are based on theory alone, and it IS tru that XP PRO werks very well out of the box.

Maak

Posted: Sat Feb 01, 2003 11:12 pm

jscott
Yes, you must have an old version of my guide and I now have it as saying to install ACPI mode instead as it is easier to manage IMHO. I haven't seen a true performance difference so I can't say one is worst than the other. I need to go back and try it again to be honest as I don't think I was necessarily focusing on it. I think the main key as you pointed out was less IRQ hassle and management crap!!
Other than that there are some that are not needed necessarily but are offered there of you wanted to! None the less, they can only benefit and not decrease your performance!
Peace
Opus Very Happy

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