JC Audiophile optimization on win7, 2012, and R2.

[jesuscheung]

updated bios tweak: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=2456&p=47417#p47417

cancelled a few tweaks . added some new ones.

[jesuscheung]

corrected bios tweak: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=2456&p=47417#p47417

(made a mistake in copy and paste.)

[i@mJONNY]

Hi guys and girls, I've just joined because I just stumbled on this crazy thread... I'm very curious!

Almost had to wiki some of the acronyms! Guessing SQ is sound quality! OK, some q's:

Are you only using the SQ as your benchmark?

If not, what software and test are you running?

what approach have you taken (I landed on a page where *searchanddestroy UPNP Reg Instances seemed to be the protocol!

What tools have you got?

What are you pre-req's?

By this, I'm talking about system builds and required (underlying, system service / driver?) functionality -

I LOVE the VGA/32-bit BASE build proposal - turn off ALL superfluous graphics stuff might be the way to go, BUT, maybe some new-fancy-Dan-DAW likes having a certain bit-rate depth, or maybe there's a max resolution compromise... I'll probably start with a networked-build (with an iPhone and some vMIDI/OSC configurations... minds can be blown) but it would be nice to have a crazy-ass, standalone NITRO build (for digital editing/encoding/re-mastering, maybe).

I'm not planning (or willing) to just hit-and-hope (I've spent maybe 6 months getting as far as I have to get a STURDY builld... Originally, I hoped for a PERFECT-build, but recently I've discovered that's not possible with WinBlows, so reality-checked the targets, and trying for next best thing (filter known "warnings", and ignore... when SOLID, maybe, MAYBE.. disable logging?!)

The good thing about getting my hands so filthy with the digital dirt of bad builds (courtesy of NVIDIA, Microsoft, and Intel) is that I've been FORCED to get familiar with loads of kick-ass OS tools. The bad thing about perfectionism is that, sometimes, it feels like procrastination ad infinitum)...

Are you compiling an index anywhere, re good and bad tweaks?

Can anyone think of an easy way to start getting votes, (discussion) comments on proposed tweaks?

If there's interest, I'd like to get this data to a more appropriate platform (chronological access to submitted unvalidated hacks spanning 40 pages and counting... smells like a spreadsheet)

What's your policy on reg cleaning? Are you going standalone or networked?

thanks for all the suggestion guys...

some mind fodder (http://goo.gl/lgvnDn), and vg's tips (http://goo.gl/4rDrxR)

[i@mJONNY]

PS there's a plethora of handy apps to get you're OS into tip-top shape, courtesy of Nirsoft + SysInternals... but I would DEFINITELY recommend (for y'all and this project, the top 3 hit-parade off the top off my head)

3: ServiWins (http://i.imgur.com/ZkcQNgG.png) site: http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/serviwin.html
2: WinLister (shot: http://i.imgur.com/uIqrqzJ.png) site: http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/winlister.html
1: DriverView (http://i.imgur.com/lwOepi2.png) site: http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/driverview.html

Also, starter is a useful tool that can give crazy visibility of everything that's happening. Advanced Uninstaller Pro is my best friend (no more hacking at services.msc or batch sc config overload... the service profile editor is a godsend)

OF COURSE, google, backup, do things one by one, plan... prey!

To solid states, and solid bass

[jesuscheung]

Hi guys and girls, I've just joined because I just stumbled on this crazy thread... I'm very curious!

Almost had to wiki some of the acronyms! Guessing SQ is sound quality! OK, some q's:

Are you only using the SQ as your benchmark?

If not, what software and test are you running?

what approach have you taken (I landed on a page where *searchanddestroy UPNP Reg Instances seemed to be the protocol!

...

What tools have you got?

What are you pre-req's?

all tweaks are tested by ears.

in the early days, tweaking was based on fixing the obvious digital jitters.
e.g. intense, strain, compress, air.
so, in the early days, less intense, less strain, less compressed, more air = BETTER SQ.
this is INCORRECT method.
two wrongs can make a right.

now, as i have learnt, i test by listening to micro-details.
more-refined, tightened timing, etc = BETTER SQ
it is almost IMPOSSIBLE to get further improvement if anything is wrong.
so, this method can increase SQ forever, as long as you can discover more good tweaks.

please post some tweaks here. so, i can test it. thx

[jesuscheung]

if anyone finds SQ decreases with tweaks i posted, please report

any 1 jitter fixed is better than more new tweaks

[jesuscheung]

----TWEAK 65----
disabling services (my earlier post is totally outdated)

RULES:
1. if a service disabled increases/decreases SQ in win7, 99% odd will it also increase/decrease SQ in win8/2012/win8.1/R2

2. if a services disabled increases/decreases SQ in win8/win2012, 99% odd will it also increase/decrease SQ in win8.1/R2

3. SQ sounds different with manual, auto, disabled!! DON'T MESS AROUND. you 1/3 chance of getting right. 2/3 chance of getting wrong!

following services had been disabled my win2012/R2:
(ALL OTHER SERVICES VERY LIKELY SOUND BEST AT DEFAULT SETTING. DON'T MESS AROUND)
AMD External Events Utility //FOR THOSE WHO HAS ATI GPU
Base Filtering Engine
Computer Browser
Device Association Service Device
DHCP Client //DON'T DISABLE IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THIS IS
Diagnostic Policy Service
Diagnostic Service Host
Diagnostic System Host
Distributed Link Tracking Client
DNS Client
Extensible Authentication Protocol //DON'T DISABLE IF YOU USE WIRELESS
Function Discovery Provider
Function Discovery Resource Publication
Human Interface Device Access
Intel(R) Integrated Clock Controller Service //FOR THOSE WHO USES INTEL iGPU
Internet Connection Sharing (ICS)
IP Helper
Net.Tcp Port Sharing Service
Portable Device Enumerator Service
Print Spooler
Routing and Remote Access
Security Accounts Manager
Server
Shell Hardware Detection
Smart Card
SSDP Discovery
Superfetch
System Event Notification Service
TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper
UPnP Device Host
Windows Firewall
Windows Time
WinHTTP Web Proxy Auto-Discovery Service
Workstation

NOTE: IF SQ GOT WORSE AFTER ANY TWEAK, THE CHANCES ARE, SOME OTHER JITTERS ELSEWHERE HAD BEEN "IMPROVED". once you started tweaking, YOU HAVE TO GO ALL THE WAY, otherwise, THERE IS no point...

IF A TWEAK IMPROVES SQ, IT WILL ALSO IMPROVE JITTERS. YOU JOB NUMBER 1 IS FIXES THE JITTER BEFORE IMPROVEMENT ON SQ.
e.g. IF YOU HAVE A VIRUS-SCAN RUNNING, THE SQ WILL GET WORSE AND WORSE WITH MORE MORE TWEAKS. TWEAKING DOESN'T WORK IF YOU ALLOW JITTERS TO EXIST.

[wademcinnis]

PS there's a plethora of handy apps to get you're OS into tip-top shape, courtesy of Nirsoft + SysInternals... but I would DEFINITELY recommend (for y'all and this project, the top 3 hit-parade off the top off my head)

3: ServiWins (http://i.imgur.com/ZkcQNgG.png) site: http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/serviwin.html
2: WinLister (shot: http://i.imgur.com/uIqrqzJ.png) site: http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/winlister.html
1: DriverView (http://i.imgur.com/lwOepi2.png) site: http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/driverview.html

Also, starter is a useful tool that can give crazy visibility of everything that's happening. Advanced Uninstaller Pro is my best friend (no more hacking at services.msc or batch sc config overload... the service profile editor is a godsend)

OF COURSE, google, backup, do things one by one, plan... prey!

To solid states, and solid bass

Your enthusiasm is good.

Not sure what you are wanting to do - are you building a music playback ONLY machine? I think the few of us (and it has been awhile since I posted) who participate here have dedicated machines for playback.

Looked at the tools you linked to and they seem little different from TASK MANAGER but I have not actually installed them on my music computer.

I think the idea is to have as few services running as possible on the machine.

JC is the most methodical fellow I have ever followed. I admire his determination to verify what he has done with listening. I am too impatient.

My previous experience with XP taught me that getting rid of as much as you can is the way. There are so many interactions between useless drivers and files that (I think) one can be led into thinking something that seems totally superfluous should be kept because SQ went backwards with the deletion. My suspicion is that it was superfluous and due to some bizarre interaction with something else just as superfluous does something strange and makes the sound worse but for no logical reason. I hope that makes some sense.

The problem with SERVER is that I have not found a way to really get rid of stuff because without a way to disable file protection (Windows Resource Protection in SERVER) you cannot get rid of much and when you think you got rid of it it actually is in another folder (too) and has been returned OR it remains accessible in the other folder. It is like playing hide and seek with an obnoxious precocious child.

Same thing with the registry. I can take control (I think) of the registry with giving Everyone permission but even then one step too far and you are done with this install. With XP one could remove vast amounts of registry (total final size of registry 24 kB and stable).

Maybe SERVER does not need this but how does one know if they never give it a try?

My feeling based upon nothing more than my previous experience is that one should TRY to get SERVER as small as possible just to hear what happens.

Do you know how to subvert WINDOWS RESOURCE PROTECTION by any chance?

[jesuscheung]

The problem with SERVER is that I have not found a way to really get rid of stuff because without a way to disable file protection (Windows Resource Protection in SERVER) you cannot get rid of much and when you think you got rid of it it actually is in another folder (too) and has been returned OR it remains accessible in the other folder. It is like playing hide and seek with an obnoxious precocious child.

go to safe mode, take ownership of file, there is almost nothing you cannot delete in win7/8/2012
there is usually just one file. you delete one file, all folders won't have access.

My feeling based upon nothing more than my previous experience is that one should TRY to get SERVER as small as possible just to hear what happens.
....

think i once got my 2012 stripped down to 3-5GB. not that hard. just delete and delete, and delete

[wademcinnis]

"think i once got my 2012 stripped down to 3-5GB. not that hard. just delete and delete, and delete"

But that is still HUGE.

I think it should be closer to 36 mB! And that would be twice as much stuff as a minimized XP.

Like I said, it would be interesting to hear if it makes any difference. Like bracketing with artillery - we know what it sounds like with a full install - wish we could hear a minimal install and then we could work our way back from there to find optimum if minimal is not optimal.

I bet even in SAFE MODE there is plenty of stuff you cannot delete or you think you have deleted it only to find it somewhere else.

I have found the SEARCH function in SERVER to be in cahoots with RESOURCE PROTECTION, too. You cannot rely on it to "find" all of the folders a file is residing.