WinXP - How to change process priorities at run-time?

[Finkster]

My Duron 1200Mhz is starting to have trouble playing newer DivX and XviD movies, particulary when audio is AC3.
(should it have, by the way, with 1GB SDRAM & 32MB Geeforce2?)

However, the problems are much reduced when I change the player's priority from "normal" to "high" or "real time" in the WinXP process list. (right-click on a proces and select change priority).

The question: How can I set the priority of a process/program at run-time or permanently? (It's quite a bother to change it manually everytime I watch a movie...)

[Bootsy]

Try the start program. You have to run it from the command line or run on the start menu. "start /low notepad" will start notepad with the idle priority. For all the options open the command prompt and type "start /?" (without the quotation marks).

[Finkster]

I didn't know that command (shame on me)
Works perfectly, though. Thanks a bunch.

Let's up the stakes a bit: How do we get XP to launch the player with a "start /realtime" everytime we doubleclick on a .avi file?
(I presume some regDB entry can be altered to accomplish this, but I haven't been able to find the right one...)

[Soulhunter]

Maybe have a look here... (http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/ntcmds.mspx) ;)


Bye

[Doom9]

Let's up the stakes a bit: How do we get XP to launch the player with a "start /realtime" everytime we doubleclick on a .avi file?In Windows explorer: Tools - Folder Options- File Types, select AVI, press advanced, select the option you want to change, press Edit, and change the program path accordingly.

[Finkster]

been there, done that, no luck
-it won't accept the use of the start command in the program path, try it. (It only accepts the path itself and /whatevers belonging to the actual program being used)

Tried by batch file also, no luck

[port66]

best program to use is

http://www.majorgeeks.com/download429.html

doesnt have all of xp priority settings. but it still works. you needs need to put a shortcut in the startup folder.

[Finkster]

Now we're talking!
Seems to be working perfectly!

(too bad the old Duron finally popped yesterday :( )

ProcessSwitch does not set program priority at run-time, but continually scans the processes running. You can then permanently select priority for any program you like. (And it uses virtually no CPU-ressources and very little memory)

If anyone else has trouble with audio or video skipping when playing AC3-movies, try this out. Otherwise, look for the other possible causes (soundcard, connector, interleave, PSU, etc.)