Vista: Set CPU Priority for Process

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From the computer of: hack_vista (82 recipes)
Created: Feb 06, 2007     Updated: Feb 07, 2007

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Vista allows you to set the priority by which programs receive CPU cycles. This explains the manual way of telling vista which programs should receive the most and the least priority.

For day to day use, this is not very important. However, if you frequently have large, demanding programs running, it can be helpful to direct vista when to focus CPU cycles toward or away from the program.

For example, usually if you are rendering video, the rest of your system will be very slow as the rendering program is taking priority. However, you can push the priority of the rendering program lower which will speed up other programs trying to run during this time.

Change a CPU priority in vista:
1. Bring up the Task Manager. I right-click on the taskbar and select task manager from the context menu; however, here are other ways of opening the task manager in vista.
2. Right-click the Process you want to change
3. You may have to confirm the Perform Administrative Tasks
4. Right-click again the process you want to change
5. Select Change Priority
6. Select the Priority you wish with Realtime as the highest and Low as the lowest.

This setting will only last as long as the process is active. If you restart the application, then the process will return to the normal default state.