Windows Optimization Guide
There are a couple of steps you should take into consideration in order to be sure your Windows machine is at optimal state of operation.
- Update graphics card driver
In many cases, outdated graphics drivers will not effectively utilize the software, thus causing strain on the computer's processor. Therefore, for optimal performance, it is required that graphics drivers are kept up to date.
If you are not sure from which brand and model is your graphics controller, do the following:
1. Click on the Windows Start button to bring up the Start Menu.
2. Type Device Manager and press enter.
3. Click the triangle next to Display Adaptors. Your graphics card model will appear directly below.
4. Double-click this item to view its properties.
5. In the General tab, make a note of the model (shown at the top of the window), and the manufacturer.
6. Select the Driver tab. Make a note of the driver version and date.
7. To find the latest driver for your Graphics Controller, go to the appropriate manufacturer's website, and locate the appropriate driver for your graphics controller.
- Update your Network Adaptor Driver
The quality of network adaptor drivers may severely affect system performance. Outdated drivers may cause the controllers to consume vital processing resources unnecessarily. It is therefore recommended to keep these drivers up to date at all times.
To do so:
1. Click on the Windows Start button to bring up the Start Menu.
2. Type Device Manager and press enter.
3. Click the triangle next to Network Adaptors.
Network adaptors come from a variety of manufacturers. In many cases, they are built into the computer's motherboard but sometimes are installed as optional PCI or PCIe cards in the computer's chassis.
4. Locate and install the most current drivers for your network adaptors by going to the adaptor manufacturer's website.
There will often be more than one network adaptor listed in the device manager. Try and update all network adaptor drivers to the latest versions.
- Disable Turbo Boost and C-State Transition (BIOS)
These settings are not available on all computers, but it is very important to disable them if possible. Turbo Boost and C-State Transition affect the way the clock speed of the processor is managed. When either of these is enabled, the processor will dynamically change speeds depending on computing activity. This throttling may cause errors in your software in general. You will need to access your computer's BIOS setup to change these settings.
Consult your computer or motherboard manufacturer to determine if either of these settings is available on your system, and learn how to disable them if so. Also, consult with the developers before performing this in order to be sure no malfunction is possible.
- Adjust Power Options
This optimisation prevents the computer from going into Sleep Mode, which is not supported and in general can cause playback issues with audio interfaces. This will also prevent the hard drives from going to sleep, and disables USB Selective Suspend, which can cause pops and clicks during record and playback with USB interfaces when enabled.
1. Open the Start menu, type Control Panel, and press Enter.
2. In Large icons View, click on Power Options.
3. Select the High-Performance power plan. Click on the Change plan settings link.
4. Set the display's sleep time to Never.
5. Set the computer's sleep time to Never.
6. Click on the Change advanced power settings link.
7. Click on the + sign next to Hard Disk. Click on the + sign next to Turn Off Hard Disk After. Click in the value box; the text entry field will now be accessible. In the text entry field, type Never.
8. Click on the + sign next to USB settings. Click on the + sign next to USB selective suspend setting. Double-click where it says Enabled and click on Disabled.
9. Click on the + sign next to Processor power management. Click on the + sign next to Minimum processor state. Type 100 in the Setting (%) text entry field.
10. Click Apply then OK.
11. Click Save Changes and close the Power Options window.
- Run the software as an Administrator
1. Right-click on the Application icon on your desktop and choose Properties.
2. Click on the Compatibility tab.
3. Check the box that says Run this program as an administrator.
4. Click Apply and then OK.
Optional / Supplemental steps:
- Disable USB Power Management (USB interfaces only)
This optimisation frees up bandwidth on the USB bus and can help resolve problems with device recognition and driver installation.
1. Click on the Windows Start button to bring up the Start Menu.
2. Type Device Manager and press enter.
3. In the Device Manager window, double-click on Universal Serial Bus Controllers
4. Double-click on the first USB Root Hub item.
5. Click on the Power Management tab. Uncheck the box that says Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power and click OK.
6. Repeat this process for all other USB Root Hub items.
- Hard Disk Optimisations
This optimisation allows your hard drives to work more efficiently when recording and playing back audio files.
1. Open the Start menu and click on File Explorer.
2. Click This PC in the left column.
3. Right-click on the first drive you intend to use for audio storage.
4. Choose Properties.
5. If checked, uncheck Compress this drive to save disk space.
6. If checked, uncheck Allow files on this drive to have contents indexed.
7. Click Apply and then OK.
8. Repeat the process for each of your audio drives.
- Install Latest Device Drivers
To ensure maximum compatibility with Pro Tools, it is important to install the latest drivers available for your audio interface.
- Adjust Processor Scheduling
This optimization allows the computer to run software more efficiently.
1. Click on the Start Menu, type System, and press Enter.
2. Choose Advanced System Settings.
3. Under the Performance section, click the Settings button.
4. In the Performance Options window, under Visual Effects tab select "Adjust for best performance"
5. Then click the Advanced tab.
6. Under the Processor Scheduling section, select the Background Services option.
7. Hit Apply and then OK to close the Performance Options window.
8. Click OK to close the System Properties window.
9. Restart the computer for the changes to take effect.
- User Account Control can cause issues with volume read/write permissions. To turn it off, follow these steps:
1. Open Control Panel
2. Click User Accounts
3. Click Change User Account Control Settings
4. Set to "Never Notify"
5. Click OK
6. Restart your computer
- Miscellaneous Optimizations
The following is a list of recommendations to get better performance out of your system. Avoid connecting audio interfaces to USB hubs. You will experience an overall better experience when you plug directly into your computer.
1. Make sure all unnecessary programs are closed. They can tie up useful resources.
2. Turn off any software utilities that run in the background, such as Windows Messenger, calendars, and disk maintenance programs.
3. Disconnect any unused USB devices from your computer.
NOTE: Antelope Audio does not take any responsibility for changes in your system based on this general optimisation guide.