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Optimizations for Video Editors - Windows Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 8

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Optimizations for Video Editors - Windows Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 8
How to configure your Windows Vista or Win 7 system for optimum performance of Media Composer, Symphony, and NewsCutter

Last Updated : October 4, 2013
Products Affected : Media_Composer, NewsCutter, Symphony

How should I configure my Windows Vista or Win 7 system to run with Media Composer, Symphony, or NewsCutter?

The following list contains suggestions for ensuring optimum performance when working with your Avid editing application on a Windows Vista or Windows 7 system:

  • It is required to turn off File Sharing.
If you do not do this, you might receive Access Denied errors after you move files.
  • In Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center > File Sharing, select Turn off File Sharing.
  • Disable CPU throttling.
    • In Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Power Options, select High Performance.
  • Do not enable the Windows Display setting “Show window contents while dragging.” This setting hinders redraw performance on your Avid editing system.
    • In Control Panel > Appearance and Personalization > Personalization > Window Color and Appearance > Effects, deselect Show window contents while dragging.
  • Enable setting to adjust for best performance.
    • In Control Panel > System and Maintenance > System > Advanced System Settings > Performance Settings, select Adjust for best performance.
  • Disable Desktop compositing.
    • In Control Panel > System and Maintenance > System > System Protection > Advanced tab > Performance Setting, deselect Enable desktop composition.
  • Disable Windows Defender.
    • In Control Panel > Security > Windows Defender > Tools > Options > Administrator Options, deselect Use Windows Defender > Save.
  • Disable Sidebar.
    • Right-click the Sidebar or Sidebar icon on your desktop > Properties > Deselect Start Sidebar when Windows starts > Right click icon and select Exit.
  • Disable Hibernation in the Power options.
    • In Control Panel > System and Maintenance > Power Options > Change when the computer sleeps > Put the computer to sleep, select Never.
  • Set automatic updates to Notify you but don’t automatically download.
    • In Control Panel > System and Maintenance > Windows Updates > Change settings, select “Notify me but don’t automatically download them or install them.”
  • Turn off the firewall for Avid Interplay.
    • In Control Panel > Security > Windows Firewall, select Turn Windows Firewall on or off.
  • Do not leave the Console window open when you edit. The performance of your Avid editing system slows considerably when the Console window is open.
  • Do not leave a Windows Explorer window open. Windows Explorer attempts to update file information.
  • Do not leave an e-mail application open if it is set to do periodic checks for mail.
  • Do not run any application that periodically “wakes up” and performs an action.
  • Disable screen savers.
  • Do not keep media on the same partition where you install your Avid editing application. Avid recommends external media drives.
  • Always use small fonts with the display driver to avoid missing characters in the dialog boxes in your Avid editing application.
  • After you move a drive from one system to another, restart your system. Windows does not recognize the drive until you restart.
  • Ensure you do not accidentally delete locked items from your desktop.
    • Right-click the Recycle Bin icon on your desktop > Properties > General tab > Display delete confirmation dialog.
  • When you advance by single frames through the Timeline, deselect Render On-the Fly to enable faster response time.
    • In your Avid editing application, deselect Clip > Render On-the-Fly
  • Do not name files with special characters (/ \ : ? ” < > | *). Windows does not recognize special characters in file names. Bin names are limited to 27 characters (not including the four characters reserved for the file name extension).
  • Do not schedule automatic backups at times when your Avid editing system might be in use.
  • Do not run any application that includes prescheduled or automatically scheduled activities, such as a calendar program.
  • Do not leave other applications running. Some applications, such as Microsoft Office, run background processes.
  • Do not allow the Find Fast background process (find.exe) to run. The process tries to update its cache of file and folder locations. Check your Startup folder, and delete the file if it is there. To locate the find.exe, select Start > Search > find.exe.
  • Windows 8: Turn off "Fast Startup" if you use Nitris DX or Mojo DX
    • Open Control Panel and select "Hardware and Sound"
    • Under Power Options, select "Change what the power buttons do"
    • Select "Change settings that are currently available"
    • Under Shutdown settings, de-select "Turn on fast startup (recommended)"
    • Click "Save Changes"
    •

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