FAQ Mach3

http://warp9td.com/index.php/faq/faq-mach3

Where do I learn more about Mach3 itself?

Game Pad and/or Pendent Issues
Jogging Issue: It keeps jogging and doesn't want to stop
In Motor Tuning (and Setup), what does the 'Step Pulse' and 'Direction Pulse' field do?
In Port Setup and Axis Selection, what does the 'Kernel Speed' do?
In the ESS Config, how do I change the direction for Pins 2 through 9 on ports 2 and 3?
In the ESS Config, what does the 'Controller Frequency' do?
In the ESS Config, what does the 'Max Step Frequency' do?
What is the difference between Step Frequency and Pulse Width?
How do I set up the Spindle?
How do I set up debounced input signals?
How do I set up homing?
How do I set up Soft Limits?
Reading an encoder with an index pulse.
Backlash Compensation
Feed Hold
What is Spindle PWM Proportional to X-Y Feed Rate?
What is X-Y PWM Velocity Output?
DROs
My ESS has Watchdog or Ran Out of Data Messages in Mach3.
How do I optimize my PC?

Where do I learn more about Mach3 itself?

The best place is on the Mach Support website itself!
 They have a Product Manuals page that has these very useful manuals (Make sure to click on the Mach3 tab near
the top):
o Mach3 Installation and Configuration Guide
o Usage Guide for Mach3 Mill/Plasma
o Usage Guide for Mach3 Turn
o Rich's Guide to Mach3 Threading
o Tangential with Mach3
o Mach3 CV Notes
o Mach3 Macro Programmers Reference
o Mach3 VBScript Command Reference
o And more!
They have a Videos & Tutorials page, with lots of videos.
And they have a support forum too.

Game Pad and/or Pendent Issues

The biggest issue with the Pendent or Game Pad is not working, is caused by not using the recommended version
of Mach3.

If you jog, and the axis continues to move after you release the control, it is because Mach 3 is set to continuous
mode. When in incremental jog mode, you can hold down the Shift key on the keyboard, and then press the jog key,
and it will jog continuously. Your game pad might be emulating the press of the shift key or continuous mode may
have been left on.

Solutions:

Remember to press and hold the Shift key, and then hold the jog key. When you are where you want to be
release the jog key first, andthen release the Shift key. (Thank you Jeff Birt!) If you release the Shift key before
you release the jog key, it will keep running until you either repeat the process and release the Shift key last or
you press the Reset or an E-Stop button!
In Mach3 press the Tab key and look to see if the Cont. button is yellow for Jog Mode in the MPG controller
window. Press Shift to disengage it if it is stuck on with Step Mode.
Jogging Issue: It keeps jogging and doesn't want to stop
If you jog, and the axis continues to move after you release the control, it is because Mach 3 is set to continuous
mode. When in incremental jog mode, you can hold down the Shift key on the keyboard, and then press the jog key,
and it will jog continuously.

Solutions:

Remember to press and hold the Shift key, and then hold the jog key. When you are where you want to be
release the jog key first, andthen release the Shift key. (Thank you Jeff Birt!) If you release the Shift key before
you release the jog key, it will keep running until you either repeat the process and release the Shift key last or
you press the Reset or an E-Stop button!
In Mach3 press the Tab key to see the MPG Mode window. Look to see if the Cont. button is yellow for Jog
Mode. If it is your Game Pad or pendant is activating it.
In Motor Tuning (and Setup), what does the 'Step Pulse' and 'Direction Pulse' field
do?
Mach3's Menu -> Config -> Motor Tuning (and Setup).

The Step Pulse and Direction Pulse fields are used for a Parallel Port connection from your computer to your
hardware. Since you are using an external motion controller, a SmoothStepper, they are unused and may be ignored.

The Steps per Unit, Velocity (Units per Minute) and Acceleration fields are critical for tuning your motors. The Steps
per Unit is determined by your hardware for each axis. The velocity is the maximum speed you want your axis to
move. The acceleration is the maximum acceleration rate your motors should run at (to prevent stalling or missed
steps). This needs to be done for each of your axes.

In Port Setup and Axis Selection, what does the 'Kernel Speed' do?
Mach3's Menu -> Config -> Ports & Pins -> Port Setup and Axis Selection.

This Kernel Speed field controls the timing setting for a Parallel Port connection from your computer to your
hardware. Since you are using an external motion controller, a SmoothStepper, this can be ignored for the most
part. Some older versions of Mach3 had internal timing issues at speeds other than 25 kHz. So it is best to just leave
it at 25 kHz all the time when connected to a SmoothStepper.

The Port #1 and Port #2 fields are also only for Parallel Port connections, and you should ignore them when using the
SmoothStepper.

In the ESS Config, how do I change the direction for Pins 2 through 9 on ports 2
and 3??
Mach3's Menu -> Plugin Control -> ESS-v***** Config
On Port 2 and on Port 3, Pins 2 though 9 may be assigned as group to be inputs or outputs.

In ESS Config, what does the 'Controller Frequency' Frequency' do?

Mach3's Menu -> Plugin Control -> ESS-v***** Config
The ESS has a fixed amount of memory, and the controller frequency is a setting for how many motion positions per
second there are, or how many times each second the velocity is sent from Mach 3 to the ESS. Having it output data
faster means that if can buffer less data. If your system is running out of data, try slowing this down to a slower
frequency so the SmoothStepper can go for longer periods of times between updates from the PC/Mach3.
 4 kHz gives a buffer of 250 ms or 1/4 second: This provides a faster response to commands like feed hold, since
it uses only a quarter second buffer. This also becomes more necessary when you have very high step
frequencies, like you would if you use servos with a high encoder count. However, your PC needs to be able to
supply the data transmissions to the SmoothStepper fast enough (newer PCs that are not low end, and that are
running properly, can handle this). While this provides for a snappier response, it will not be reliable for all
machines and you may experience run out of data errors.
2 kHz gives a buffer of 500 ms or 1/2 seconds.
1 kHz gives a buffer of 1000 ms or 1 seconds: This is the default value most machines should use, and
works well for most users.
500 Hz gives a buffer of 2000 ms or 2 seconds.
250 Hz gives a buffer of 4000 ms or 4 seconds: Slow PCs can run this speed, and with a 4 second data buffer, it
will make it hard for them to run out of data. This setting will have the slowest change in velocities out of all the
settings, but should still work just fine for most applications.

Most systems run well at 1 kHz for the Controller Frequency and that is what we recommend you set your system up
with. Once you have it running well you can try 2 kHz if you want a little less delay when using FRO or Feed Hold. At
2 kHz you will have twice as many points per second, but with the same amount of memory the buffer will be half as
long in seconds. At 4 kHz the buffer is so short that you could run out of data in the middle of a move. Windows isn't
all that reliable (at ensuring it gives Mach3 highest priority and the Network channel the data flows over), and as a
result the plugin doesn't always communicate on a timely basis (causing "Ran out of Data" messages).

In ESS Config, what does the 'Max Step Frequency' do?

Mach3's Menu -> Plugin Control -> ESS-v***** Config
The Max Step Frequency allows you to control the frequency of the generated pulses for a particular axis. The next
image shows you how to calculate the MINIMUM Steps per Second for your particular axis (we recommend derating it
by 15% as shown in our table). Your axis willfunction properly if you set the Max Step Frequency to our
recommended value.

If you use a Max Step Frequency below the minimum value recommended for your axis, it will cause that axis to not
operate correctly.
Once you have your system up and running, and you are tweaking your hardware to optimize it you may choose
higher Max Step Frequencies. They may result in smoother cuts, but it will depend on your particular hardware. As
the Max Step Frequency increases, at some point it will reduces the step pulse resolution for that axis and may cause
poorer cut quality and undesired movement quality for that axis. So use the recommended values to start with.

When your Max Step Frequency should be set at 32 kHz or 64 kHz, but are instead set to 1 MHz or 2 MHz, a few
things may happen:

1. Everything may work just fine, especially if you are using good motor drivers. Once you have things working at
the calculated Step Frequency, feel free to try and set it higher. Sometimes performance may become
smoother.
2. You may not notice any difference in performance.
3. Things may perform poorly. This scenario becomes more likely with poorer quality motor drivers. In this case,
you will want to use the calculated Max Step Frequency. The symptoms you will notice when using too high of a
Max Step frequency include:
Jerky movement of the steppers or axes
Hearing the steppers change sound between each line of G-Code
Pauses between lines of G-Code (this one is arguable that it may be a symptom of other problems, but has been
observed here a couple of times)

You will find your Steps/Unit and Units/Minute values in the Motor Tuning page: Menu -> Config -> Motor Tuning.

To calculate the Max Step Frequency setting for yourself, you can download the Excel spreadsheet.
Here is a good article on how to calculate your Steps/Unit based on Degrees/Step of your motor, Micro Stepping, Gear
Reduction, and lead screw. It was created and posted by RICH.

What is the difference between Step Frequency and Pulse Width?

Step frequency is not the same same thing as pulse width; lets use some easy numbers for math:

You have a 1 kHz pulse frequency, which means you have 1000 pulse occurring per second, or one every ms
If the pulse had a 50% duty cycle (on half the time off half the time) it would be on for 0.5ms or 500 us for its pulse
width.
 If the pulse had a 1% duty cycle, it would have a pulse with of 10 us and then be off for 990 us.
If the pulse had a 90% duty cycle, it would have a pulse with of 900 us and then be off for 100us.

Step frequency is how often the pulses are being generated. Pulse Width is how long each pulse is on before it turns
off to await for the next pulse to be generated.

How do I set up the Spindle?

First go to Mach3's Menu -> Config -> Ports & Pins -> Motor Outputs tab. For the Spindle row:

Place a green check for Enabled.

o If you are using PWM mode for your spindle assign the Step Pin and Step Port to match your wiring.
o If you are using Step and Dir mode for your spindle assign the Step Pin and Step Port and then the Dir pin and
the Dir port to match your wiring.
Next go to Mach3's Menu -> Config -> Ports & Pins -> Spindle Setup.

Check 'Use Spindle Motor Output'

Setup the 'Relay Control' region if you are using an output to trigger a relay.
The other settings are for a Parallel Port not a SmoothStepper.

Now go to Mach3's Menu -> Plugin Control -> ESS-v***** Config.

For a PWM Spindle

o Check the box for PWM
o Set the Base Hz
For a Step and Direction Spindle
o Check the box for Step and Dir
o Choose a Pulse Width, for this example I will use 4 us.
o Set the 'Max Step Frequency'
Now go to Mach3's Menu -> Config -> Motor Tuning. Under Axis Selection, click on Spindle.

For a PWM Spindle

o Set 'Steps Per Unit' to 1000 (This field shouldn't matter for PWM, we just need a reasonable value in here).
o Set 'Velocity' to 60.
o Set Acceleration to a value greater than '1' that gives the response you desire (depending on your system,
perhaps 200).
For a Step and Direction Spindle
o Set 'Steps Per Unit' to the Max Step Frequency which is what we will assigned in the SmoothStepper Config in
the previous step. The max frequency will give you your max spindle speed.
o Set 'Velocity' to 60.
o Set Acceleration to a value greater than '1' that gives the response you desire (depending on your system,
perhaps 200).

Click on 'SAVE AXIS SETTINGS'.

Finally go to Mach3's Menu -> Config -> Spindle Pulleys

Choose a pulley
Choose a Min and Max RPM that matches your external converter hardware.
Please see the explanation after the image to determine your Min Speed. Typically it will be a value of 0.
Leave the Ratio field at 1
Mach takes a spindle speed and uses that to create a ratio value (between the Min and Max speed).

The following documentation explains how the ratio value works with PWM. Step and Dir mode operates under the
same basic principle as PWM, but needs a video or pictures to properly explain it.

Assume you have an external controller that is set to a min of 12,000 RPM and a max of 24,000 RPM. Mach would
then use the ratio value to produce a 0% PWM for the min speed of 12,000 RPM, and produce a 100% PWM for the
max speed of 24,000 RPM.

Now we need make sure Machs expectations match the external hardwares expectations. If the hardware is
expecting a 0% PWM to mean 12,000 RPM, then you are set!

However, if your external hardware interprets that 0% PWM means a speed of 0 RPM, then you will be off. Mach
thinks it is commanding 12,000 RPM and the hardware is creating 0 RPM. That means you should set the Min Speed
to 0 RPM. When Mach is told generate 12,000 RPM, Mach would create a 50% PWM signal in order for the hardware
to create 12,000 RPM.

This explanation assumes open loop mode. Once we implement closed loop mode, then it wont matter, since Mach
wont command a value less than the minimum, and the closed loop means we would adjust the PWM to meet the
commanded RPM.

How do I set up debounced input signals?

Go to Mach3's Menu -> Plugin Control -> ESS-v***** Config.

Enter values in microseconds (us) that a signal has to be stable for before it has been considered changed. This is
very useful in situations where there is a lot of noise that can corrupt signals (like a plasma system), especially for
things like limit or home switches, probe signals, EStop, etc...
How do I set up homing?
For homing of master/slave axes, make sure the motor tuning values are the same for both master and slave. Make
sure you have a home switch defined for each motor if you want to home them independently. There is an option in
General config that says "Home slave with the master". Make sure that is not checked if you want it to home them as a
pair with two switches. Don't try to be fancy and use a script that has "while moving" statements. Just home each
master axis. Mach3 won't move to the next axis until the current one is finished. There is no need to specify the slave.

How do I set up Soft Limits?

Soft limits are limits you set on axis travel inside the Mach3 software. They rely upon the current value of the DROs
(in Machine Coordinates) to determine whether the G-Code or Jogging commands should be allowed.

To configure Soft Limits, go to Mach3's Menu -> Config -> Homing/Limits.

All values will be in the same units the rest of your system is set with (mm or inches). Make sure that a slaved axis the
same settings as the master axis it is paired with.

Reversed should be checked if your axis is reversed.

Set the Soft Max and Soft Min position for each of your axes.
Slow Zone is small zone just before your Soft Limit (max or min), where the jogging command will slow down, so
you can approach your limit without blowing past it.
Home Offset is self explanatory.
Home Negative is self explanatory.
Auto Zero is normally checked.
Speed is normally set to 20% but you can modify it if needed.
As you are approaching the limits, the jogging commands will slow you down and keep you just short of the limit.

A GCode command will stop at the limit and issue a "Soft Limit Exceeded" message from Mach3.

For instance a command of "F200 G1 Y500" (entered in the MDI window's Input line) will stop at 401 with the settings
shown above. Why? Well the F2000 is the feed rate command saying to move with a velocity of 2000 mm/s. The G1
command says to do a linear move to Y500 which would mean position 500 mm on the Y axis. Your DROs (and
machine) should start to move. You would think it would stop at 405 mm since that is the Y axis soft limit, but instead
it stops at 401 mm, why? Well, that is because I left off the fact that the A axis is slaved to the Y axis :-) When 2 axes
are slaved together, Mach3 will limit you to the smallest limit of those two axes.

In order for Soft Limits to work, you must also have the Soft Limits button checked on the (Program) main screen of
Mach3 (it will have a green border when active).
Reading an encoder index pulse
The index pulse is very narrow. For the signal to show up in Mach on the diagnostic page, you would need to position
the shaft precisely on the index. The SmoothStepper has no problems catching very narrow pulses.

Assign the pins for the encoders in Mach's Ports and Pins on the Encoder MPG's tab. On the ESS's Data Monitoring
dialog, you can observe the encoder values on the left hand side, but there isn't a correlation between the encoder
number and the Encoder numbers in Mach3 (In Mach4 there will be an encoder very each motor, plus 3 auxiliary
encoders that can be used for MPGs or anything else). Below the encoders you will see a box for the Spindle
Timer. If the index is connected to the Index input on Mach's Ports and Pins, every time the index pulse is asserted
you should see the timer latched with a value. I believe the units are 29.74358974 ns. 500 RPM = 8.33333
RPS. 1/8.33333 = 0.12 seconds between index pulses. Therefore it should count to 4034483 each time.

The pulse needs to be clean. If you test it out with a mechanical switch, you will probably get some small numbers
due to it triggering on lots of quick bounces. But an encoder's index pulse should be clean, especially when driven by
a motor. You should see the RPM on the 1024.set screen set.

Backlash Compensation

Homing is required for backlash comp because the action of homing takes up the backlash, and then the plugin knows
which side of the backlash it is on. The last step of homing is to move off of the switch. In doing so, the machine's
backlash is removed before the machine will start moving again. The plugin knows which direction it was moving
when the switch opened up, so it can initialize the backlash comp variables at that time.

Backlash is not cumulative. Let's say you started out on the opposite side of the backlash, the DRO reads 0.000, and
the backlash amount is 0.002. If you move +0.010, the machine will only move to 0.008, but the DRO will read
0.010. If your next move is -0.010, the machine will move back to 0.000 (and the DRO will read 0.000), even though it
started out at 0.008.

For critical moves such as drilling a pattern of holes that need to be the right distance from each other, I would
approach each hole from the same direction before drilling it. Moving back and forth is when you need backlash
comp.

Backlash compensation is not a silver bullet. When milling, your tool can tug at the workpiece and move the
table. When that happens, the plugin is unaware and cannot compensate for it! Backlash can accumulate if the tool
only tugs on the workpiece in one direction. This makes it possible for backlash comp to actually produce inferior
results compared to no backlash comp at all. This is also why people often say that you need to fix the machine
(eliminate the backlash from a hardware standpoint), not compensate for the backlash.
When you have backlash and you want to compensate for it, it is better if your lead screws have more friction. Ball
screws would be more likely to allow the table to move when the tool tugs on the workpiece. You should also look into
adding some anti-backlash nuts to remove the backlash mechanically https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=anti-
backlash+nut

With this being said, to use a software approach for Backlash Compensation, go to Mach's menu -> Config ->
Backlash. In the Backlash Values window enter in the amount of compensation each axis requires. Keep in mind, that
the value may be positive or negative, and it may not exactly match up with the value you measure (it may need to be
larger or smaller than the measured value). It will take some tweaking to achieve the desired results.

Common values would be in the .033mm (or .0013"), but would vary significantly and be totally hardware dependent.

Common Backlash Compensation issues we have seen are:

Forgetting to home after the machine is powered up or after the EStop is pressed or after limits are triggered (I
might be mistaken on the last one).
Relying on the DROs only. If you need precision, you need a Dial Test Indicator (DTI) on the machine so you
actually measure how far you are off (if there is backlash you will be off).
Using a negative backlash compensation value when it should be positive or vice versa.
Having your velocity and acceleration set to high for the axis, and missing steps as a result.
Feed Hold
There are two modes for feed hold. One is where the ESS does it in the device, and the other is where Mach does it.
If you use the feed hold that is performed by the ESS, then there is data in the buffer when you press Stop. However,
in the case of Mach doing the feed hold, the data should be cleared out one it has stopped moving.

The control for this option is on the ESS's config.

The advantage of doing it in the ESS is that feed hold is nearly instantaneous, but the disadvantage is that you really
can't stop, move around, and go back to where it was and resume the G-Code. But if you press Stop, then it should
clear out the buffers and either feed hold should work OK.
The ESS plugin source code clears all movement data in the ESS when Mach issues the myNotify(EX_STOP) (or
EX_ESTOP or a -1) command.

If you use the ESS Feed Hold, all motion will be frozen. You can't jog or anything. But you can resume right from there.
However, if you press Stop at this point, all data will be lost.

If you are using Mach's Feed Hold, Mach will decelerate to a stop at an acceptable way point, in Mach's trajectory
planning, and then stop sending data to the ESS. The ESS will then consume all of the data in its buffer. You can then
jog around or whatever, and Mach will know how to get back to that way point. If you press resume, Mach will
generate a start up trajectory from its ending way point (it will move back to there if you jogged).

What is Spindle PWM Proportional to X-Y Feed Rate?

So this was added to support lasers in Mach3. The faster the X and/or Y axis velocity is, the higher the laser output
needs to be in order to maintain a uniform cut. Here is the Excel file that will allow you to create the Mapping function
file name.

It only outputs PWM in this mode, with 8 bits of resolution. Details on how to use it in Constant, Linear or Logarithmic
mode are given on the first page of the spreadsheet. The PWM signal is automatically output on the pin that you set
for your Spindle PWM output (Spindle Step) in Menu->Config->Ports and Pins->Motor Outputs.

This could work with milling, but the issue becomes that if you move too slow, the spindle
RPM could become insufficient.
DROs

DROs are a direct reflection of the step pulses generated by the ESS, and sent to Mach from
the ESS. There are counters in the FPGA that count the step pulses, and this is the data sent
back for populating the DROs.

If you don't have backlash compensation, the DROs will be exactly what the ESS has
generated. If you are using Backlash compensation then the DROs will not be updated due to
the extra moves to pick up the backlash.

EM issues will not corrupt the data of the DROs.

DROs can loose sync with the mechanical head under the following conditions:
Mechanical Backlash (Fixing the hardware is the best solution!)
Incorrectly configured Software Backlash Compensation settings
Pressing the physical EStop button while motion is in progress
Pressing the Mach software Stop button while motion is in progress
Improperly tuned acceleration or velocity settings that cause slippage on an axis
Power was removed from the motor drivers, allowing the axes to drift or move
If the DROs are not in sync with the mechanical head, you will need to Home the system to
get back in sync.

What is X-Y PWM Velocity Output?

This is used with THC (Torch Height Control)
My ESS has Watchdog or Ran Out of Data Messages in Mach3.
If you are getting Watchdog messages, that means that your PC was not able to communicate with your ESS in the
required amount of time. Go to Mach3's Menu -> Plugin Control -> ESS-v***** Config. If your Watchdog value is less
than 2.0 seconds, we would strongly recommend increasing it to at least 2.0. If it is already at 2.0, you can make it
longer, but it is indicative that you have other problems.
The first thing to do is make sure that your Controller Frequency is set to a reasonable value, and that would typically
be 1 kHz but possibly 2 kHz or 500 Hz.

When trying to solve Watchdog messages, it is common to change your settings to a point where you start getting
"Ran out of Data" messages too. At this point. if you are getting "Ran out of Data" messages, that means your ESS is
using up data faster than the PC is sending it to it.
The next step would be to adjust the Look Ahead value. Go to Mach3's Menu -> Config -> General Config... The
Look Ahead value is normally 20 lines of code. Try increasing this to 100 or 200 lines of code.

If you are still running out of data, we need to address PC issues: please go to the section on How do I optimize my
PC?
How do I optimize my PC?
If you are getting any Watchdog or Ran Out of Data Messages in Mach3, please follow this
section first.
If you are having issues where you are loosing communications with your SmoothStepper,
your PC may be causing the issue. These steps have resolved slow/overburdened PC issues
for many SmoothStepper users, and have helped to prevent the creation of scrap:
1. Make sure your GCode that you are running, is on your PC's hard drive. It should not be ran from a network
location, USB flash drive, external hard drive, or CD/DVD. These other data sources can have significant lag
times or go to sleep, which can cause a job to fail!
2. Make sure your computer is disconnected from the internet (it prevents programs from updating).
3. Don't surf the net while running Mach3.
4. Don't play music or videos while running Mach3.
5. Don't switch screens in Mach3 while running a job (this can sometimes cause enough lag to drop the
connection).
6. Make sure you are not running other applications that can hog processor or hard drive time when running
Mach3.
7. Make sure that you have restarted your PC recently (if it has been a few days, it is probably time to restart).
8. Make sure your computer is not trying to do a Windows Update (Set it to notify you when an update is available
for download).
9. Make sure your PC is not trying to automatically defrag your hard drives.
10. Make sure your PC is not trying to automatically scan for viruses.
11. Make sure your network adapter is not allowed to go to sleep.
12. Make sure your hard drives are not allowed to go to sleep.
13. Make sure your PC is not allowed to go to sleep.
14. Make sure your monitors are not allowed to go to sleep.
15. In Menu -> Config -> General Config -> Lower Right Hand Corner (and then to the left one column) is Screen
Control. Make sure that Hi-Res Screens are NOT checked.

Now here are some actions you should take:

1. Run your PC's Disk cleanup utility. It can sometimes remove GBs of useless information from your hard drive.
2. CCleaner is a free for personal use utility which will clean out temporary files and folders and also clean up your
registry (help with startup time (a bit).
3. Defrag your hard drive(s) if you have not done that recently.
4. Uninstall the Apple and Adobe update utilities, if they exist. They can peg out your processor long enough to
disrupt the ESS.
5. RAM:
*For Windows 7 and newer: If you have 4GB of RAM or less, it would probably help significantly to get that up to 6 or
8 GB of RAM.

*For Windows XP: If you have 2GB of RAM or less, it would help significantly to get that up to 2 or 3 GB GB of
RAM. (With XP 32 bit, you can't use more than about 3.5 GB of RAM no matter how much you have installed.)

1. If your hard drive is almost full, adding in another hard drive for data, or upgrading it to a SSD drive may
help. Regular rotating hard drives work just fine (as long as they are not full). However, the SSD makes boot
times and load times so much faster, that I only run SSDs on my computers now (Andy).
2. Go into power options and make sure the processor is set to stay at 100%. A few PCs even have an additional
'Intel SpeedStep' setting in BIOS.

Finally, here is an XP optimization guide.

Windows XP Professional System Optimization Guide:

0. Install Windows in Standard PC Mode

1. When you see the installation tell you to press F6 (Third Party
SCSI or RAID Drivers) press F5 instead.
2. You will see Press F2 for Automated System Recovery, (DONT press
F2).
3. Right after that you will see a list.
4. Press the UP arrow key to highlight Standard PC.

When installing, make SURE you install all of the most recent drivers
for your
Hardware. This is vital!

1. Disable Visual Effects

1. Right-click on your desktop, and then click Properties.

2. Click the Appearance tab.
3. On the Windows and Buttons menu, select Windows Classic.
4. Press Effect button.
5. Deselect all options (maybe leave ClearType on)
6. Hit OK

2. Set Processor Scheduling for Background Services

1. Right Click My Computer and select Properties

2. Click Advanced tab.
3. For "Processor Scheduling" set for Background Services
4. Click OK.

3. Optimize Virtual Memory Swap File

1. Right Click My Computer and select Properties

2. Click Advanced tab.
3. Press Change for Memory Useage / Virtual Memory
4. Depending on how much RAM you actually have is what you are going
to enter here: If you have 256MB RAM set this to 512 for Min and Max
If you have 512MB RAM set this to 768 for Min and Max If you have
1024MB RAM set this to 1536 for Min and Max
5. Once entered hit SET
6. Hit OK
7. and then Hit OK Again.

4. Disable System Restore

1. Right Click My Computer and select Properties

2. Click System Restore tab.
3. Click "Turn off System Restore on all Drives"
4. Click OK.

5. Disable Error Reporting

1. Right Click My Computer and select Properties

2. Click Advanced tab.
3. Click Error Reporting button at bottom.
4. Click "Disable Error Reporting"
5. Click OK.

6. Disable Automatic Updates

1. Right Click My Computer and select Properties

2. Click Automatic Updates tab.
3. Uncheck Keep my computer updated..
4. Click OK.

7. Disable Remote Assistance

1. Right Click My Computer and select Properties

2. Click Remote tab.
3. Uncheck "Allow Remote Assistance Invitations.".
4. Click OK.

8. Disable Remote Desktop

1. Right Click My Computer and select Properties

2. Click Remote tab.
3. Uncheck "Allow users to connect remotely to this computer"
4. Click OK.

9. Set Computer to Standard PC NOT ACPI PC

NOTE: This is only necessary if you wish to remove ACPI AFTER install.
If you followed step 0, you don't need to do this.

1. Right Click My Computer and select Properties

2. Click Hardware tab.
3. Click Device Manager Button in the middle.
4. Double click "Computer".
5. Right click on Standard ACPI PC and choose Update Driver.
6. Choose "Install the software from a Specific Location (Advanced)"
7. Click Next.
8. Choose "Don't search. I will choose driver to install."
9. Click Next.
10. Choose "Standard PC" from the listing.
11. Click Next.
12. Click OK.

10. Enable DMA on all Disk Controllers

1. Right Click My Computer and select Properties

2. Click Hardware tab.
3. Click Device Manager Button in the middle.
4. Double click "IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers"
5. Right click on Primary IDE Channel and choose Properties.
6. Click Advanced Settings tab.
7. Choose for Transfer Mode: DMA if Available.
8. Click OK.
9. Right click on Secondary IDE Channel and choose Properties.
10. Click Advanced Settings tab.
11. Choose for Transfer Mode: DMA if Available.
12. Click OK.

11. Disable Startup Items in Registry

1. Click Start button.

2. Click Run.
3. Type MSCONFIG and press [ENTER].
4. Click Startup tab.
5. Uncheck anything you think you don't need.
6. Click OK.
7. Exit MSCONFIG.

12. Disable Startup Program Group Items in Start Menu

1. Right click Start button and choose Open.

2. Double click Programs.
3. Double click Startup.
4. Delete anything you think you don't need.
5. Close window.

13. Optimize System Services

1. Click Start Button.

2. Click Run.
3. Type SERVICES.MSC and press [ENTER].
4. Set your services to these:

Alerter Automatic
DHCP Client Automatic

DNS Client Automatic

Event Log Automatic

IMAPI CD-Burning Automatic

ICF/ICS Automatic

Logical Disk Manager Automatic

Plug and Play Automatic

Print Spooler Automatic

Remote Access Auto Connection Manager Automatic

Remote Procedure Call Automatic

Routing and Remote Access Automatic

Secondary Logon Automatic

Security Accounts Manager Automatic

Server Automatic

Shell Hardware Detection Automatic

System Event Notification Automatic

TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper Automatic

Telephony Automatic

Upload Manager Automatic

Windows Audio Automatic

Windows Image Acquisition Automatic

Windows Management Instrumentation Automatic

Windows Time Automatic

Wireless Zero Configuration Automatic

Workstation Automatic

Human Interface Device Access Automatic

Application Layer Gateway Service Manual

COM+ Event System Manual

Cryptographic Services Manual

Network Connections Manual

Remote Access Connection Manager Manual

SSDP Discovery Service Manual

Universal Plug and Play Device Host Manual

ALL OTHERS Disabled

5. Click OK.

14. Optimize in Registry

1. Click Start button.

2. Click Run.
3. Type NOTEPAD and press [ENTER].
4. Copy the below lines to the clipboard.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControLSet\Control\Class\{4D36E96A-
E325-11
CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}\0000]

"EnableUDMA66"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Filesystem]

"NtfsDisable8dot3NameCreation"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentContolSet\Control\Filesystem]

"NtfsDisableLastAccessUpdate"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem]

"NtfsMftZoneReservation"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer
]

"AlwaysUnloadDLL"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\PriorityControl]

"Irq8priority"=dword:00000001
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem\CDFS]

"CacheSize"=hex:ff,ff,00,00

"Prefetch"=dword:00004000

"PrefetchTail"=dword:00004000

5. Paste into notepad.

6. Save file as Optimize Registry Settings.reg
7. Close notepad.
8. Double click Optimize Registry Settings.reg
9. Answer Yes/Ok when prompted to merge registry.

15. Add below to SYSTEM.INI:

1. Click the Start Button.

2. Click Run.
3. Type SYSTEM.INI and press [ENTER].
4. Find the section with [386 enh] and add this:

[386 enh]
Conservativeswapfileusage=1

5. Add this section at the top under [386 enh]

[vcache]
Minfilecache=16384
Maxfilecache=16384

16. Set Windows Theme to CLASSIC

1. Right-click on your desktop, and then click Properties.

2. Click on Themes tab
3. Set Themes to Windows Classic
4. Hit OK

17. Disable Indexing on all NTFS drives

1. Double click My Computer.

2. Right click on hard drive and choose Properties.
3. On bottom, uncheck "Allow Indexing Service to index this file for
faster searching". 4. Hit OK.

18. Run diskperf -n

1. Click the Start Button.

2. Click Run.
3. Type DISKPERF -N and press [ENTER].
19. Disable Autoplay on all CD-ROM Drives

1. Double click My Computer.

2. Right click CD-ROM drive and choose Properties.
3. Click AutoPlay tab.
4. For rest of steps you need to go through each one of the types:
Music Files, Pictures, Video Files, Mixed Content, Music CD, and Blank
CD these steps:

A. Choose Select an action to perform (at top).

B. Choose "Take no action from list"".

5. Click OK.

20. Disable MSN Messenger

1. Double click on the Messenger icon in the system tray to open it.
2. Skip thru the internet and sign up stuff, just cancel it.
3. When Messenger loads go to Tools -> Options then Preferences.
4. Uncheck 'Run this program when windows starts'

21. Disable Power Management

1. Right-click on your desktop, and then click Properties.

2. Click on the Screen Saver tab.
3. Set Screensaver to None.
4. Press the Power button near the bottom.
5. Set all options to NEVER shut down automatically!

22. Disable Wallpaper

1. Right-click on your desktop, and then click Properties.

2. Click on the Desktop tab.
3. Where it says Background, scroll all the way up and choose None.
4. Click OK.

23. Disable System Sounds

1. Click Start Button.

2. Click Settings.
3. Click Control Panel
4. Double click Sounds and Audio Devices.
5. Click Sounds tab.
6. For Sound Scheme, choose "No Sounds".
7. Click OK.

24. Update Windows

1. Double click on Internet Explorer from desktop.

2. Select Tools from menu then Windows Update.
3. Follow instructions.
4. If update tells you to reboot, do so!

25. Install Programs

Do not install any programs you will not use. Only install programs
that you DEPEND on for what you do on your computer. Keeping things
lean and mean will keep your system fast and stable.

26. Maintain Hard disk

1. Double click on My Computer.

2. Right click on Hard Disk and choose Properties.
3. Click Tools tab.
4. For Error Checking click Check Now. Do before Defrag!
5. Click Defragment Now, AFTER Error Checking completes.
6. Click OK.