Lean and trim Windows computer

For computers such as, web streaming, video on demand, video server, audio workstation, alarm system, and other dedicated windows boxes used in Broadcast Engineering and elsewhere it pays to have the operating system trimmed down to an always on never interrupt condition.The specific computers have been built to do one function well, like web streaming and it does not need any interruptions by the OS or software.

1. Start with a clean (formated or reformatted) Windows install on a new hard drive. After you get windows up and working update all device drivers and run windows update 10 times if needed including updating windows media player and IE web browser. Just make sure you uncheck any and all statements that say to find data on web.

Turn off windows auto update. Now turn off windows desk top clean up. Turn off Windows messenger. Turn off all screen savers. If the hard drive is always in use or needs to be ready turn all power saving features to always on. Do not allow standby or put hard drives to sleep for example. (Turn off firewall if not needed).
Disable file indexing. The indexing service extracts information from documents and other files on the hard drive.

Use plain default desktop not a picture. Turn off all transition effects.

Now install only the software and hardware you need and nothing else.
For example for a Web stream computer.
No Anti virus. No Anti spy. Just windows media encoder (9) only. (and VNC I use Tight VNC to control computer remotely)
Remember this box is being used for only one purpose.
After you have the software you need working. Trim the start up of all unnecessary items using the MSCONFIG utility or tools in CCleaner (CCleaner is a freeware system optimization, privacy and cleaning tool)

Now Install or program auto log on. (test)
Now schedule and program Auto reboot. (schedule for once a week)
Defrag and CClean.
“Still, defragmenting remains an important task. Why? For one, power consumption and heat can be directly related to a fragmented hard drive. When the computer’s operating system requests data, if a file is not contiguous, then extra seeking on the disk may be required. But a more important consideration is disk failure. Should a hard drive fail, the likelihood of successfully recovering data from the dead or damaged drive improves significantly if the data is contiguous rather than randomly scattered about the drive platters.”
(source of quote)

Make sure you have a good UPS hooked up to the computer.

Now you are good to go with a computer that should stay up and running as much as possible.

In the hardware department go middle of the road with the CPU to keep the heat down, Install RAM as required by your application, have a case fan(s), Size the power supply for your load no need for over kill as this computer is always on.. Go with a good supply with high reviews for long life.

After all that, get a second hard drive, clone the first to the second, Boot from the second drive to make sure it works. Now disconnect second drive both power and cable leave in case. You now have a System Drive stand by.

Tweak as necessary.
JW

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