VMware View Windws XP Optimizatin
VDI Windws XP Optimizatins Let s g thrugh creating a VM fr VDI use. Remember this VM will be used ver and ver again. It is imprtant t get the image small and ptimized. Dn t try t rush this prcess. There are many, many things yu can d t custmize the desktp fr yur envirnment. This is just a sampling t get yu started. 1) Build a Windws XP Prfessinal VM Yu shuld cnnect t this VM via VC Cnsle because sme ptins wn t be available thrugh a terminal Services (RDP) sessin. 2) Virtual Machine Systems changes: Ensure that flppy drive (if present) is nt cnnected at startup Ensure that cd-rm drive (if present) is nt cnnected at startup 3) Windws XP Changes: Ensure SP2 + applicable updates are applied Install VM Tls Sync time frm hst Disable Windws time update By default Windws XP sends 16 bit clr ver Terminal Services. If yu want t enable 24 bit clr yu need t mdify a lcal machine plicy. lcal cmputer plicy editr, g t Lcal Cmputer Plicy Cmputer Cnfiguratin Administrative Templates Windws Cmpnents Terminal Services 1. Then click n the Limit maximum clr depth plicy. Enable, set t 24 bit, and click n OK. 2. Restart yur RDP sessin and yu will be able t use 24 bit clr It s still nt as nice as RGS, but at least the clrs will be smther. J Disable COM1 & COM2 Right-click My Cmputer -> Select Manage Device Manager Turn ff all theme enhancements Right-click My Cmputer -> Select Prperties Chse the Advanced Tab Under Perfrmance Sectin Chse Settings Chse Adjust fr Best Perfrmance Optinally chse settings like fnt smthing if desired Disable all screensavers except Blank passwrd prtected Cpy the scrnsvr.scr ver the tp f all the thers (because windws has a habit f bringing them back if yu delete them). Once yu d this, yu shuld enable the nly screensaver that will shw up which is the Blank/Passwrd Prtected. Delete all backgrund wallpapers Why waste RAM r disk space n wallpapers that will be cvered by an applicatin anyway Ensure full hardware acceleratin Cntrl Panel -> Display -> Settings Tab -> Advanced Buttn
Trubleshting Tab -> Set acceleratin t full (that way by default, but check t make sure it hasn t changed in sme latest Micrsft Update) Delete all the hidden update flders (this uses a lt f space and n ne is ging t uninstall any f thse updates). Leave the ne that lks like $hf_mig$. Disable Indexing Services Indexing Services uses large amunts f RAM. It enables faster searches by scanning the indexed lists. Hwever, indexing typically uses lts f CPU time and if the user desn't search their cmputer ften, indexing wn't help them at all. If they d search frequently, indexing may nt make the searches faster. G t Start/Cntrl Panel/Add Remve Windws Cmpnents Uncheck the Indexing services Disable it n the C: drive als Disable Paging f the executive HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentCntrlSet\Cntrl\Sessin Manager\Memry Management DisablePagingExecutive =dwrd:00000001 Create and publish a GPO fr flder redirectin t the users strage space n the SAN fr the fllwing: Applicatin Data
My Dcuments (and all sub-class special flders) My Desktp http://supprt.micrsft.cm/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;232692 Optimize the Paging File Right-click My Cmputer -> Select Prperties Chse the Advanced Tab Under Perfrmance Sectin Chse Settings Click Change. Select the Custm Size ptin and set the Initial Size and Maximum Size t 512 MB r the exact size f the cnfigured RAM (whichever is greater). Turn ff unnecessary sunds (ie Startup and Shutdwn wav s) Cntrl Panel, duble-click Sunds and Audi Devices and mve t the sunds tab Disable unnecessary sunds (mail ntificatin and warnings are prbably the nly nes yu need) Defragment Prefetch (faster bting) Frm DOS Prmpt type defrag c: -b D NOT clean ut the Prefetch directry hwever It is a bad idea t peridically clean ut that flder as sme tech sites suggest. Fr ne thing, XP will just re-create that data anyways; secndly, it trims the files anyways if there s ever mre than 128 f them s that it desn t needlessly cnsume space. S nt nly is deleting the directry ttally unnecessary, but yu re als putting a temprary dent in yur PC s perfrmance. Remve r minimize System restre pints Right-click My Cmputer, select Prperties and g t the System Restre tab. Remve blinking ICONS frm the systrey Remve the display f icns like the NIC that blink Alternatively yu can hide all ICONS by Mdifying HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Sftware\Micrsft\Windws\CurrentVersin\Plicies\ Explrer. In the right-hand pane create a new DWORD value called NTrayItemsDisplay and set its value t 1. Get Rid f Micrsft Messenger Edit C:\WINDOWS\INF\SYSOC.INF file Under the [Cmpnents] heading, yu'll see a whle bunch f parameters fr varius Windws applets. Sme f them cntain the wrd "hide." Thse particular prgrams, which include Windws Messenger (msmsgs), Terminal Server, Pinball, and thers, are installed n yur XP system, but their entries are hidden frm and Add/Remve dialg Remve the hide frm the lines f the prgrams yu wish t remve Msmsgs=msgrcm.dll,OcEntry,msmgs.inf,hide,7 Save the file G t Cntrl Panel Add/Remve Prgrams Click n Windws Cmpnents buttn and yu'll see Windws Messenger listed. Uncheck it and click Next Turn ff Disk Perfrmance Cunters In Windws XP Perfrmance Mnitr disk cunters fr physical disks are turned n by default Stp it by running: DISKPERF N Disable any unwanted services Autruns frm www.sysinternals.cm is gd fr this Run Disk Cleanup Duble Click My Cmputer Right Click C:, prperties
Run Disk Defrag Duble Click My Cmputer Right Click C:, prperties Run PageDefrag frm sysinternals One f the limitatins f the Windws NT/2000 defragmentatin interface is that it is nt pssible t defragment files that are pen fr exclusive access. Thus, standard defragmentatin prgrams can neither shw yu hw fragmented yur paging files r Registry hives are, nr defragment them. Paging and Registry file fragmentatin can be ne f the leading causes f perfrmance degradatin related t file fragmentatin in a system. PageDefrag uses advanced techniques t prvide yu what cmmercial defragmenters cannt: the ability fr yu t see hw fragmented yur paging files and Registry hives are, and t defragment them. In additin, it defragments event lg files and Windws 2000/XP hibernatin files (where system memry is saved when yu hibernate a laptp). PageDefrag wrks n Windws NT 4.0, Windws 2000, Windws XP, and Server 2003. Dwnlad frm www.micrsft.cm/technet/sysinternals/fileanddisk/pagedefrag.mspx Save yur wrk t this pint as a new template Install Necessary Sftware Repeat the abve 5 steps 4) Clne Nw that yu have a gd template, create clnes t wrk frm.
Appendix A: Miscellaneus Infrmatin Large Mnitr Supprt: Yu can use an RDP6 client with the /span cmmand line ptin t enable large display size and use SplitView sftware t get a multi mnitr feel. Lgn prblems Fr a user t lg n t a Terminal Server, the fllwing permissins and rights must be granted: 2003 and Windws XP nly: Allw lg n thrugh Terminal Services This right is by default granted t Administratrs and members f the lcal Remte Desktp Users grup n the server. W2K nly: Lg On Lcally This right can be granted in the security plicy fr the server, in Security Settings\Lcal Plicies\User Rights Assignment\Lg On Lcally. Permissin t use the rdp-tcp cnnectin 2003: The lcal Remte Desktp Users grup has by default "User access" permissin n the rdp-tcp cnnectin. W2K: The lcal Users grup has by default "User access" permissin n the rdp-tcp cnnectin. Allw lgn t Terminal Server checkbx, in the prperties f the user accunt in AD. By default, this checkbx is checked fr all users. S n standard installatins f a 2003 r Windws XP Virtual Desktp, yu nly have t add yur users r user grups t the lcal Remte Desktp Users grup n the lcal machine. Errr messages - permissin prblems Here are sme cmmn errr messages which users get when they haven't been granted the crrect permissins and user rights: The lcal plicy f this system des nt permit yu t lgn interactively 2003 and Windws XP: The user accunt is nt a member f the lcal Remte Desktp Users grup. See 289289 W2K: The user des nt have the "Lg On Lcally" right in the servers security plicy. Yu d nt have access t lgn t this sessin 2003 and Windws XP: The user accunt is nt a member f the lcal Remte Desktp Users grup. W2K: The user desn't have the necessary permissins n the rdp-tcp cnnectin. This happens when yu remve the User grup frm the prperties f RDP-tcp Yur interactive lgn privilege has been disabled The user des nt have the "Allw Lgn t terminal server" check bx selected n the Terminal Services Prfile tab f their accunt.