Hwo can I become a Power User in XP?

[fishbyer]

I've read for Win 2000 that becoming a power user will free up resources for gaming. I've also read that XP is 2000 with a new face.

I've looked in the Microsoft knowledge base and fooled around with user accounts.

Is there any such thing as a Power User in XP? Do I need to modify the registry to make it happen?

 

[Toejam31]

????

Um, "Power User" isn't a feature in an operating system.

It's a tag line given to an experienced individual who works with all kinds of programs, heavily tweaks the operating system and hardware, and tends to multitask a great deal.

If you want to free up resources for gaming, run MSCONFIG, or download a third-party startup program, and use this to turn off unnecessary programs that load up during the boot.

Toejam31

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<font color=purple>"Some push the envelope. Some just lick it. And some can't find the flap."</font color=purple>

 

[Lars_Coleman]

Power User is a local group. You should be able to right click on My Computer and goto manage. From manage select local users and groups and then select groups. Right click on the Power Users group and click on Add to group. From there you add you to a power user and you can also delete your logon from any other group from the same location if need be.

<font color=red>People and hard drives are like bandwagon fans and sports!</font color=red>

 

[Toejam31]

Thanks, Lars. I had a brain-fart, and temporarily had no idea what he was talking about! It didn't occur to me that he was talking about a user group, probably because I'm always logged in as an administrator, and most of the systems I work on are stand-alone.

More proof that two heads are better than one.

Toey

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<font color=purple>"Some push the envelope. Some just lick it. And some can't find the flap."</font color=purple>

 

[Zlash]

I was wondering what was going on there for a second hehe, thought he meant the group too but I don't see how logging in as a different group is going to do anything.

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[jlanka]

I've read for Win 2000 that becoming a power user will free up resources for gaming.

Can you provide a link to that statement? I'd be interested to see it in writing.

<i>It's always the one thing you never suspected.</i>

 

[Toejam31]

That's what threw me for a loop; the idea that logging in as a different user would free up extra system resources. When he mentioned Power User, and then said something about fooling around with the user accounts ... I failed to see the connection. I thought he had misinterpreted whatever he had been reading.

Beyond turning off unnecessary programs, and perhaps doing the Registry tweak to put the system cache in memory, and tweaking the video card, I'm out of ideas.

I know that logging in as a different user can offer better <i>security</i> for online gaming, but I fail to see how being a Power User offers better performance due to more system resources being available. But maybe it's just me, and I'm working my way up from a brain-fart to a full-fledged stroke.

AGGGHHHH! Dial 911. (And make sure that my ICU nurse is a hottie, or I'll refuse to eat my pudding.)

Toey

<font color=red>My Rig:</font color=red> <A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?rigid=6847" target="_new"><font color=green>Toejam31's Tantalizing Tantric Toy</font color=green></A>
<font color=red>Second Rig:</font color=red> <A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?rigid=15942" target="_new"><font color=green>Toey's Dynamite DDR Duron</font color=green></A>
__________________________________________________________

<font color=purple>"Some push the envelope. Some just lick it. And some can't find the flap."</font color=purple>

 

[Lars_Coleman]

I agree with you on that! I have no idea either. The only thing that could improve performance on the machine is by turning off un-needed services.

The way I would go about doing that is make a separate user account and turning the services off that you don't need to play games. I would modify that user account specifically for playing games and using performance prone applications.

<font color=red>People and hard drives are like bandwagon fans and sports!</font color=red>