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Hi SteveDuff,
I'm not quite sure what asking.
It *may* be possible to write a script that starts all of the NIS services although I can't think of any sensible reason for doing so and in all probability you will most likely end up with an unstable system.
Certain features of NIS can be trimmed down to suit your needs and this may decrease resource cost. Trial and error ...
It would be unwise to think that because a PC is not connected to the internet it has minimal exposure to risks from viruses (virii), trojans etc. Anyone (including you) can come along with a USB stick and infect your system. Wireless networking is not risk free - take too long to go into this in detail.
Sorry, your question is important to you but it underscores a deep lack of basic IT skills.
IT security is a trade-off between risks and costs. Nothing is perfectly safe. As you increase your security, you hit a point where you see decreasing marginal improvements and increasing marginal costs ($$ / labour / technology). We use products like NIS to manage our risks at an acceptable cost level. It is unwise to operate any PC without adequate protection ... but not impossible.
If your system is perilously low on resources (RAM / low power CPU) then perhaps you might consider an alternate OS like Linux
No system resources were wasted during the writing of this post <g>
Good luck.
Mike,
Thanks for the quick response!!
The system I have NIS installed on is used as an audio production / recording studio environment. Once to twice a month I get on the "net" to check for Vista and driver updates; that is the extent of my surfing on that system. I create and edit audio, burn CD's, dont watch movies, dont play games, dont transfer files from other computers.....
Although I dont have resource problems, seem a waste to NIS running all the time. Would rather have those resources availible for audio editing.
Again, thanks for the response.
Steve Duff
Steve,
I have to agree with Mike. I would leave NIS running. I am only guessing, but I should think that “kicking in” NIS once in a while could make for unstable operation and protection; plus, it would then have to download all the cumulative updates that have been published over the days or weeks that you had it inactive. That might take quite some time as opposed to the small daily incremental updates.
You don’t specify which version you are using, but I use NIS 2008 on a video editing platform and the NIS 2008 resources are surprising low and have no impact on the video editing which is very cpu and memory intensive. I, like you try to keep running processes to a minimum, but NIS 2007 and 2008 have never caused any disruption to my workflow.
The only thing I do is to turn off automatic live update when editing or capturing video, just to avoid any potential interruptions. I am diligent to turn it back on once I exit the video program. I leave auto protect on at all times without any problems.
Best wishes.
Phil
Hi Steve and Phil,
Steve wrote:
The system I have NIS installed on is used as an audio production / recording studio environment. Once to twice a month I get on the "net" to check for Vista and driver updates; that is the extent of my surfing on that system. I create and edit audio, burn CD's, dont watch movies, dont play games, dont transfer files from other computers.....
Although I dont have resource problems, seem a waste to NIS running all the time. Would rather have those resources availible for audio editing.
Thanks for the extra info - it really helped fill in the blanks.
NIS and NAV have had intermittent problems with excessive resource utilisation and Symantec have done much to address this while simultaneously adding features and functions to the base applications. Phil is quite correct about all of the updates published lately - the situation was dire and will take a while to settle down. You may already be aware that a major security flaw was discovered in the design of the internet (really fundamental stuff - similar to discovering that pencils can explode if dipped in coke). Microsoft, CISCO and other heavies have worked together to put out simultaneous patches to address the flaw. I've noticed that there have been mountains of patches every day (OK - exaggeration ... a lot) and expect this to continue for a while.
This is not business as usual. I can't recall seeing anything like this before. The upshot: it would be advisable to connect to the web and see if there are any patches available each day for the next two weeks or so. Things will settle down of course.
Aside from this, you really should run liveupdate for NIS everyday. It's a good habit to get into. Symantec update their virus definition files a couple of times a day for good reasons. Viruses are always evolving. IT security is a game of chase ... the bad people want what we have (data, identities, money, access) and are continually developing innovative ways of getting it. We are trying to stay away from them, tell if they are in the house and tidy things up. Bottom line - it takes one bad incident to ruin your day and cost you thousands (if you are lucky). Information is power - and there are people who are perfectly happy to kill to get your information.
OK ... back to your needs:
Which VISTA are you running? RAM? CPU? And if you know it: your motherboard and any devices especially serious stuff like hardcore audio / graphics / RAID controllers etc.
Are you having performance issues with your system sufficient to try and extract the most possible CPU ticks and spare bit of RAM? Or was your question more out of curiosity than need? As in, can I get a bit better fuel efficiency if I leave the heavy spare tyre at home?
This PC is a work PC? And it's mainly used for editing / manipulating audio files ... which come from ...CD's ... DVD's ... attached devices ... emulators ... high end sound systems etc?
These days, PC hardware is truly as cheap as dirt. You can get phenominal processing power for relatively little money. You might know that despite all of the processing power, 32 bit versions of VISTA can only address about 3.5 gig of RAM. Good grief ... 'only'? Not long ago this amount was verging on insane <g>
You can improve performance a number of ways but always keep in mind that you will reach diminishing returns reasonably quickly. You can:
- Get a better processor and motherboard and RAM
- Get a good hard drive - there have been quite good improvements in this technology all waiting to be exploited.
- Prioritise - decide what you MUST have and would be nice to have for software. For example, if you are mainly going to edit audio files do you *need* office 2007 or emulators etc?
- Cut out all services and other programs operating in the background unless they are absolutely required to keep the system safe and stable.
- Experiment on start-up order for various applications / services (now we are reaching small gains).
So ... would you mind letting me know the answer to a few of the basic questions about your set-up and I'll see what we can do.
While you are mulling that over, be reasonably cautious about programs that claim to make slow computers run like rockets. There are a lot of things anyone can do to improve the performance and stability of their system ... but unless you know what you are doing you can easily stuff things up by mucking around in the registry in particular.
I've paid good money on commercial products claiming to clean up my registry - only to have each trash my system and force me to do full reinstallations. Guess I'm a sucker for gimmicky products <g>
BTW - I don't mind doing this even though it is off-topic. We already have a thread asking people what they do to increase the performance of their system. I don't claim to be any sort of expert - have learned a few tricks over the years. The nice part of having a lean system is that you are less likely to have program conflicts ... we all benefit :)
Look forward to hearing from you,
Mike,
Here lately I have had several minor glitches while recording. This has been after updates from MS and Norton. Nothing terrible, and most people might not have noticed.
I am running Vista Home Premium 32 on a 2.4 Core 2 Duo with 4 gig, 3 SATA HDs, 1 for programs, 2 in Raid 0 for data only, Nvidia 8600 256 with dual 24 LCDs, M-Audio Audiophile 192 sound card, dual DVD burners both Toshiba Super Drives with light scribe.
I have disabled the on board NIC card, Intel Viiv, VIstas Media Center, pulled out and uninstalled the modem & software, disable the onboard sound in the BIOS, turned off Aero, side bars, and all gadgets, turned off all power management. Have searched and edited the registery as needed. Defrag once a month.
My audio tools are Adobe Audition 3 and Sound Forge. I use a Yamaha MD8 minidisc recorder as a mixer/preamp on the front end, output routings are controlled via a Mackie Big Knob. So audio routing external. I have been recording and editing audio on the computer since the early 80's. Remeber 8 bit sound files? Or when NAV was a easily controlled TRS?
This is not my work computer, this is my creative outlet computer. All original music written by me, all instruments played by me, mixed and mastered....yes by me.
As for networking....boy did you hit a the nail on......I know very little, just enough to get my home wireless up and running with a WEP password...just enough to be dangerous!! So I will take your advise to heart and leave NIS stand as is.
Thanks!
Steve
Steve,
Your system is certainly powerful enough.
Just out of curiosity, where do you have the scratch discs for Adobe Audition set? Mine are set on the RAID 0 drive and not on the Operating System drive. I'm running an older Processor (P4) and have not had any issues to speak of.
Phil,
Like you, I have the temp folder and do temp management for AA3 on the Raid drives. Crash or corrupt my programs.....but dont touch my data!!
Steve