Windows process priority setting

Note: You need to know that the Realtime priority level cannot be set by the users since it can cause system instability. Once all steps are finished, you have set or changed the priority level of a process successfully. Besides the above way, you can also set priority Windows 10 in another way. So, it will be introduced in the following part. But sometimes, you are unable to change priority in Task Manager. As for how to set high priority Windows 10, this post has shown 2 ways.

Use the GetPriorityClass function to determine the current priority class of a process and the SetPriorityClass function to change the priority class of a process. This prevents the threads of this process, which do not have high priority, from interfering with higher priority threads.

If a thread runs at the highest priority level for extended periods, other threads in the system will not get processor time. If several threads are set at high priority at the same time, the threads lose their effectiveness. The high-priority class should be reserved for threads that must respond to time-critical events. If your application performs one task that requires the high-priority class while the rest of its tasks are normal priority, use SetPriorityClass to raise the priority class of the application temporarily; then reduce it after the time-critical task has been completed.

Another strategy is to create a high-priority process that has all of its threads blocked most of the time, awakening threads only when critical tasks are needed. The important point is that a high-priority thread should execute for a brief time, and only when it has time-critical work to perform. This class can be appropriate for applications that "talk" directly to hardware or that perform brief tasks that should have limited interruptions. This means that the thread priority is the same as the process priority class.

Making Process Tamer remember a priority is easy, just click on the Explicit Rule drop down menu on the row of the process and select what you want it to be set at. Change the drop down to the top blank option to reset the priority. Rules can also be deleted or added manually from the Configuration tab.

Luckily, the manual priority function we are using here does work. The program is free but does require registration for a free key to stop popup nags, a 60 day key is available without registering.

Portable, installer and updated beta versions from are available, the original program is from This utility is a bit like Process Tamer in that it can automatically adjust process priorities based on their CPU usage.

NET Framework 3. The default French language can easily be changed to English in the Options window or by deleting the fr-FR folder. A portable version is also available. System Explorer has a huge array of system information and control components, all accessible via a series of web browser type tabs.

Like Process Hacker, System Explorer has the ability to save a given process priority and keep that setting when the program is launched in the future. Go back to the same menu and tick Permanent to make the setting stick. A portable version is also available from PortableApps. If you want to set the priority of an application that has multiple processes from the same executable, such as a web browser, set the priority of one process, close the prioritized application and reopen it again.

The processes will now be the same priority. While this last method can set the priority of a program you want to run, it does have one or two drawbacks. The most notable being that you have to be able to launch the process manually. The above command will start Program. The real time priority only works if the Command Prompt, batch file, or desktop shortcut has administrative privileges.

To create a desktop shortcut that can do the same thing, you have to make a minor modification. The Start command needs to be run from the command line so you have to open a Command Prompt beforehand, which will very briefly appear on the screen.

This reduces the risk of program A causing the system to slow down or become unresponsive if it ever hangs or crashes. This could cause unforeseen issues with general performance and other running tasks.

While it is a pain in the butt to adjust process priorities every time I run certain apps games , it really takes no more than a minute, at most, to do it. The real solution is for Microsoft to have a setting for remembering process priority choices. Yes per process too. Process Explorer, System Explorer just do it by name so when you reboot your system, every process called scvhost.

I thought it would it would remember by command line parameters, especially if they are unique. I am trying to put audio onto one core — that I can do but come reboot, every scvhost. I recommend everyone to contact Microsoft support in Teams for Windows 1. Open Microsoft Teams. Select Settings and more More options button. Select Help. Send them your suggestion for a permanent priority option as a new feature.

None of these work on Windows Server R2. Perhaps having multiple cores counters any starvation of resources to IO devices etc.. There is a difference between a real-time priority thread and the real-time base priority class. The latter applies to the entire process and without additional setting of individual thread priorities, won't cause any threads to be real-time.

Doc Brown Michael Burr Michael Burr k 49 49 gold badges silver badges bronze badges. Yes, realtime threads are appropriate if you have a thread that doesn't have much to do but needs to experience good response times. Iknow I know it's an old post but I found that book chapter really nice I found a link to the book chapter thanks to Archive. So basicly, if you have to ask, don't use it :. Eric Petroelje Eric Petroelje It's important to know what it means utmost priority is given to that thread, above all else , but if you ever find yourself asking if you should use it, you definitely should not.

I guess you can use it and see what happens then you'll learn but I feel your discouraging learning — fifamaniac Similarly, real-time is also a thread priority level. So, a process has a: Base process priority class. Individual thread priorities , offsets of the base priority class. Matt Uwe Keim You're right that changing the process priority class does not affect CPU utilization, so long as there is not contention for the CPU.

Instead, a security privilege protects against setting 'real time' to prevent haphazard use. Thus you say "Why aren't my other 6 cores used? Or, in your case, "Why isn't my last core used? The remaining cores will appear to do nothing. And that is how you want it.