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LAN Tweaks for Windows XP, 2000, 2003 Server

2005-03-15 (updated: 2015-04-10) by
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The following tweaks are focused towards increasing local network performance under Windows XP/2k/2k3 Server. They can be used in addition to all the broadband tweaks, to improve your LAN throughput. All information in this article presumes some proficiency in editing the Windows Registry. Even though we extensively test all our tweaking recommendations, use of the below information is at your own risk.


Disable Network Task Scheduler
(LAN Browsing Speedup)

Applies to: Windows XP/2000/2003 Server.

This tweak disables searching networked computers for scheduled tasks. It reduces the long wait when opening network folders. To apply this tweak, find the following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\RemoteComputer\NameSpace\
and delete this key:
{D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF}

Here are registry files you can merge to directly apply/undo this tweak:
sg_lan_speedup.reg
undo_sg_lan_speedup.reg

Note: You might want to export the key before deleting, then to revert the changes, simply merge your exported reg file.
Removing the second sub-key in HKLM\.....\NameSpace that looks like: {2227A280-3AEA-1069-A2DE-08002B30309D} disables checking for network printers.


Increase Request Buffer Size
(reduce network delay)

Applies to: Windows XP/2000/2003 Server

In higher latency Network environments, delays may be encountered with the default request buffer size (4356 decimal). The range of this parameter is 1024 - 65535 bytes. Testing has shown that, in most standard Ethernet environments, 16384 (decimal) is a better choice, if memory is available. This tweak only applies to LANs, and helps with slow browsing of large directories.

To change this setting, edit:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer\Parameters and Add Value name SizReqBuf as a type REG_DWORD, increase its (decimal) value to  16384 or even higher and restart the computer for changes to take effect.

See also: MS KB 320829 that describes the procedure as well.


Increase Network Redirector Buffers
(better network performance)

If you increase the number of network redirector buffers it may considerably increase your network throughput. Each extra execution thread that you configure will take 1K of additional nonpaged pool memory, but only if your applications actually use them.

To configure additional buffers and threads, edit: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanWorkstation\Parameters Modify or Add Value of type REG_DWORD for:

MaxCmds=dword:00000064 - range is 0 - 255 and the default value is 15. Set to a higher number, try 64 for starters.
MaxThreads=dword:00000064 - set to the same value as MaxCmds.

MaxCollectionCount in the same key is a DWORD buffer for  character-mode named pipes writes. You might want to increase it from te default 16 as well, its' range is 0 - 65535.


No shares in my My Network Places

Speed up Windows Explorer and network browsing by stopping automatic shares in "My Network Places"

By default, Windows 2k/XP/2k3 tries to read icon information from shortcuts in the "My Network Places" folder, accessing remote files on the network, and causing a very slow system response. Every time you open a file in a remote shared folder, or a file via a UNC name, Windows will automatically add another shortcut to "My Netowork Places", making the problem worse with time. To resolve this:

Navigate to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer and add a new DWORD value:
NoRecentDocsNetHood=1 (set it to 1 to disable remote shared folders from being added to Network Places).

Depending on your OS, it might also be possible to modify this by accessing the Group Policy Object Editor. To use this method to achieve the same effect:
- Go to Start > Run > type: gpedit.msc
-  In the GPOE, navigate to: User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Desktop > Enable "Do not add shares of recently opened documents to My Netowrk Places"

Notes:
The above might also work by adding the same key to the HKLM Registry hive here, but we have not tested it:
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\NoRecentDocsNetHood=1 . The MS Group Policy Editor adds the entry to HKEY_CURRENT_USER.
For additional info, see:  MS TechNet - NoRecentDocsNetHood


  User Reviews/Comments:
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by dcharles_here - 2005-12-13 05:32
Disable Network Task Scheduler
I didn't find that key where you described.I searched the registery for it and found it under
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Shell extensions\Approved
Data was scheduled tasks..is this the same ??

Thanks
by karyoka - 2005-12-18 06:04
newbie ask: is Increase Network Redirector Buffers decimal or hexadecimal ?
by Philip - 2005-12-18 11:58
dcharles_here: If the "Disable Network Task Scheduler" path is not in your registry, it simply means it's already been removed, and there is nothing more to do. The HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Shell extensions\Approved path is not the same.

karyoka: it is in decimal.
by soforttt - 2006-03-02 12:11
For karyoka. It 's not a decimal, because if you see the dword, it' s 000064. With a decimal value it is 000040. Exuse me, i'm Italian, i speack a little english!!!
by pantoja - 2006-03-24 12:54
Karyoka:

is DECIMAL... or you can try with 40 or 64... doesn't matters...
Si el valor maximo es 255, significa que es en rango decimal. como quiera, intenta con uno u otro valor... y trata de medir rendimiento para ver con cual te quedas.
by Raja - 2006-04-09 10:45
Thank you for information about - How to disable the scheduled task in my network place or shared folders

regards
MRP
by karyoka - 2006-05-12 06:57
thanks guys !
by pyrotech702 - 2006-07-06 21:04
Increase Network Redirector Buffers
I added the 2 commands MaxCmds & MaxThreads But what would be a good setting for MaxCollectionCount And is that going in the same place as the other 2 under parameters

Thank Pyrotech702
by anonymous - 2006-08-26 16:15
nice its working.
i have 2 PC, win 2003 and 2nd is xp client. so all the setting apply first win 2003 and now its working. i have dlink hub. before my max. speed is 990 KB/s but after i get 1.05 MB/s. its stable. but xp don't change.

many thanks.
by anonymous - 2006-11-10 00:17
under Increase Network Redirector Buffers do you add those and if so are decimal or hexidecialm
by anonymous - 2009-08-08 16:02
If you are disabling the network task scheduler make sure you are not disabling the wrong the thing because if you disable the task scheduler in control panel you just disable your automatic virus scan that you virus scan sets up upon installation.
by anonymous - 2009-12-18 10:36
where to find this key.. plz give me full path
by porty - 2009-12-18 15:04
Thanks for the info about blocking new shortcuts in My Network Places.
A couple of points: I'd already done the HKCU tweak and it didn't work, which is how I ended up here, in search of a fix. So I've now done the Policies tweak on my XPPSP3 laptop.
But the HKLM location that's described above doesn't exist, in fact Policies doesn't even have an Explorer sub-key. (Oddly, 'policies' is spelled just like that, ie, no capital P).
Are you saying that an entire new key, 'Explorer', should be created under Policies, then the NoRecentDocsNethood=1 value within it?
by nitin - 2009-12-19 01:36
is this applicable for windos vista also
by Philip - 2009-12-19 10:04
If the key does not exist you should create it, Windows generally assumes default values for keys that are not present.
by anonymous - 2012-01-08 17:24
after doing this it gave my computer no OS error
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