Optimize performance (Illustrator CS4 on Windows XP) - Part 1

Optimizing Windows
The performance of Adobe Illustrator depends on several factors, including the options you select, your workflow, and the operating system and hardware configuration. The performance improvements listed below are most noticeable when you work with larger files. Optimizing the operating system and hardware configuration improves performance in other applications as well.

Before you perform the steps below, make sure to install the latest version of Illustrator or any Illustrator updates to the version you are using. Illustrator updates often include performance-related fixes or enhancements. Current version information and updates are available on the Adobe website at www.adobe.com.

Note:The Windows XP procedures in this document are based on the default interface. If the interface is customized, then some procedures may vary. For example, a commonly encountered difference is the navigation to Control Panel from the Start menu: You may navigate Start > Settings > Control Panel instead of Start > Control Panel.

Optimizing Windows

By configuring your system to run efficiently, you increase the amount of memory available to applications and ensure that they run smoothly. Increase the amount of memory available to Illustrator, quit applications you are not using, or disable nonessential startup applications or fonts to improve the performance of Illustrator.

Virtual memory

Virtual memory allows the system to use hard disk space to store information normally stored in RAM. Because it takes longer to access information on a hard disk than it does to access information in memory, using a portion of the hard disk as virtual memory can decrease performance.

Windows XP manages virtual memory using a paging file; you define the minimum and maximum size of this file. Illustrator performs best when the paging file's maximum size is at least three times the amount of installed RAM.

To create a paging file with a maximum size of three times your amount of installed RAM:

Note: You need Administrator rights to change the size of your computer's paging file.

1. Quit all applications.
2. Choose Start > Control Panel and then double-click System.
3. Access the Performance Options dialog box:
* Click the Advanced tab, click Settings in the Performance section, and then click the Advanced tab.
4. In the Virtual Memory section, click Change.
5. Uncheck the box for "automatically manage paging file size for all drives.
6. From the Drive list, select a hard drive that has at least three times the amount of your computer's installed RAM. For example, if your computer has 64 MB of RAM, select a hard drive that has at least 128 MB of free space. For best performance, choose a hard drive not used for the Illustrator scratch disk.

Note:To determine the amount of space available on a drive, click the drive letter; the amount of space available appears in the Paging File Size for Selected Drive section.

7. In the Initial Size box in the Paging File Size for Selected Drive section, enter a value equal to the amount of your computer's installed RAM plus 300 MB.
8. In the Maximum Size box, enter a value equal to three times the amount of your computer's installed RAM.
9. Close the System Properties dialog box:
1. Click Set, and then click OK.
2. Click OK in the Performance Options dialog box
3. Click OK in the System Properties dialog box.
10. Click Yes in the System Settings Change dialog box to restart Windows.

Display drivers

Some display drivers offer advanced settings for accelerating or modifying graphics display. Sometimes these settings can adversely affect screen redraw performance in Illustrator. Try disabling driver-specific features to determine the best settings for use with Illustrator. For more information, see the documentation for your display card.

Fonts

If you install only the fonts you need, then you will improve system performance and the performance of applications that access fonts. Each installed font increases the amount of RAM used by the system, which decreases the amount of RAM available to open applications, and increases the amount of time applications take to display font menus. Use a font management utility to help you manage many fonts.
Startup applications

Applications that start automatically with Windows compete with Illustrator for available RAM. You can prevent programs from starting automatically with Windows by doing the following:

To remove programs from the StartUp folder in Windows XP:

1. Quit all applications.
2. Start Windows Explorer.
3. Disable startup applications that are specific to the current user by moving all icons and shortcuts from the Documents and Settings\[current user]\Start Menu\Programs\Startup folder to another folder.
4. Disable startup applications that are common to all users by moving all icons and shortcuts from the Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup folder to another folder:
5. Restart Windows.

To close applications that are specified to start automatically in the registry:

1. Restart Windows.
2. Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc.
3. Click the Applications tab.
4. Select an application name, and then click End Task.
5. Restart Illustrator. If performance for Illustrator improves, then contact the application's manufacturer for help in permanently disabling it from starting automatically. Repeat steps 2-5 for each remaining startup application.

Adobe Customer Support: www.adobe.com/support/

Microsoft Knowledgebase: http://support.microsoft.com