source: http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1478922
On Dec 6, 3:37 pm, CHAMPION <[email protected]> wrote: > This is for those who are stuck with graphics hardware that just went > legacy status but want to run Windows 7 at top speed just like they > did with XP/2003. Before someone shoots off with "get a new card", try > saying that to those who bought laptops very recently stuck with a > chipset that was not very old but nonetheless made legacy status – or > making an XP net book run Win7. > > Windows 7/Server 2008 R2 is definitely a nice fast OS, but Microsoft > decided to clip out any 2D acceleration for any WDDM 1.0 drivers... > certain recent DX9 cards (ATI) fell into legacy status and will not > receive the WDDM 1.1 upgrade that restores their old 2D GDI > acceleration. The way around this is to load XPDM drivers, which is > easily done with the 32bit Windows. The 64bit Windows is a different > beast... but it is very possible to load XP drivers and get a fully > accelerated Windows just as fast as XP’s graphics engine. This affects > DVD playback, Flash playback, web browsing, and also has an effect on > 3D gaming when there are 2D elements present (your windows, in game > FMV’s). > > There are 2 options: > > First being you load XPDM drivers in, regain 2D acceleration and have > DX9 capabilities, and loose Aero. Note: This should only be done if > the WDDM 1.0 settings down below do not work or your 2D application is > horribly bogged down still and Aero cannot be enabled which acts like > fully asccelerated GDI (Eg. older Autocad). The default registry > settings are not optimal either way for DX9 cards. > > . > . > ~~~~~Option 1 – XPDM install on a 64Bit OS > . > . > > 1. First, download your favourite XP graphics driver you know that > works well on XP. > 2. Extract the driver from its installer and open the driver’s INF > file > 3. Look for your graphics card and its corresponding PCI_ID, example: > "ATI Radeon X1200 Series " = ati2mtag_RS690M, PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_791F > 4. This example has my laptop’s chipset listed, the “ati2mtag_RS690M” > is our point of interest, CTRL+F and search for later occurrences of > it > 5. You will arrive to this point in file (for your specific card... > mine is an example) > [ati2mtag_RS690M] > FeatureScore=FC > CopyFiles=ati2mtag.Miniport, ati2mtag.Display, ati2mtag.OpenGL, > ati2mtag.Wow64OpenGL, Uninstall.CopyFiles, ati2mtag.OGL, > ati2mtag.ORCA;, DVCR.CopyCodec > AddReg=Uninstall.AddReg > DelFiles=ati2mtag_DelFiles > UninstallFiles=Uninstall.CopyFiles > UninstallReg=Uninstall.AddReg > CleanFiles=ati2mtag.Miniport, ati2mtag.Display, ati2mtag.OpenGL, > ati2mtag.Wow64OpenGL, ati2mtag.OGL, ati2mtag.ORCA > CleanReg=ati2mtag_SoftwareDeviceSettings, > ati2mtag_RS690M_SoftwareDeviceSettings, > atioglxx_OpenGLSoftwareSettings, > ati2mtag_Mobile_SoftwareDeviceSettings, > ati2mtag_MobileLargeDesktopSettings > CleanService=ati2mtag_RemoveService > > 6. The FeatureScore=FC line is what I added to the INF under my > device’s installation section as shown above, this is what makes or > breaks an INF from installing on Windows 7. “FC” is chosen so the OS > recognizes the INF as an XPDM driver and to install it accordingly. If > the FeatureScore is set to mimic a Windows Vista or 7 drivers (F6 and > E6 respectively), the driver will install wrong and not start! More > info on FeatureScore can be found > here>>http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee229540.aspx > 7. Save the modified INF and go to Device Manager, select the > offending graphics card and update its drivers, answer the nag prompts > from Windows as required to get it installed. > 8. Merge the following dwords into your registry (I do not know of > HKLM takes precedence yet... MS is very stupid setting the engine by > the user... so go through the keys in HKEY_USERS and add this in... > especially for .DEFAULT as this is the login screen) > > [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Avalon.Graphics] > [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Avalon.Graphics] > [HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Avalon.Graphics] > (And ideally all other user accounts) > > "EnableDebugControl"=dword:00000001 > "UseDX9LText"=dword:00000001 > "BreakOnUnexpectedErrors"=dword:00000000 > "RPCAvalon"=dword:00000001 > "RecordAvalonFile"=dword:00000000 > "UseReferenceRasterizer"=dword:00000000 > "SkipDriverDateCheck"=dword:00000001 > "SkipDriverCheck"=dword:00000001 > "DisableHWAcceleration"=dword:00000001 > "MaxMultisampleType"=dword:00000000 > "RequiredVideoDriverDate"="1980/01/01" > > 9. This forces GDI acceleration (DisableHWAcceleration was done on > purpose to force the GDI hooks.. the XPDM driver will accelerate them > in this situation) and all 2D speed should be back just as it was with > XP. Test your 3D, it should remain quick, but I have gotten the WDDM > 1.0 fully accelerated Aero mode to finally match, and Classic is 20% > faster (only window drag and resize piss off the CPU - not bad). > > . > . > ~~~~~~Option 2 – WDDM compatibility maintained, for DX10 cards with no > hope of WDDM 1.1 upgrade that fixes the GDI problems, for those that > want to maintain Aero but have almost as close to XP speed as > possible: > . > . > > 1. At this point you should already have a WDDM 1.0 driver installed, > with whatever modifications you have done. > 2. If you have the troubleshooting notch available in the Screen > Resolution>Advanced Properties, bring it one notch over to the left > from Full Acceleration (you may try two over... anymore and D3D is > lost). > 3. If this setting is not available (like mine). Open Regedit and > navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Video\ > {y our video card’s CLSID – varies from each driver install}\0000 and > input in: > “Acceleration.Level"=dword:00000004 > Or > (Try 4, 3 ,2, then 1... check to make sure Direct3D vis dxdiag is > still enabled.. technically at level 3 it is supposed to not work.. > but in my case D3D stays running but all 2D succesfully takes the > older recognized pipeline) > 4. Merge the following into the registry > [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Avalon.Graphics] > [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Avalon.Graphics] > [HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Avalon.Graphics] > (And ideally all other user accounts) > > "EnableDebugControl"=dword:00000001 > "UseDX9LText"=dword:00000000 > "BreakOnUnexpectedErrors"=dword:00000000 > "RPCAvalon"=dword:00000001 > "RecordAvalonFile"=dword:00000000 > "UseReferenceRasterizer"=dword:00000000 > "SkipDriverDateCheck"=dword:00000001 > "SkipDriverCheck"=dword:00000001 > "DisableHWAcceleration"=dword:00000001 > "MaxMultisampleType"=dword:00000000 > "RequiredVideoDriverDate"="1980/01/01" > > 5. DisableHWAcceleration is left enabled, in both cases this is the > major reason for the speed increase -- and even Aero runs better at > LOWER cpu usage with it on.. odd-- whatever it works. > 6. This mode will allow the use of Aero, if done right like this does > for me, Aero will run as fast as the XPDM drivers for both 2D and > 3D... much better than stock configuration I had and not what I > expected. Going to windows Classic mode still running WDDM drivers... > I gain 20% increase in speed over the XPDM in 3D gaming, 2D elements > (movies, flash) are faster, the only bog down - that I know off and my > CPU can keep pace.. is a window drag and resize... even YouTube HD is > playable... except fullscreen (I am not expecting to get this working > on my X1200 as it is not accelerated... I need to find a way of > fooling it to do so). -- 9xx SOLDIERS SANS FRONTIERS
