Can I assign cpu usage to apps?

[camaro]

I do alot of converting of movies and they take about 1 hour per file and there is 10 files on average. CPU is at 100%(1.2Bird) for all that time and I have to sit there since there are many files. But at the same time I can't do anything since CPU is maxed. So can I somehow make CPU leave 10% of its time for other things? Like limit an app to a certain percent.

[otheos]

what is important is not what % of the CPU use but what priority they have!!

In Unix and Win2K you can specify their priority and even if you have 10 processes all using 100%, put them to the lowest priority and you can use your PC as usual.

For W98/Me there should be something similar, but don't know where to look at. Sorry.

[edwelly]

This would be great for burning CD's. I mean, if I burn a cd, then my PC is locked in that operation til it's done.
Where do you designate this at?
- http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif-edwelly

[BFlurie]

Go here (http://members.aol.com/axcel216/) and search for the phrase "CPU Priority" for a Win9X/ME registry tweak.

[camaro]

I have win2k. How do I do it in there?

[BFlurie]

Camero, look here (http://users.aol.com/axcel216/newtip16.htm) at CPU priority.

[cadetstimpy]

Oh no no no....you don't need to go into the registry.
Try this...

1. Hit Ctl Alt Del
2. Click Task Manager
3. Clic the process tab
4. Determine the process you want to modify
5. Right click the process and use the set priority option.

[otheos]

In Win2K

right click on the taskbar, select task manager, processes tab, click on image name to sort alphabetically, or CPU to sort with CPU usage, select task , right click, set priority to idle (or high if you are away of your box and you want the process to use as much cpu as possible*)

Personally I have made a shortcut to task manager and put it in the start up folder to start minimised with windows. In this way I get the cpu usage monitor on the tray. (goto options, and select hide when minimised so that you only get it on the tray and not on the taskbar).

*=be prepared for a sluggish mouse when you come back, so the first thing you should do is patiently to change process priority to idle.

[YMK]

I do a lot of movie encoding too. I use Flask Encoder. It has a built in priority setting that you can set to Idle-Normal-High-Highest. High is good for surfing the web but for playing a game, I need to take it down to Normal or Idle.