To boost an applications timeslice CPU priority allocation for more speed from it while launching it (GREAT for games!): 

Open Notepad.exe! 

Paste what is in between these lines below into a new document and be SURE TO SAVE IT AS TYPE "ALL FILES" with a .bat extension and the .exe file of the app you want to run in it! (NOT the default .txt extension notepad uses, I hate how it does that!) 

AND? 

Save it in the directory/folder of he app you want to run it with!

* HERE IS MY QUAKE III Arena Q3Start.bat (for an example for you below I have in my Quake3 folder and use to start it so it runs WAY FASTER on an NT based OS!)

So, next? In your app's shortcut, put this in as the commandline instead of its normal exe! It'll run ALOT faster because it gets MORE CPU time, this is great for intense apps like games! Realtime is another higher priority level but NOT recommended as it can lock a system up or make it appear thus!

(Want even MORE speed?) 

Try this technique I also turned a few folks here onto! I turn off these services (manual, not disabled!) in Win2k (pretty same in NT 3.51-4.0 too): 

(* I am not running a network here at home anymore, only 1 machine now!) 

This is Windows²ººº Pro (like NT4 workstation), on a LAN at home you cannot probably crank all these off... 

Unless you do PEER TO PEER style workgroup networking without your NT box as a Domain Server or controller! Inside Control Panel, Set these Services to manual via the MMC.EXE console in the Administrative Tools folder or in NT 4.0, the Services Icon in Control Panel!

* You can stall a truckload of them if you are not running it as a Server, save RAM, and CPU Cycles, and resources plus run faster! 

** Watch it though, some things might NOT run if you turn off some services... MMC.exe is a classic if you turn off Windows Management Instrumentation driver... That's why I say make them manual! The app demanding them will usually turn them on when needed if they are manual & NOT disabled in state!

*** On Windows²ººº Server, there are more services, but I did not cover those as many of them are needed to run things like SQL Server, IIS, and other "industrial strength" server type apps... but if you use that and have those tools installed but are not using them? TURN EM OFF!

Again, I do this on a Workstation and with THESE SERVICES IN THE LIST! You can do farther/more than this list, but that is up to you alone as I went on and did more too as you will see later in this post...!

WoW! On a sort of "off-note", today I learned I can run Win2k & STILL GET ONLINE, DO GAMING ONLINE, WebSurf etc. & only run 4 services! 

The minimum ones are: 

* If you're on a dialup modem ISP rather than cable or DSL, it might even be less if memory serves me right (as I used to disable WINS services to stop NetBIOS attacks in NT 4.0 Devices control panel icon which controls drivers or at least unbind WINS from TcpIP in networking! It's that or unbind Tcp/IP NetBIOS helper!)

(Now, a final tip!) 

Your last tune-up would be to use the http://www.speedguide.net tuning to your Tcp/IP networking stack drivers reparameterizing them! 

* NT based Os' are the fastest as is out there for networking & internetting, but this stuff at that site? (Makes 'em even faster!) ** There's more you can do, but this is one HELL of a start! NT based Os' are even MORE tuneable than Win9x ones are! 

You may also wish to checkout http://www.jsiinc.com/reghack.htm for EVEN MORE COMPREHENSIVE tuning tips and networking fixes + tricks there... MOST EXCELLENT NT BASED ADVICE SITE ON THE WIRE! That site & http://www.ntfaq.com! They're great stuff!