VMware Template Build for Windows 7 - rharmonson/richtech GitHub Wiki

#(DRAFT) VMware Template Build: Windows 7

##Optimize Windows Virtual Machine Performance (General)

  1. Create a new virtual machine using hardware version 9 for portability and management via vsphere client. You can always upgrade the hardware version to 10, but there is no downgrade option; it can be done but it is a nuisance.
  2. At creation, remove unwanted devices; reduces cpu overhead.
  3. Boot to VM bios and disable unwanted devices including 1394, serial, parrallel, and floppy if not needed.
  4. Is a boot delay desired? If so, edit vmx and add bios.bootDelay = "10000" where 10000 is the max value and 10 secs.
  5. Complete base operating installation.
  6. Install VMware Tools (Complete) or View agent or ..
  7. Install operating system updates.
  8. Review device manager and disable devices if appropriate.
  9. Explore.exe, Organize, View, deselect "Hide empty drives.." and "Hide extensions.."
  10. CP, Display properties, Adjust resolution: 1366x768
  11. CP, Display properties, Adjust resolution, Advanced Settings, Troubleshoot, Change Settings: Verify "Full" Hardare acceleration.
  12. CP, Personalization properties: use basic theme.
  13. CP, Personalization properties: Desktop background to solid color.
  14. CP, Personalization properties: no screen saver.
  15. CP, Performance Information and Tools, Adjust visual effects: Adjust for best performance.
  16. CP, Programs, Turn Windows features on or off: turn off Windows Gadget Platform, Tablet PC Components, Windows Search(?), media features (DVD Maker, Media Center, Media Player), Print and Document Services, ..
  17. If using Media Player, open and accept the default settings.
  18. CP, Services: Disable Windows Defender (step not needed if previous step was done).
  19. CP, Windows Updates, Turn automatic updating on or off, Never check for updates, deselect "Give me recommended updates.." and "Allow all user..".
  20. CP, Internet Options, Content, Setting under "Feed and Web Slice Settings", Deselect Automatic check feeds .. (default already?)
  21. Services: Disable Windows Indexing via services.msc and setting "Windows Search" to Disabled. If you turn off Windows Search, this step is not needed.
  22. CP, Windows Defender, Options, Administrator: Deselect Use this program
  23. Services: Disable Diagnostic Policy Service
  24. Services: Disable Superfetch
  25. System properties, System protection: Delete and disable System Protection. verify hardware acceleration is enabled.
  26. Sound properties, Sounds: Sound scheme to "No Sounds"
  27. Power Options: Use "High performance" and change power plan setting to "Never" Turn off the display.
  28. Troubleshooting properties, Change settings: Computer maintenance to Off.
  29. Install applications; bginfo, rsat, 7z, ccleaner, notepadpp, sumatrapdf, etc.
  30. Run Disk Cleanup, cleanmgr.exe, to remove temporary files, empty the Recycle Bin, and remove system files and other items that are no longer needed.
  31. Run Disk Defragmenter, dfrgui.exe, to rearrange fragmented data.
  32. Delete any hidden uninstall folders in C:\Windows, such $NtUninstallKB893756$.
  33. Delete all event logs. Using powershell,
wevtutil el | Foreach-Object {wevtutil cl "$_"}
  1. Task Scheduler (taskschd.msc), Microsoft, Windows, Defrag: Disable, Windows Defender: Disable, Application Experience: Disable (all) Customer Experience: Disable (all), Registry: Disable, SystemRestore: Disable ..
  2. Disable IPv6.
  3. bginfo: update registry for windows 7+ to run at logon.
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run]
"BGInfo"="c:\\install\\bginfo\\bginfo.cmd"
  1. Use the File System Utility, fsutil, command to disable the setting that keeps track of the last time a file was accessed.
fsutil behavior set disablelastaccess 1
  1. Directly edit the registry, regedit.exe and change the TimeOutValue REG_DWORD in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\Disk to 0x000000be(190). Alternatively create a .reg file, open, and merge.
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\Disk]
"TimeOutValue"=dword:000000be
  1. regedit.exe and update as show below or crate a .reg file to open and merge.
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management\PrefetchParameters]
"EnableSuperfetch"=dword:00000000
"EnablePrefetcher"=dword:00000000
  1. Prevent removal of VMware Tools; specifically mouse.
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup\Sysprep\Settings\sppnp]
"DoNotCleanUpNonPresentDevices"=dword:00000000
"PersistAllDeviceInstalls"=dword:00000001
  1. Server Does Not Use All Bandwidth Available When Streaming Files with Bit Rates over 100 Kbps.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/235257/en-us

Directly edit the registry at HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Afd\Parameters or create a file.reg with the following:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\AFD\Parameters]
"FastSendDatagramThreshold"=dword:000005dc

Open file and merge into the registry.

<If users are going to play full-screen videos or run 3D applications on desktops that run in a vSphere 5.1 environment, follow the instructions to modify the registry described in Microsoft KB 235257.

<The Microsoft KB is titled "Server Does Not Use All Bandwidth Available When Streaming Files with Bit Rates over 100 Kbps" and is located at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/235257. Restart the virtual machine to enable the modified registry setting to take effect.

<Without this optimization, brief freezes can occur, or the videos can stutter.