XP Command Line Visual Effects

[StormLogiX]

I have written a small tool to select the Visual Effects Performance Options from the "System Options" control panel through command line.

Written with AutoIt3. The .au3 source code provided.

I'm talking about the visual effects settings which can be set by:

My Computer --> Right click, Properties --> System Options --> Advanced --> Visual Effects Settings.

There you can choose from:

• "Let Windows choose what's best"
  
• "Adjust for best appearance"
  
• "Adjust for best performance"
  
• "Custom"
  

The advantage of this is that it applies all settings right away without the need of rebooting first and the most important: no stupid .reg files with hundreds of lines spread all over registry in HKCU or HKLM or wherever and nobody really knows if it's working or not!!

So here it is:

XP Command Line Visual Effects

Usage:
visualeffects.exe <choice> [/titles="Title1";"Title2"] [/silent[=##]]

Choices:
   /auto                      select "Let Windows choose what's best"
   /appearance                select "Adjust for best appearance"
   /performance               select "Adjust for best performance"
   /custom=#########          select "Custom" (where # is 0 or 1 for each option, max 16 options)

Other Parameters:
   /titles="Title1";"Title2"  Specify the title of "System Properties" and "Performance
                              Options" of your language's Windows.
   /silent[=##]               Don't ask, just autodetect.
                              [Optional: timeout in seconds before continuing
                              (default = 1)].

Note:
German or English windows will be detected automatically.
All other languages must specify the title of "System Properties" and "Performance Options" of their language's Windows otherwise the script will try to autodetect the right windows' titles and ask for confirmation. Optionally you can provide /silent so no confirmation will be asked.

Examples:
   visualeffects.exe /custom=000101001
      --> select "Custom" with specified options (the rest of options will be asumed 0)
   visualeffects.exe /appearance /titles="Systemeigenschaften";"Leistungsoptionen"
      --> example for providing titles, in this case for German windows
   visualeffects.exe /performance /silent
      --> select "best performance" for any language's Windows without confirming (hopefully)

Have fun with it.

Hope it really works on every language Windows. Never tested it.

I recommend starting it with WIHU at RunOnceEx. Works perfectly for me.

Note:

This is another similar tool I found in this forum "VisualEffectsChangerXP" by smc1979.

http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=30078&st=0

My personal opinion: don't like that it needs an .ini file and basically just sets some registry and hence must reboot afterwards to take effect.

But interesting to read.

StormLogiX

© 1977

XPCommandLineVisualEffects.zip

[StormLogiX]

Here's a screenshot

[MCT]

looks well done.. ill test it now

EDIT: tested, i like it, BUT.. is there a way u can suppress the window popups?

so it doesnt open system properties window

[StormLogiX]

tested, i like it, BUT.. is there a way u can suppress the window popups?

so it doesnt open system properties window

Thanks that you liked it, and... nope, there isn't. I can hide it once it pops up but that will just flash the window for a few millisecond before hiding it, so it's no use. just the same as now.

But if someone can enhance my AutoIt3 script you're welcome

But looking at the option window, doing all the check box custom settings all by itself and automatically closing all windows afterwards... I find it cute

[dthrckt]

i don't know about cute, but it works, thanks

[gregh82]

Sorry to sound like a noob but will this work on computer that have already being setup and have users already log-on? Or does this only work when installing windows for teh first time?

Im going CRAZY trying to find a solution that will disable these visualeffects for machines that are already set-up.

cheers

[--=ddSHADOW=--]

VERY NICE

@mods STICKY this topic

my setup

REG ADD %KEY%\000 /VE /D "Setting visual effects..." /f

REG ADD %KEY%\000 /V 1 /D "%systemdrive%\install\VisualEffects\visualeffects.exe /custom=0000000000110011 /silent" /f

[MXM]

Sorry to sound like a noob but will this work on computer that have already being setup and have users already log-on? Or does this only work when installing windows for teh first time?

Im going CRAZY trying to find a solution that will disable these visualeffects for machines that are already set-up.

cheers

i am at this same point, can any1 tell if this works with pcs that have already created accounts? any special indication?

Thanks!

^

wel i just gave it the shot and it worked.... now wondering if it works on Vista.... hey is the author of this still around? pls msgme.

the line that works good enough for me is

................exe /performance /silent[1]

peace.

Edited January 27, 2010 by MXM

[stockwel]

Thanks fr your great work! All is working well except my dialog box is not automagically closing after making my custom setting changes. Is this expected behavior or am I missing a setting. My .cmd file contains the following:

SET KEY=HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnceEx

REG ADD %KEY%\000 /VE /D "Setting visual effects..." /f

REG ADD %KEY%\000 /V 1 /D "%windir%\system32\visualeffects.exe /custom=00000000001 /silent" /f

Thanks once again,

Andrea

[up2late]

Thanks fr your great work! All is working well except my dialog box is not automagically closing after making my custom setting changes. Is this expected behavior or am I missing a setting. My .cmd file contains the following:

SET KEY=HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnceEx

REG ADD %KEY%\000 /VE /D "Setting visual effects..." /f

REG ADD %KEY%\000 /V 1 /D "%windir%\system32\visualeffects.exe /custom=00000000001 /silent" /f

Thanks once again,

Andrea

Mine seems to do something similar. Once it's set, the device works as expected. When rebooted and it runs again, it brings up the system properties and hangs. If I go in and change the value, then reboot, it works.