Assigning process to single core

[Lateralus]

Hi all, I have a quad core system and as most gamers know, there are some older games that are best run, or can only be run on a single core. Not a big deal, just set the process affinity to a single core in the task manager as most know, but it gets annoying doing it each time and there is one game in particular that tends to crash if alt-tabbed out of... I have heard there is third party software to automatically assign the process to an individual core, but all I can find is reference to something called Task Assignment Manager and all the links to it are broken... Please help direct me to a good program if you can... keep in mind my primary system I game on is a Quad Core 64 bit system with Vista.

[noaccount]

process explorer?

[Raymond]

http://www.raymond.cc/blog/archives/2009/02/25/permanently-set-process-priority-in-windows-task-manager-with-prio/

Done.

[Lateralus]

Hmm, this only shows for the priority and not the affinity (amount of cores)? And people are saying it doesn't work in Vista? It would be the same as this http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/...uck,815-3.html, but work in a 64 bit system and be able to be found.

[Raymond]

My bad...

Try using this process tool and it has a command to change the affinity of processes. The instructions is nearly at the end. You can create a batch script and put it in Startup folder.
http://www.softtreetech.com/24x7/archive/42.htm

Tested on Windows 7 and it works.
Command is bindcpu affinity path.
Example, bindcpu 1 C:\windows\notepad.exe

[Lateralus]

Thanx Raymond, this is for a game, so I will have to make a batch file as a shortcut to teh game when I run it I will just run the batch file. I was hoping for something that could set it forever, but this will work ok, Thanx again Raymond.

Ahh, it can't see processes on different drives or partitions?

[Raymond]

Not sure I've only tested it on a single partition.
Don't work even if you specified the full path?

[Lateralus]

I did specify full path, from my experience with cmd when you access a directory in a partition other than the primary you have to switch with /d, like

cd /d D:\

etc...
I imagine they don't have that switch in their software... I contacted the company about it and they wrote me a rude email back letting me know that I don't pay for teh software, therefore I have no right in getting technical help, although all I did was ask a basic question...

[Raymond]

Since they are such an ass, try another one.
http://www.activeplus.com/us/freeware/RunFirst

[Lateralus]

Thank you very much Raymond... I will try it out and let you know if it works on my system.

Ok this worked by putting the RunFirst application in the individual program folder, it does not have directory switching unless RunFirst is at the root of that folder... I think, I am pretty sure. I have been experimenting with running different batch commands and switches from different directories and then in the same directory, also running straight from cmd... Best way is to put the Runfirst.exe in the folder of the actual executable and then write a batch in the same folder called whatever you want to

Runfirst.exe filename.exe

run the file from that. Of course you can make a shortcut anywhere aimed at that batch file. I have tested on 2 separate partitions and all but one application has actually started on a single core. Out of 7 processes I justed tested, I tested 5 regular programs and 2 games and the only one that wouldn't change affinity is one of teh games, the other game worked just fine. I though it might have been a security thing, but I have ownership of all the files and folders and I even double checked the security tab and tried Run as Administrator and as soon as I started the batch up it shut right back down. I have 3 games that need single affinities and I just tried it on them and it worked so it's what I need. Thanx raymond...