setting SRCDS process priority in XP Pro when running as service

[Moike_the_Squid]

I've spent a couple day searching forums and IT websites, and
I'm afraid I have to break down and ask for help from Windows
savvy admins. I'm a *nix guy, but I'm trying to expand my
knowledge and learn Windows Server/Services as I go.

Normally I would start SRCDS with the .bat file. The nice
thing is that the .bat uses the 'start /high' switch to make
sure the SRCDS process is always started at High priority.

So I used instsrv and srvany to create a service called SRCDS.
No problem there. Then I hit...

Start > Control Panel > Admin Tools > Services

and find the SRCDS service. Right clicking, I select Properties
and set the following options on the tabs.

General
- Startup > Automatic
Log On
- Local System account > Allow the service to interact with desktop

And all that works just fine. I can start the service and SRCDS
runs. Console window pops up, and I can access it just like I
would with the .bat file.

The problem is that when I go to the Task Manager and check
the process priority for the SRCDS service it's 'Normal' not 'High'.
I've looked online, and I can't find anything to set in the
registery or in any of the admin tools that will allow me to make
sure the SRCDS service starts up with high priority every
single time.

Right now I have to bring up the Task Manager and manually
set the process priority to High from Normal. And well that really
makes all the work to automate SRCDS into a service pretty much
pointless.

Here's a peace offering of useful Windows information for anybody
who can give me a hand with this. I found this stuff trying to
find a solution to this problem.

Windows Registry reference bible. With key and string value syntax:
http://www.windowsitlibrary.com/Content/69/01/toc.html

Windows Resource Toolkit command manpages with syntax:
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/...ls_overview.asp

Thanks for any help...
-Mike-

[j0ntar]

http://www.moonlight-software.com/freeware.htm

I warn you could cause strange behavior. Best thing to do is crack ticrate up.

[Moike_the_Squid]

Thanks...

I found a much better way. Ditch Microsoft instsrv
and srvany and install this guy's binaries.

http://www.nick.rozanski.com/services.htm

Once you write up your .ini file with the keyvalues
you want to use, it installs and spins up SRCDS
like butter. Srvstart will also keep tabs on the
process, and restart it should it see it crash.

I dig it.

-Mike-