CPU Priority Shortcut for a Program - Create in Windows

How to Create a Shortcut to Run an Application with a Specific CPU Priority in Windows


information   Information
Windows shares the processor time between all running processes based upon their priority level. If a process has a higher priority, it gets more processor time compared to a process having a lower priority.

This tutorial will show you how to create a shortcut that will always run an application with a specific CPU priority by default in XP, Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8.

warning   Warning
You should not set processes to have a realtime priority since it could easily slow your system to a crawl by causing lower priority processes to not have the resources they need.




Here's How:

1. Right click or press and hold on an empty area of your desktop, and click/tap on New and Shortcut.

2. Type the command below into the location area, and click/tap on the Next button. (see screenshot below)
cmd.exe /c start "Program Name" /priority "Full path of application file"


For example: I would type this command below exactly if I wanted to create a shortcut to run Process Monitor using a high priority, and it's .exe file is located at "E:\Programs\Process Monitor 3.05\Procmon.exe".


cmd.exe /c start "Process Monitor" /High "E:\Programs\Process Monitor 3.05\Procmon.exe"
Note   Note
Substitute Program Name in the command with the actual program's name within quotes.

Note   Note

Substitute Full path of application file in the command with the full path of the file within quotes.​
Substitute priority in the command with the CPU priority level below you want the application file to run as.​
  • Realtime
  • High
  • AboveNormal
  • Normal
  • BelowNormal
  • Low

shortcut-1.jpg

3. Type any name you would like to give the shortcut, and click/tap on the Finish button. (see screenshot below)
shortcut-2.jpg

4. Right click or press and hold on the new shortcut, and click/tap on Properties.

5. Click/tap on the Shortcut tab, then click/tap on the Change Icon button. (see screenshot below)
Shortcut-3.png

6. In the line under "Look for icons in this file", copy and paste the same full path of the application file used in the shortcut below, and press Enter. (see screenshot below)
For example: E:\Programs\Process Monitor 3.05\Procmon.exe​
Shortcut-4.jpg

7. Select (highlight) the icon you want for the shortcut, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot above)
NOTE: You can use any icon that you would like instead though.

8. Click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below step 5)

9. In Vista and Windows 7, you can now Pin to Taskbar (Windows 7 only) or Pin to Start Menu, add to Quick Launch, assign a keyboard shortcut to it, or move this shortcut to where you like for easy use.

10. In Windows 8, you can Pin to Taskbar on desktop, Pin to Start screen, add to Quick Launch, assign a keyboard shortcut to it, or move this shortcut to where you like for easy use.


That's it,
Shawn


 

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thanks for that tutorial it seems to work fine, but I do have one question. After changing the priority how can I verify the the priority actually changed? When I check in the task manager the priority still seems to be 'normal' so I'm wondering if it really changed it.
 

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Hello JPS, and welcome to Eight Forums. :)

In addition, you can use the method in the tutorial below to verify what CPU priority a process is running at.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/35211-process-cpu-priority-level-view-windows-8-a.html

If it's not running what you set in the shortcut, then please post some screenshots of it in Task Manager and what you used for the shortcut. Also, post back with the name of the program, and I'll see if I may be able to get it to help test with.
 

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I think I see the problem now. The shortcut actually launches a launcher program which that starts the various processes so I'm not really setting the priority for process I need set to high. Without being able to change the launcher exe I don't think there any way to permanently launch one of the processes it launches to a different priority level. The program was I trying to permanently raise the priority for was Blue Stacks.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 8.1
I'm not sure you'll be able change it's priority using this method since it's not the direct process.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    64-bit Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self built
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K OC'd to 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
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    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
You could probably create a .bat file to run the program, use a timeout command to wait a few seconds to let the secondary process run, then use the command below to change the secondary process priority to what you want. Substitute the parts in red below for what you want instead.

wmic process where name="process name" CALL setpriority "value"

Possible values: "idle", "low", "below normal", "normal", "above normal", "high priority", "realtime"
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    64-bit Windows 10
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    Intel i7-8700K OC'd to 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
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    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
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    Thermaltake Core P3
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    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
thanks. that worked perfectly. created a .bat file and the program runs it after a short delay to set the priority as I like.
 

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:thumbsup:
 

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    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
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    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
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    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
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    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
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    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
Is it possible this cannot work on Windows 10? Or that i'm doing it wrong?

on a command-line, i entered:
Code:
cmd.exe /c start excel /HIGH
When i checked Task Manager, it appeared that Excel was only running at "Normal" priority, not high.

Thx!
 

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Hello Johny, :)

Test using the full path of the Excel .exe file in the command instead to see if that may help.
 

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    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
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    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
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    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
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Great news. :party:
 

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    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
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    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
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    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
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    OCZ Series Gold OCZZ1000M 1000W
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    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
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    Internet Speed
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Cant find program

Well hello everyone. ( Windows 10 )

im running a game that cannot be alt tabed down or it will crash. So i was thinking of using this method to start it at realtime. but im having an issue.

i used the command line - Start Stalker-COP /Realtime "c:\Arquivos de Programa (x86)\R.G. Mechanics\Stalker-COP" and when i clik the .bat is says it cant find the Stalker-COP after the " start " command .. ok so ive changed to it to its desktop name S.T.A.L.K.E.R Call Of Pripyat and now it says it can find this program too.

so which name should i use ? what am i doing wrong ?

Edit: so i think i found the right name. i opned the game and for a brief moment i could see the name on the task manager .. and i changed it .. now the message saying windows couldnt find the program dissapeared, BUT now after the .bat launches windows says i need an app to work this program :/ .. WTH is happening ?
 
Last edited:

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Hello Axlano, and welcome to Eight Forums. :)

It needs to be done on the games application (ex: .exe) file. See if the command below may work if "Stalker-COP" is an .exe file.

Check in Task Manager to see what name shows for the program though, and use that for the part in red below instead.

Start "Stalker-COP" /Realtime "%ProgramFiles(x86)%\R.G. Mechanics\Stalker-COP.exe"
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    64-bit Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self built
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K OC'd to 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    OCZ Series Gold OCZZ1000M 1000W
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    Thermaltake Core P3
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
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    Logitech wireless K800
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    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
im running a game that cannot be alt tabed down or it will crash. So i was thinking of using this method to start it at realtime. but im having an issue.

It is not a good idea to use realtime priority on a game. I would even suggest the the use of High priority be used only with great care. The problem is that there are critical system threads that run at a lower priority and they may be starved of CPU time. The consequences of that are unpredictable, but generally unpleasant.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
Agreed. "Above Normal" would be about as high as you would want to go for a game.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    64-bit Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self built
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K OC'd to 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    OCZ Series Gold OCZZ1000M 1000W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Malwarebyte Anti-Malware Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
thanks for fast replying.. so ive opened the task manager again and the name in it is " X-ray 1.6 Engine " but if clik it it expands and appears another name " S.TA.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat. Which should i use ?

and for matters of understanding x ray is actually the engine the game runs on

Edit: when in task manager i went to detaisl tab and discovered a third name xrEngine.exe ( apparently the priority status is only able to be changed in the detaisl tab ) but the name of exe file in the foulder is Stalker-COP.exe

So my question keeps on .. wich name should i use ?

and also i used the xrEngine.exe the game opens up but the priority stills normal
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10
You can test with both names.

Some games may not work well using this if the .exe only opens another process.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    64-bit Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self built
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K OC'd to 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    OCZ Series Gold OCZZ1000M 1000W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Malwarebyte Anti-Malware Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
You can test with both names.

Some games may not work well using this if the .exe only opens another process.

I tested with all the names .. the one that worked better was the xrEngine.exe

yeah i think thats the problem in question ( opneing another process ).. but i used the xrEngine.exe wich is in the process detail .. the game worked perfectly but havent had a change in the priority status :/ .. i will keep testing if i find a solution i will post here for others with the same problem

and also .. since im having this oportunity .. if you like games play stalker call of pripyat and put on some graphics mods it will look sweet. one of the best games ive played. Very realistc and one of the best AI on the market of games
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10
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