Default CPU priority in XP?

[btf]

I was wondering if there's a way to change the default application priority in winxp?

Like certain applications will use 100% of your cpu and make multitasking impossible. Unless I'm running a game I don't want any application to have maxiumum priority.

Is this possible?

[lomn75]

It can be done from the command line (so you can rig a shortcut as appropriate) or via a tool like PowerMenu, which can toggle priorities dynamically.

What's eating your CPU, though? Not many programs other than games will do that by default.

[btf]

Like installing apps via cdrom. Certain applications during install. A buggy program stuck in a loop...

It's not a common thing it just becomes annoying. Like I don't think an installer programs needs ALL of my cpu making doing anything else impossible. Reminds of downloading on a 56k or something :)

[DarkFire]

You can also do it from the task manager by right-clicking the process. I still have 56k :(

[ameoba]

A low priority doesn't mean that a process -won't- use 100%. It means that, when multiple processes want CPU time, lower priority processes will get less time when other processes want it. If all your other apps are sitting there idle, a process with the lowest priority can still take 100%.