IT>   To test this, start some not very CPU consuming text mode program (I
IT>   use "ping localhost") in a window and start draging a biger window
IT>   with full-window draging enabled.
IT> 
IT>   If you run the ping process at any lower priority than Time Critical
IT>   (doesn't matter if it's Regular, Idle, or Foreground Server) you'll
IT>   notice it stops while you're draging the window, while if you run it
IT>   at Time Critical, you'll notice that it multitasks pretty smoothly.

DT>  I suspec this is related to the video update, not the underlying app. 
  >  
IT>   So, this poses several questions:
IT> 
IT>    1) Why do PM operations run at a different priority than the calling
IT>       program?
IT> 
IT>    2) Where exactly is the code for these operations located?
IT>       PMSHELL.EXE, the PM*.DLL libraries, where?
IT> 
IT>    3) Is it possible to adjust the priority of these operations so that
IT>       they run at 0x200? (this is the only way to prevent the background
IT>       programs from stoping when doing heavy PM screen I/O)
IT> 
IT>   Regarding the 3rd question, I tried changing the priorities of the
IT>   threads of the second instance of PMSHELL.EXE (Process Commander
IT>   wouldn't touch the first instance), but it didn't have any effect on
IT>   the drawing operations (or any other operation for that matter).
IT> 
IT>   As a final note, I tried this on a Win98 system at my friend's home,
IT>   and when you type DIR /S and move the window (or move other windows)
IT>   with full window draging, the listing of directories doesn't stop, and
IT>   behaves just as you would expect (slows down a little). It looks
IT>   rather nice when you move the window with directories scrolling by in
IT>   it.

DT>  OS/2 doesn't artifically boost the video output at the expense of the
  > underlying application threads. Win95/98 (and NT Workstation) are 
  > specificly "tuned" so video updates (user visable) will preempt any
  > other operations. This makes it "look" faster to the typical user. 

   As well, 95 just plain bypasses execution of a large number of 
   video updates, purely in the interest of faking higher speeds... 
   particularly in windowed DOS applications.


                                       LRA


 -- SPEED 2.00 #2720: Illiterate?  Write for free help.

--- Maximus/2 3.01