This guide will help you set up a Windows PC to use as a video content source in a production setting.
Disclaimer: Since the main goal of this configuration is to prevent interruptions to media software, some of these settings may come at the expense of normal functionality, OS security, or energy usage.
Phrases in blue can be executed by opening the start menu and typing the phrase.
Phrases < in yellow tags > are project-specific.
Step 1: Delete all files and reinstall Windows
It’s highly recommended to start with a fresh copy of the operating system.
Start > “Reset this PC”
Installing Windows - Out-of-box experience (OOBE)
< SERVER USERNAME > for user name < SERVER PASSWORD > for password Choose ‘Offline Account’ Turn off all tracking / ad preferences Leave email blank for registration
- Windows 11 - On the “Oops, you’ve lost internet connection” or “Let’s connect you to a network” page, use the Shift + F10 keyboard shortcut to open command prompt
- Type OOBE\BYPASSNRO and press enter. The PC will restart and OOBE will start again
Step 2: Windows Setup
Rame the PC: Start > “View PC name” Click “Rename this PC” Enter < SERVER NAME > for PC Name
Network
Start > “Network Connections” TCP/IPv4 Network settings for each NIC:
| IP Address: | < SERVER IP ADDRESS > |
|---|---|
| Subnet mask: | < SUBNET MASK > |
| Default Gateway: | < GATEWAY > |
| DNS Server: | < DNS PRIMARY > |
| Alternate DNS Server: | < DNS SECONDARY > |
Typical DNS Server: 8.8.8.8 Typical Alternate DNS Server: 8.8.4.4
Example TCP/IPv4 Network settings for a private AV network:
| IP Address: | <192.168.0.101> |
|---|---|
| Subnet mask: | < 255.255.255.0 > |
| Default Gateway: | < 192.168.0.1 > |
| DNS Server: | < 8.8.8.8 > |
| Alternate DNS Server: | < 8.8.4.4 > |
NAS (If Applicable to the Project)
Start > “File Explorer” Right click on “This PC” and select “Map Network Drive…”
| Drive: | Z: |
|---|---|
| Folder: | < NAS PATH > |
| Make sure “Reconnect at sign-in” is checked |
Auto Login
Start > “Registry Editor” Navigate to group: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon Right Click > New > String Value Make the following string values in the Winlogon folder:
| Value Name: | Type: | Value Data |
| AutoAdminLogon | String Value | 1 |
| DefaultUserName | String Value | < SERVER USERNAME > |
| DefaultPassword | String Value | < SERVER PASSWORD > |
Disable Windows Updates
Start > “Group Policy”
Navigate to: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components>Windows Update
Set “Configure Automatic Updates” to Disabled
Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components>Microsoft Defender Antivirus
Set “Turn off Microsoft Defender Antivirus” to Enabled
Note that MsMpEng.exe will try to prevent this. You may need to stop the process first.
Allow “Realtime” Priority
Start > “Local Security Policy”
Navigate to: Local Policies > User Rights Assignment > Increase Scheduling Priority
- Double click “Increase Scheduling Priority” to show Properties
- Click “Add User or Group…”
- Type < SERVER USERNAME > into the text field (“Enter the object names to select”)
- Click “Check Names” to verify
Step 3: Windows Configuration
Start > “Developer Settings” Click apply to turn on all settings for Explorer, Remote Desktop and Powershell.
Start > “Timezone” Set < PROJECT TIMEZONE >.
Start > “Power Settings” Set all triggers to ‘Never’
Start > “Active Hours” 6am to 11pm
Start > “Windows update delivery settings” Turn off “Allow Downloads from other PCs”
Start > “UAC” Set Never notify (move the slider all the way down)
Start > “Services” Open the Properties for “Windows Search”, then Stop and Disable it.
Start > “Adjust Performance” Adjust for best performance Re-enable “Show window contents…”
Start > “Show transparency in Windows” Turn off transparency effects
Start > “Background Apps” Turn off “Let apps run in the background”
Start > “Notifications” Turn all notifications off Disable “Show me the Windows welcome experience…”
Start > “Xbox networking” Navigate to “Xbox Game Bar”, then turn off Game Bar
Start > “Startup” Turn off OneDrive, Cortana, Skype, Windows Security Icon
Start > “Uninstall” Uninstall Skype, Office, Xbox Live
Start > “Taskbar Settings” Search > Hidden News and interests > Turn off Disable “Show Cortana button” Disable “Show Task View button” Unpin Microsoft Store Unpin Mail
Start > ‘Check for Updates’ Consider doing one final round of windows updates.
Taskbar
Search bar > Hidden News and interests > Turn off Disable “Show Cortana button” Disable “Show Task View button” Unpin Microsoft Store from taskbar Unpin Mail from taskbar
Step 4: Display Configuration
EDID Lock
This keeps the server unaware of any video issues or disconnects. Make sure the server is connected to the production video device. (e.g. the Video Matrix). If the connected video device is changed you may need to repeat the instructions:
Start > “NVIDIA Control Panel” Navigate to Workstation > View system topology
For each production output connected to the GPU:
- Click on “EDID (Monitor)”
- Select the relevant display and click “Export EDID”
- Store the EDID file in Documents/EDIDs
- Switch to the “Load” tab
- Browse to the newly created EDID file
- Check the box for the relevant display
- Click “Load EDID”
Nvidia Mosaic (If Applicable to the Project)
This is only necessary in multi-output configurations. Mosaic will present multiple displays as one virtual display to Windows with optional bezel correction.
Start > “NVIDIA Control Panel”
- Navigate to Workstation > Set up Mosaic
- Click “Create new configuration”
- Set up the displays according to the intended final mapping
Note that Mosaic will “disconnect” any non-mosaic displays after finishing the configuration (your GUI/KVM output, for example). This can be fixed by navigating to the Windows display settings, selecting the disconnected display and setting it back to “Extend Desktop…”
Step 5: BIOS Configuration
Set PC to automatically boot after power loss
Dell iDRAC: Start > “Powershell” ssh root@idrac.local racadm>> set BIOS.SysSecurity.AcPwrRcvry On racadm>> jobqueue create BIOS.Setup.1-1
Other Hardware:
The location and exact name of this setting will vary based on your hardware. Boot to BIOS via the keyboard. This can be either F1, F2, DEL, Enter then F1, or F10. Set to: Restore on AC Power Loss.
Boot from RTC