essential difference between activated and unactivated windows

[leonardave]

Hi,

From the view of operating system(Windows), what is the essential difference between activated and unactivated windows in process state, system resource allocation as well as in time-slice assignment? eg. Is the priority of activated window higher than a unactivated one?

Thanks in advance!

David

[webJose]

I can't be sure about it, and maybe you should ask this question in a Microsoft forum (http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums), but I would say that they get the same time slice, and resource consumption is unaffected. Just because a window is not the foremost, it doesn't mean that it is idle or that should otherwise become inactive. I can open an application and ask it to process a very large log file, then open my Internet browser and start checking my mail while the deactivated application works hard to complete the job.

[leonardave]

Hi,

I looked it up on Internet, someone said that the thread which has a activated window can get more time slice than other with a unactivated windows, Is that correct? I am not sure, need your help!

David

[kbw]

The priority of threads/processes on Windows is dynamic within a band. Priorities are continuously being bumped up and down within its range. Additionally, by default, Workstation installations give the foreground task an extra boost.

Priorities have nothing to do with Windows states.