Post-Install Guide

ReviOS may activate itself automatically upon installation, using the OEM key connected to your BIOS, just like any other Windows version would do.

If your ReviOS installation isn't automatically activated, follow one of the Methods listed down below.

Method 1 - Windows Settings

Go to:

• Windows Settings

  • Update & Security

    • Activation

Now activate Windows in Activation using your product key.

Method 2 - Control Panel

Head into:

• Control Panel

  • System and Security

    • System

And at the bottom of the page you'll find the header Windows activation, here click Change product key.

Note: Depending on your Windows version, this may redirect you to Windows Settings.

Method 3 - Command Prompt

Press the Windows key + R on your keyboard to open Run.

Now to open the command prompt itself, type in:

CMD

A new command prompt Window will open, and in this Windows paste the following commands respectively

slmgr /ipk XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX

slmgr /ato

Replace "XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX" with your own product key.

Method 4 - Software Licensing User Interface (workaround)

Press the Windows key + R on your keyboard to open Run.

To open the slui (Software Licensing User Interface), type in:

slui.exe

Then type in your product key.

NVIDIA

We're going to be using third party programs called NVCleanstall and NVSlimmer to strip our drivers of bloatware, telemetry and unneeded/obsolete features. We're using either of them, not both of them at the same time. Choose the one that fits your habits more.

NVCleanstall

1. Download and install NVCleanstall.

2. Open the program, and tick Install the best driver for my hardware, then click Next.

   • You can also manually select your preferred GPU driver with the option below.

3. Tick Minimum or Recommended in the bottom right, after that hit Next. (We recommend Minimum)

   • No need to tick the Visual Runtimes as they're already included in the ISO.

   • PhysX is only used by a handful of games, so most of you can keep this unticked.

   • If ShadowPlay is a necessity, make sure you only select the bare minimum required for it. Note that ShadowPlay adds telemetry onto your system!

     • You can use this script to remove GeForce Expterience telemetry.

4. While the Driver is being downloaded you can tick a few tweaks under Additional Tweaks.

   • We recommend you to tick everything except Unattended Express Installation.

5. Now your driver will be installed like any other NVIDIA driver.

NVSlimmer

1. Download and install NvSlimmer and download regular Nvidia drivers from the official website (I recommend the 442.74 version)

2. Import your downloaded driver to the software, and preferably keep only both required packages.

3. Only check other options if you need them, ie. if you have a Usb-C port, tick the Usb-c driver, or if you need Geforce Experience, tick it

   • No need to tick the Visual Runtimes as we are separately installing them afterwards.

   • PhysX is only used by a handful of games, so most of you can keep this unticked.

4. Press Apply and then Install driver when prompted, and it will install just like any NVIDIA driver.

AMD

Installing your GPU drivers on AMD Cards is straightforward and doesn't need any slimming whatsover, unless you don't even want the AMD Control Panel. We don't recommend that, but if you really want to, follow the steps in this video provided by Zeal.

Video link.

Intel - For U series (6th generation or up)

Newer Intel chips have been stuck with DCH drivers, which need Microsoft store to get the control panel. If you are in this scenario and want the old Intel control panel, follow the steps below:

1. Download the Intel driver .zip from here and unzip it.

2. Open device manager, and navigate to display adapters .

3. Right click your Intel display adapter and click update driver.

5. Click “let me pick from a list” and then press “have disk”.

6. Click “browse” and navigate into the folder we extracted earlier.

7. Enter the graphics folder, and select the .inf that appears on screen.

8. Click “open”, and then “okay”, and then scroll through and click on your graphics card.

9. Click “next” and then “yes”

Microsoft DirectX® End-User Runtime

DirectX is a collection of APIs required for games to run and function optimally.

It is not required that you install these here and now, as most game clients (Steam, Origin, Uplay etc.) will be installing DirectX in conjunction with a game being installed from said client. Installing them now will ensure that you don't miss out on them later, and might save you some time during future game installations.

Instructions

1. Download and run the DirectX End-User Runtime Web Installer

2. Upon running the installer you will be introduced to a Welcome page.

3. Here click I accept the agreement and then click Next in the bottom right.

4. The following page will offer you the Bing Bar, make sure to untick Install the Bing Bar as this is considered advertising bloatware.

5. Now click Next.

6. Wait for the installation to complete.

7. When the installation has completed click Finish in the bottom right.

Visual C++ Runtime Installer

Visual C++ Runtimes are required for a diverse range of programs and games. The required Runtimes may be packed with the programs you install, but that is not always the case. Instead of downloading and installing each and every Runtime individually, we will be using an all-in-one installer to speed up the process.

Like DirectX Runtimes, it is recommended that you install C++ now to avoid program errors in the future.

Method 1 (newest):

1. Download Visual C++ Redistributable Runtimes All-in-One from TechPowerUp.

2. Extract the .zip file using a file archiver like 7-zip.

3. Make sure all the extracted files are in the same directory.

4. Run install_all.bat to complete the installation.

Method 2:

1. Download and run all-in-one Visual C++ Runtime Installer

2. The installer will extract and unpack the files required for it to work.

3. When the installer is done unpacking it will open a command prompt.

4. In this installer command prompt click "Y" on your keyboard to start the installation.

5. The all-in-one installer will now automatically install all the Visual C++ Runtimes for you.

NVIDIA Control Panel settings optimization

This will cover the settings you have to tweak to achieve minimal latency, high FPS, good frametimes and consistent colors.

This guide will be split up into different sections. This makes it easier to navigate for you.

Note:

• Make sure you have an NVIDIA graphics card and that you have installed an NVIDIA GPU driver. (see step 2. above)

• This guide is not intended for in-game graphics improvements, rather the exact opposite. You may experience a drop in graphics for more FPS.

• Intended for fast-paced games, where latency and performance is of utmost importance.

Open NVIDIA Control Panel

To open NVIDIA Control Panel go to:

• Control Panel

  • Hardware and Sound

    • NVIDIA Control Panel

Adjust image settings with preview

1. Tick Use my preference emphasizing:

2. Drag the slider all the way to the left so that it says Performance.

3. Hit Apply in the bottom right.

4. Now tick Use the advanced 3D image settings.

   • This enforces a good foundation by applying the Performance image settings preset. This will save us some time in the next step.

Manage 3D settings

You may not be able to see some of the Settings listed down below, just ignore that.

Ensure that your 3D settings match the following.

Global Settings:

• Image Sharpening: Off

• Ambient Occlusion: Off

• Anisotropic filtering: Application-controlled

• Antialiasing - FXAA: Off

• Antialiasing - Gamma correction: Off

• Antialiasing - Mode: Application-controlled

• Antialiasing - Setting: None

• Antialiasing - Transparency: Off

• CUDA - GPUs: All

• DSR - Factors: Off

• DSR - Smoothness: Off

• Low Latency Mode: On

• Monitor Technology: Fixed Refresh

• Multi-Frame Sampled AA (MFAA): Off

• OpenGL rendering GPU: [your GPU]

• Power management mode: Prefer maximum performance

• Preferred refresh rate (monitor name): Highest available

• Shader Cache: On

• Texture filtering - Anisotropic sample optimization: On

• Texture filtering - Negative LOD bias: Allow

• Texture filtering - Quality: High performance

• Texture filtering - Trilinear optimization: On

• Threaded optimization: Auto

• Triple bufferring: Off

• Vertical sync: Off

• Virtual Reality pre-rendered frames: 1

Now finally click Apply in the bottom right.

Configurre Surround, PhysX

• Under PhysX settings, make sure the Processor is set to your GPU.

Change resolution

1. Navigate to 3. Apply the following settings.

2. Tick Use NVIDIA color settings.

3. Make sure that Output dynamic range is set to Full.

   • Additionally make sure that Output color format is set to RGB, most displays support it nowadays.

Adjust desktop color settings

• Tick Use NVIDIA settings.

  • This ensures that your display colors will stay the same universally.

Adjust desktop size and position

1. Select your display.

2. Under:

   • 2. Apply the following settings:

     • Scaling

       • Tick No scaling.

     • Next under Perform scaling on: select Display and tick Override the scaling mode set by games and programs.

Note:

• The best resolution for your monitor will almost always be your native resolution with No scaling ticked. This is enforces the lowest display lag.

• If you're using a stretched resolution set the scaling mode to Full-Screen.

• If you have multiple monitors you might want to replicate above, using your secondary monitor(s).

Set up G-SYNC

Untick Enable G-SYNC, G-SYNC Compatible.

• This is a debatable topic, whether G-SYNC causes additional input lag. Technically G-SYNC will add input lag, as it is a sync feature, meaning one thing has to wait for another, in order for them to be in sync. The question then remains, is the added input lag even perceivable? Probably not.

Adjust video color image settings

1. Head down to 2. How do you make color adjustments?.

2. Tick With the NVIDIA settings.

3. Go to Advanced and set Dynamic range: to Full (0-255).

Replicate this on your other monitor(s) if you have any.

Adjust video image settings

1. Go to 2. Apply these settings to my video content:

2. Under Edge enhancement tick Use the NVIDIA setting and drag the slider all the way to the left so that it says 0%.

3. Apply the same settings to Noise reduction by ticking Use the NVIDIA setting then make sure the slider is all the way to the left, yet again at 0%.

Replicate this on your other monitor(s) if you have any.