External calls to Windows, variable speed to execute

Problem: Calling an external procedure from within Igor, myprogram.exe, takes 3 times longer at times.

Is there a way to optimize how IGOR cues the executescript command to start windows procedures?
Either within IGOR or within windows.

I'm running a test using IGOR 6.20
2004 era, Celeron PC running windows 2000 (tektronics TDS-5630)

I use executescript to run a windows console program, ampGain.exe
This takes about 170 ticks to run, but will run faster, 50 ticks, if the PC
is also serving an external client with realvnc (remote desktop type program)

It runs faster if the OS is busier.

So I'm guessing that some windows service is active because of the realvnc, but otherwise is
idle when IGOR tries to invoke the executescript command. If I knew the likely windows service
I could set it to run always and so speed things up without needing to run the realvnc.

clear as mud?


cmdfilew1 ="\"C:\\ampGain.exe\""
tick3 = ticks
ExecuteScriptText /B cmdoutputw1
tick4 = ticks
texec = tick4 - tick3
print "time to run ampwrite exe", texec