Can't get windows to use all my ram
CHRIS CHASE
although my computer acknowledges that there are 256mb installed - I
don't think it is using the new ram - When I check the properties on "my
computer" it say 75"% free when I start up - the same as it did before.
I still run out of memory when I run multiple apps (same as before) -
any thoughts . . p.s. - never buy anything from DELL (can I say that
here?) - They claim to have great support but I absolutely - no matter
how hard I try - can not get through on the phone to them - and you
wouldn't believe the email response they sent me to this question - you
would laugh out loud if you read it - only - it's not that funny
anymore.
Tom Hoots
> I installed an extra 128mb ram (for total of 256mb) recently and,
> although my computer acknowledges that there are 256mb installed - I
> don't think it is using the new ram - When I check the properties on "my
> computer" it say 75"% free when I start up - the same as it did before.
The "percent free" shown in the System Properties "Performance" tab is a
percent free of "System Resources," =not= "RAM" on your system. Windows
reserves a certain amount of RAM for its "system resources," and it
doesn't matter how much RAM you've got -- Windows reserves that same
amount. So, you =shouldn't= see a change in that figure after upgrading
with more RAM...
--
Tom Hoots
tho...@home.com
http://www.members.home.net/thoots
Mark Dormer
store menus, pens ect. It's the same size on all computers 64K and 128K.
--
Mark Dormer
http://www.angelfire.com/biz/serenitymacros
CHRIS CHASE <cgc...@home.com> wrote in message
news:37ABAB4E...@home.com...
> I installed an extra 128mb ram (for total of 256mb) recently and,
> although my computer acknowledges that there are 256mb installed - I
> don't think it is using the new ram - When I check the properties on "my
> computer" it say 75"% free when I start up - the same as it did before.
zeplynne
want to see an operating system using maximum RAM, switch to Windows NT,
with that much memory it will use it and it will scream!!!!
zeplynne
gains make sure you have ample free hard drive space.
Ken Blake
news:37ABAB4E...@home.com...
> I installed an extra 128mb ram (for total of 256mb)
recently and,
> although my computer acknowledges that there are 256mb
installed - I
> don't think it is using the new ram - When I check the
properties on "my
> computer" it say 75"% free when I start up - the same as
it did before.
That's System Resources, not RAM--another thing entirely.
System Resources are small heaps of memory used by Windows
to keep track of running programs. We all have the same
amount, regardless of how much RAM we have.
> I still run out of memory when I run multiple apps (same
as before) -
Out of memory messages in Windows usually refer to being out
of virtual memory (the swap file) not RAM. Have you limited
the size of the swap file on some way? Turned it off? Set a
maximum size for it? Put it on a partition with little free
disk soace? All of these are bad to do, and could account
for your problem.
--
Ken Blake
Please reply to the newsgroup.
Ron Martell
>I installed an extra 128mb ram (for total of 256mb) recently and,
>although my computer acknowledges that there are 256mb installed - I
>don't think it is using the new ram - When I check the properties on "my
>computer" it say 75"% free when I start up - the same as it did before.
>I still run out of memory when I run multiple apps (same as before) -
>any thoughts . . p.s. - never buy anything from DELL (can I say that
>here?) - They claim to have great support but I absolutely - no matter
>how hard I try - can not get through on the phone to them - and you
>wouldn't believe the email response they sent me to this question - you
>would laugh out loud if you read it - only - it's not that funny
>anymore.
You are being confused by the terms "memory" and "system resources".
These are two distinct items and there is no direct physical
relationship between them.
"system resources" refers to two 64K blocks of RAM that windows uses
for program tracking purposes. The two blocks are referred to as
"user resources" and "GDI resources" respectively.
Resources are allocated to applications as they request them, and
applications are supposed to release the resources back to Windows
when they are closed. Supposed to, but don't always do so.
Some applications are known to use more resources than others. Web
browsers use a lot, especially if multiple browser windows are opened.
System utilities (Norton, Hurricane, First Aid, and other assorted
"crapware") are also highly demanding of resources. It is often
better to leave these items out of your startup, and only run them
occasionally (if ever). "Eye candy" such as Active Desktop, animated
screensavers, fancy mouse cursors and so forth also use up generous
quantities of scarce resources.
On the other hand, if you are getting genuine "out of memory" errors
rather than "low resources" warnings then that is an entirely
different story. Please post another message with the exact wording
of the error message(s) if that is the case.
Good luck.
Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca
Please note my new email address and URL
Peter Low
regardless of how much memory you have, Win95/98 will grab it all but only
address the first 64mb RAM.
However, there's no need to change the flavour of you operating system just
so you can use more than 64mb RAM in your computer
Windows95/98 WILL use ONLY 64mb RAM, and leave the rest of your memory free
for your applications, all you have to do is tell it to!
CONFIGURE WIN95/98 TO USE ONLY 64mb RAM Leaving the remaining for you
applications...
<click> START BUTTON
<click> RUN option
<type> SYSEDIT - {This will execute the system editor}
<select>MENU WINDOW
<select> C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM.INI
<select> MENU SEARCH
<select> FIND option
<type> vcache {return}
Under the section [vcache] enter the following lines........
[vcache]
MinFileCache=1024
MaxFileCache=65536
The MinFileCache=1024 sets the minimum to 1mb
The MaxFileCache=65536 sets the maximum to 64mb
Save and Exit
Now reboot your computer, when it restarts your computer will then only take
64mb RAM leaving the rest free for you applications..... who needs NT?
CHRIS CHASE <cgc...@home.com> wrote in message
news:37ABAB4E...@home.com...
John Sheehy
"Peter Low" <pj...@globalnet.co.uk> wrote :
>As stated in previous reply's, Windows 95/98 can only address 64mb RAM,
>regardless of how much memory you have, Win95/98 will grab it all but only
>address the first 64mb RAM.
This is not true at all. There is no boundary at the 64 meg mark in
Win9x. I've gone from 12 megs to 8 to 24 to 40 to 64 to 128 and to 256,
and there is *NO* difference whatsoever except the amount of ram. I
just had a disk cache of 180 megs last night!
>However, there's no need to change the flavour of you operating system just
>so you can use more than 64mb RAM in your computer
>Windows95/98 WILL use ONLY 64mb RAM, and leave the rest of your memory free
>for your applications, all you have to do is tell it to!
>CONFIGURE WIN95/98 TO USE ONLY 64mb RAM Leaving the remaining for you
>applications...
>
><click> START BUTTON
><click> RUN option
><type> SYSEDIT - {This will execute the system editor}
><select>MENU WINDOW
><select> C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM.INI
><select> MENU SEARCH
><select> FIND option
><type> vcache {return}
>
>Under the section [vcache] enter the following lines........
>
>[vcache]
>MinFileCache=1024
>MaxFileCache=65536
Now you're contradicting yourself. You said that Win95/98 will only use
64 megs, and now you're showing us how to force it to only use 64 megs.
I wouldn't call this vcache "what Win95/98 uses". That's only one of
The OS' uses of ram.
>The MinFileCache=1024 sets the minimum to 1mb
>The MaxFileCache=65536 sets the maximum to 64mb
>
>Save and Exit
>
>Now reboot your computer, when it restarts your computer will then only take
>64mb RAM leaving the rest free for you applications..... who needs NT?
If you had no maximum, almost all of your ram could be used by apps.
The Win98 vcache is dynamic, and shrinks when apps need the memory (the
Win95 vcache is supposed to in theory, but doesn't). There is normally
no need for a max in Win98.
Setting a minimum of 1 meg is pretty sill, since only a machine with 24
megs or less could *ever* have a vcache of only 1 meg. The vcache must
be at least 4.5% of your ram. It never shrinks lower, under any
circumstances.
--
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>>< ><<>
John P Sheehy <jsh...@ix.netcom.com>
><<> <>>< <>>< ><<> <>>< ><<> ><<> <>><
Ken Blake
news:7ojmrb$618$1...@gxsn.com...
> As stated in previous reply's, Windows 95/98 can only
address 64mb RAM,
> regardless of how much memory you have, Win95/98 will grab
it all but only
> address the first 64mb RAM.
Previous replies or not, this statement is simply untrue.
--
Ken Blake
Please reply to the newsgroup.
> However, there's no need to change the flavour of you
operating system just
> so you can use more than 64mb RAM in your computer
>
> Windows95/98 WILL use ONLY 64mb RAM, and leave the rest of
your memory free
> for your applications, all you have to do is tell it to!
>
> CONFIGURE WIN95/98 TO USE ONLY 64mb RAM Leaving the
remaining for you
> applications...
>
> <click> START BUTTON
> <click> RUN option
> <type> SYSEDIT - {This will execute the system editor}
> <select>MENU WINDOW
> <select> C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM.INI
> <select> MENU SEARCH
> <select> FIND option
> <type> vcache {return}
>
> Under the section [vcache] enter the following
lines........
>
> [vcache]
> MinFileCache=1024
> MaxFileCache=65536
>
> The MinFileCache=1024 sets the minimum to 1mb
> The MaxFileCache=65536 sets the maximum to 64mb
>
> Save and Exit
>
> Now reboot your computer, when it restarts your computer
will then only take
> 64mb RAM leaving the rest free for you applications.....
who needs NT?
>
>
>
Ron Martell
>As stated in previous reply's, Windows 95/98 can only address 64mb RAM,
>regardless of how much memory you have, Win95/98 will grab it all but only
>address the first 64mb RAM.
Balderdash. Windows 98 can use up to 2 gb of physical RAM.
>
>However, there's no need to change the flavour of you operating system just
>so you can use more than 64mb RAM in your computer
>
>Windows95/98 WILL use ONLY 64mb RAM, and leave the rest of your memory free
>for your applications, all you have to do is tell it to!
Applications can only access RAM that is in use by Windows.
<balance snipped>
I think it would be beneficial if you did some reading on just how
memory management works in Windows 9x, and especially on how Windows
98 is improved in this area compared to Windows 95.
Bart Robinson
Ron Martell <r...@onlinehelp.bc.ca> wrote in message
news:37b25a3b...@news2.islandnet.com...
Ron Martell
>Where can I get a copy of Balderdash Windows 98? :)
>
Available only from a select group of retailers, some of whom also
stock the Texas edition. :-)