Hola Geekerinos!

I cobbled together a 1G P3 with 512M (W98) and blah blah blah. It works, but I still get freeze ups now and again and would like to improve my system resources %-age. I am currently at 68%. So my question is..

1) Is the system managed VMM always the best way to go? How would you suggest tweaks?

2) Does VMM effect System Resources? What else does? (FAQ link?)

Thanks.

DS

Howdy,

They say a fixed size swap file is the best way to go. With your 512mb of actual RAM, you could probably get by with a swap file with both the minimum and maximum sizes set to 300-500mb. If you're not sure you want to mess with it, do a search for O'Reilley Utilities. Download, install and run it. It's free. It will suggest a size for a fixed swap file and make the changes itself.

System resources are a combo of various things, and I'm not sure how big of a part VM plays. At any rate, it's best to not have the size of the swap file continously changing, as in letting WIN handle it. I'm sure there will be opinions galore on this, so hang tight.

Cheers,

Big Blue 66


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Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal.
- Pamela Vault Starr

BigBlue is right about VM. As for system resources they relate to two 64k "heaps" one for the user and one for the windows interface. They are used whenever you open a program or a new window on your desktop and they can't be increased by adding more memory or by changing the size of the VM.


You can only "free" them by closing programs or open windows.


Here's a link you may find interesting:
http://www.aumha.org/a/resourcez.htm

The only thing I would say is that a 300-500MB swap file is too big...really are you going to be doing things that require more than 3/4 of a gig? and if you are do you want to be slowed down by usingn a disk file for the extra?

The days where a swapfile should 2.5 times the installed RAM are long gone...worked fine for upto about 64MB.

The same size as the RAM works ok for 64 to about 128MB.

Over 128MB you should probably set up sysmon to monitor swapfile useage and let it run while you do all your normal activities, then look at the max swapused after awhile...use that figure as a starting point, and add some more to give you a "pad"...in any case the swap shouldn't be smaller than 60-80MB...also a nice trick is to add:



ConservativeSwapfileUsage=1 to the [386enh] section of the system.ini file (for Win9x)


the other system resources can be improved by closing things that run at startup..here (http://www2.whidbey.net/djdenham/Window_memory.htm) is a pretty good list to give you an idea of whatisn't really needed.

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mjc
Links list:Computer Links (http://www.dreamwater.org/tech/mjc/index.htm)

Celts are the men that heaven made mad, For all their battles are merry and their songs are all sad.

Blue,
FYI,I tried to download O'Reilley Utilities. (O'Reilly Utilities) They have broken up the company and (It appears to me that)no longer have that progam available. My appologies in advance if theres a loose nut on my keyboard.

A few issues ago, Maximum PC magazine recommended setting the swap file at (no more than) 256MB. Works for me.

[This message has been edited by kenja (edited 11-30-2001).]

Concerning O'Reilley Utilities

Hmmm, I still have the setup file. Since it was free in the first place, I don't see a problem if someone were to email me and request it?

Pete, if that would be a problem, then sorry, forget I mentioned it.

BB 66


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Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal.
- Pamela Vault Starr

I had 512MB of RAM and my system resources were low. I used the msconfig to configure the files that run upon startup and my system resources jumped up to 93%.