Re: Cannot print any Word docs after upgrading to OS X 10.4.9

In article <C227D915.27AD8%REMOVETHISoffice@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
Clive Huggan <REMOVETHISoffice@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

<big snip>
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Does all that mean Bob doesn't get a tick for recommending a re-start at
least once a week, O Maestro?

It does not hurt, but, on a machine with plenty of memory, it would not
do much good.

I find (and have always found in OS X) that with intensive use of Word on
long documents for say 4-5 days, I see signs of computerly arthritis (mainly
slow operation in Word; can't quite remember the others right now, given
that I'm in jetlag). What causes it I don't know. I have Macaroni installed.
If I shut down then start, it becomes sprightly again.
OK, the system creates swap files to deal with those awkward moments
when too many applications are fighting for too little memory. If Word
has hogged the machine for long enough and Photoshop would like a few
milliseconds to continue brushing out Stalin's enemies, but there is
not enough memory to hold a Zalensky healing brush undo, the system
will page out a few megabytes of Word's working memory to disk and let
Photoshop overwrite fourteen clipboard image versions of some dodgy
line art belonging to it.
Where on disk do those images go? Why /var/vm/ swapfilen for n=0,1,2...
of course!
Each one after the first 64MB swapfile0 doubles the total swapfile
size. New ones are created when previous files lack space for the next
blob being swapped out. The system accounts for and re-uses swap space
no longer required, and when none of a swapfile is needed for some
time, the system may choose to delete it.
An excellent way to cause all the swapfile to become un-needed
simultaneously is to restart.

Now why does swapping slow the machine? First and foremost, working
round a lack of real memory is time consuming. Imagine a restaurant
where the waiter scoops up your tablecloth, and ushers your party out
to the bar so he can re-use your table for some new arrivals. And then
later, he'll boot them out before bringing you back for dessert.
Secondly, if your swapfiles themselves grow so large and numerous there
is little free space on disk, all the ordinary file saves and extends
will wait while the system fills up the last few nooks and crannies in
dainty little pokes and prods. Now put those two ideas together when
more swap space is required on a near full disk.

However, if you have plenty of memory and your disk is less than 80%
full you will never see any of these traffic jams. Your swap files will
stay few, small and largely neglected. And a reboot won't help much.

Indeed, the swap mechanism is so efficient that you mostly get a more
responsive system if you leave all your commonly used applications
running for weeks on end, if not months. You'll hardly ever watch a
Word splash screen while it optimises fonts if you leave it running.

On the other hand, when you finally do quit Word as you go on holiday,
will you remember whether you really want to save changes to normal?

Finally, you might consider the possibility that not all of your
applications are perfectly well brought up. To continue the eating
analogy, it gets harder to get more beer from the fridge when the
kitchen floor becomes slippery and covered in empties.
Some applications could get their internal working file structures in a
bit of a tangle. If one does slow down, buy the competitor's next time.
It should not happen.

Once again, if everything is working, there is no point in quitting or
re-starting. If it ain't, then a restart might get the slops off the
kitchen floor.

I have until now consoled myself by thinking that I'm benefiting from
empirical observation, not superstition, without knowing *exactly* what's
causing it.
Well, there ya go Father Jack Hackett. If you are short of memory, disk
and run flaky apps, then Bob's right. Otherwise I might be a little bit
right.

Go on, Father Ted, go on ... illuminate me so I can replace
confidence-through-ignorance with self-doubt-through-knowledge. ;-)

It's fabulous being a priest! Think of all that comfort you bring to
the sick and dying. They love it, they can't get enough of it!

--
To de-mung my e-mail address:- fsnospam$elliott$$
PGP Fingerprint: 1A96 3CF7 637F 896B C810 E199 7E5C A9E4 8E59 E248
.

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