Re: Control Panel's System Reporting Error

When you click on System Monitor or Performance you should see a graph on the right hand pane, right click that pane and you should see Add Counters. Or click the + button on top of the graph.

Maybe the snap-in doesn't load properly, try perfmon.msc at the command prompt instead of the short perfmon command.

Maybe these can help:

Monitoring Performance
http://http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/windowsserver2003/library/ServerHelp/8e9e5b72-13af-4525-9b60-52864b9d49b2.mspx

To add counters to System Monitor
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/sag_mptopnode.mspx

How to manage System Monitor counters in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;305610

Also search the help files on your computer. Search for "Monitoring Performance", "Performance Monitor" or simply "perfmon".

Best to keep the discussion on the newsgroup. The answers here are subject to peer review, that way if I tell you do do something really dumb someone will correct my stupid suggestions :-)

Instead of using the Microsoft newsgroup CDO page try using a newsreader to read the thread. Newsreaders are much better than the Microsoft boards. You can use Outlook Express or Mozilla Thunderbird or any other third party newsreader. Makes life easier. If you have a properly configured newsreader clicking on this: news://msnews.microsoft.com:119/microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics should get you right to this group. If the newsreader is not configured you may be asked for server information, enter this information: msnews.microsoft.com

John

njaygee wrote:
John:
This forum is strange. It keeps repeating all previous responses and allows a new response by clicking no to question if it helped, and requires resigning in again. If it is convenient, please respond by email: njaygee@xxxxxxxxx

Thanks for your comments. I still don't get to "Add Counters..". Running perfmon I get Performance with System Monitor and Performance Logs and Alerts (subitems: Counter Logs, Trace Logs, and Alerts). Right clicking on anything is not fruitful. From file, clicking onf Add/Remove Snap-in I get a window to add Snap-in to Console Root under which are the original choices of System Monitor and Performance Logs and Alerts. Clicking on Add provides a table which does not have "Add Counters.." in it. Nowhere does right clicking provide that choice.

George
"John John" wrote:


It's in the System Monitor snap-in, Click (highlight) the snap-in then just right-click the right pane and you'll see "Add counters..." Doesn't it tell you in Task Manager how much RAM you have?

I would think that adding RAM above 2GB would probably help with video editing. I mean, it only stands to reason and logic that even if the applications can only use 2GB, the Windows Executive Services need RAM too! So if you have 2GB the applications can't have it all, Windows needs its share. Having 3GB probably wouldn't hurt in a case like this. Maybe having 4GB is even better, perhaps a good video card can be even better with 4GB, so maybe with 4GB Windows is happy, the hardware is happy, the software is happy and the user is happy.

I don't know much about video editing (or burning cursed dvd's) but I do know that an application would have to be well written to properly use 2GB of memory. It would be good practice when using such software to keep the list of background applications and services to a minimum so that Windows could unleash as much RAM and attention possible to the application.

I also know that video files can be very large and that no matter how much ram you have on the computer Windows will make intensive use of the pagefile. To that effect, in my opinion, just as important if not more important than having a ton of RAM or ram above 3GB, having a properly sized non-fragmented pagefile on a physical hard drive of it's own, on a separate and solely dedicated drive controller is probably one of the biggest performance boost you could get in a case like this. An that applies even if you have 4GB of RAM.

John


njaygee wrote:

Thanks for the response. I tied "perfmon" but I find no path to "add memory counters". The "add snap-in" from File does not provide add memory counters. From your other comments, I now wonder if adding RAM above 2GB will buy me anything in creating and editing DVD's. I was under the impression Kworld Computer that their Xpert DVD Maker would allow me to edit DVD's that were created for me by Home Video from 1930's 8mm and 1990 analog camcorders. I want to delete some video and add additional audio by using the computer microphone. Any additional comments would be appreciated. 


"John John" wrote:



Probably just a cosmetic issue. Microsoft says SP2 fixed it but if it didn't I don't know what else to try. What does Task Manager report? You can also use perfmon (just type perfmon in the run box or from a command prompt and press enter)and add memory counters to see memory available and committed and in use memory. Even if you have 4 GB of memory there is only 2GB of memory available to the applications. You can use another switch to give up to 3GB to the applications but that can have nefast or negative effects. On NT non-server systems (including XP) Windows purposely reports 3GB even when it knows that 4GB is installed and can and does use it if necessary. It does so to keep at least 1GB in a no execute reserved area for Windows. By reporting the full 4GB some device drivers (video adapters for example) tried to use or avail themselves of too much RAM thus causing the computer to crash, so Windows tells these devices that less RAM is available than what it actually knows is present and that's why you see 3GB instead of 4GB in the places where you look.

John

njaygee wrote:



I have Windows SP2 installed. I added the PAE switch. I still do not have the 4GB installed reported by either Properties of My Computer nor by Control Panel's System.

"John John" wrote:




Apparently SP2 addresses this problem. Or try adding the /PAE switch to the Boot.ini file. See here:

The System tool and Task Manager do not display 4 GB of RAM in Windows Server 2003 and in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=888855

John

njaygee wrote:



Why does the BIOS (F2 or bootup & memory) indicate 4GB installed but Control Panel's System shows 2.99GB. The 10MB is a round off for the 8 MB used by video so 3.99GB should be indicated for 4GB installed.

When raised from 128 MB (originally delivered and then removed) to have 2GB (with a 1GB PC4200 SDRAM chip in both slots 1 and 2 System showed 1.99GB) and when raised to 3GB (1GB additionally put in the Dimension 4700's third slot) System showed 2.99GB. But why did System reporting not change when 1GB was put it the forth slot? Do I actually have 4GB RAM working as a DELL chat claimed? . 



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