Re: Too Much Memory

From: Gerry Cornell (gcjc_at_btinternet.com)
Date: 07/19/04 

Date: Mon, 19 Jul 2004 13:33:46 +0100

Increasing the amount of RAM for a start may be one way but unless you
answer questions we cannot determine whether that is the right way to
proceed. Use the SINGLE utility suggested to determine what is the size of
the swap file.

There is also a probable issue of misreporting on your machine but until we
get the correct figures it is difficult to determine what is going on!

There are three ways to get a performance boost. Increase the capacity of
the hardware. Cut out unnecessary programmes running in the background and
regular houeskeeping. My standard text follows.

Poor system performance can be the result of a single problem or a
combination of factors. Listed
below are issues, which you may wish to examine if you are experiencing poor
performance after
the boot process has completed. Some items may help with slow starting of
Windows XP but the
list has not been prepared for tackling that problem. Work through the list
until you achieve an
acceptable result.
Regular and effective housekeeping is essential. What you do and how often
you do it will depend
on how you use your computer. A suggested routine may include:
1. In Outlook Express empty your Deleted Items folder.
2. In Outlook Express run File, Folder, Compact All whilst OFFLINE.
3. Run Disk Cleanup. Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Disk
Cleanup with
Temporary Internet Files, Offline Web Pages (optional), System Restore (
more Options tab )
and Recycle Bin selected for deletion. If you have more than one drive /
partition you may
need to do this operation for each drive / partition.
4. Remove Cookies. Start, Control Panel, Internet Options, General, Delete
Cookies.
5. Run Disk Defragmenter.

Check whether you could reduce the number of days the History of sites
visited is retained. Start,
Control Panel, Internet Options, General, History.
Spyware causes many problems. If not installed download Adaware and / or
update Reference file
from http://www.lavasoftusa.com/support/download/ and use it to remove
parasites. If Spyware
persists as a problem try a Hosts file.
http://www.accs-net.com/hosts/what_is_hosts.html
Slow performance resulting from insufficient memory, causing over reliance
on virtual memory,
may be especially noticed by those upgrading to Windows XP from an earlier
version of Windows.
Windows XP will run with 64 MB of RAM memory. However, a minimum of 256 MB
is
recommended and many users will recommend 512 MB. You may check on pagefile
(virtual
memory) usage with Page File Monitor for XP:
http://www.dougknox.com/

Check how much free space you have on the hard drive / partition where your
pagefile is located.
You need a minimum of 15% but 20% or more is better.

Check your setting for the Indexing Service. Start, Administrative Tools,
Services, Indexing
Service. The default setting is Manual. Check that it is not running. More
information here:
http://www.blackviper.com/WinXP/service411.htm#Indexing_Service
You can have too many programmes running in the background. Close
programmes/windows after
use. Check whether all the programmes loading when Windows is started are
really necessary.
http://aumha.org/a/loads.htm
Check whether you can identify slow performance with a particular programme.
Look in Google to
see whether others have encountered the same problem and found a solution.
http://groups.google.com/
Are there any error messages in Event Viewer? You can access Event Viewer by
selecting Start,
Administrative Tools, and Event Viewer. When researching the meaning of the
error, information
regarding Event ID: and Source Description is important.
HOW TO: View and Manage Event Logs in Event Viewer in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;308427&Product=winxp

~~~~~~

Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FCA

Stourport, Worcs, England
Enquire, plan and execute.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Michael Soland" <MichaelSoland@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:592CD479-A104-42A6-82D7-19B4AA350D4A@microsoft.com...
> Hi Gerry,
>
> Thanks for recommending some utilities, however, I would prefer and answer
to my question: “is there a gentle way of coaxing programs to stay resident
in memory?” [First post of this thread].
>
> My pagefile.sys file stays at 102,400KB. I could go lower, but I don’t
want to decrease performance if or when the pagefile needs to increase in
size. Running all sorts of programs and crunching data does not increase the
size of the pagefile.
>
> I’m just looking for a way to get a performance boost. Virtual memory
slows everything down because of the inherent abstraction and IO to a slower
medium.
> -Michael
>
> "Gerry Cornell" wrote:
>
> > Michael
> >
> > You are misinterpreting what you are seeing!
> >
> > Right click on the My Computer icon on your Desktop and select
Properties.
> > The amount of RAM memory is stated on the General tab. It is unlikely
that
> > you have 4,096 mb or 3,506 mb for that matter!
> >
> > "This is the amount of virtual memory that windows reports it is using."
No
> > it is the amount of disk space set aside for virtual memory. Whether it
is
> > being used is another matter.
> >
> > The size of pagefile.sys is not an indicator of virtual memory being
used.
> > Allocations of virtual memory are made to applications for their use as
and
> > when they need it. That does not mean they are using it ( you make this
> > point yourself ). Read more in the link below:
> > http://aumha.org/win5/a/xpvm.htm
> >
> > The Article above contains a link to a small Pagefile utility created by
> > Bill James, which measures the pagefile in use:
> > http://billsway.com/notes%5Fpublic/WinXP%5FTweaks/
> >
> > Page file in use is the key factor. If you are using too much virtual
memory
> > you may benefit from adding RAM memory. However, we need to know how
much
> > virtual memory you are using and how much RAM you have?
> >
> > How old is your computer? Was the machine bought with Windows XP
installed
> > or did it come with an earlier version of Windows installed?
> >
> > Done you have more than one hard drive? Are any drives partitioned?
> >
> > ~~~~~~
> >
> >
> > Hope this helps.
> >
> > Gerry
> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> > FCA
> >
> > Stourport, Worcs, England
> > Enquire, plan and execute.
> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> > Please tell the newsgroup how any
> > suggested solution worked for you.
> > http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> >
> >
> >
> > "Michael Soland" <MichaelSoland@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in
message
> > news:0F7F085B-F6CD-4DBA-9EA2-5F2F7D2410C4@microsoft.com...
> > > I have 4096 MB of physical memory. My BIOS reports that I have 3506 MB
of
> > memory. This is a known issue with my motherboard.
> > >
> > > There is an easy way to view the amount of virtual memory currently
used
> > by the system. Go to Control Panel->System->Advanced->Performance,
> > Settings->Advanced->Virtual Memory, Changed. The bottom part of the
window
> > that pops up will say “Total paging file size for all drives.” This is
the
> > amount of virtual memory that windows reports it is using.
> > >
> > > If you want to check this information out yourself, all that you need
to
> > do is find a little file called “pagefile.sys.” This file can live in
the
> > root directory of any hard drive connected to your system. The Virtual
> > Memory screen described above will tell you which drive it is on. If
that’s
> > confusing, it is probably at C:\pagefile.sys. To view the file, go to My
> > Computer->Tools->Folder Options->View. Now select “Display contents of
> > system folders” and “Show hidden files and folders” and deselect “Hide
> > protected operating system files.” This will allow you to see
pagefile.sys.
> > Check its size and poof, you know how much virtual memory your system
has
> > allocated (it is another question altogether if it is using it).
> > >
> > > Can somebody answer my original questions please?
> > > -Michael
> > >
> > > "Gerry Cornell" wrote:
> > >
> > > > Michael
> > > >
> > > > How much RAM memory? How do you know how much virtual memory is
being
> > used?
> > > > There is no utility in Windows XP which gives you virtual memory
usage!
> > You
> > > > need a third party utility to get that information!
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > ~~~~~~
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Hope this helps.
> > > >
> > > > Gerry
> > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> > > > FCA
> > > >
> > > > Stourport, Worcs, England
> > > > Enquire, plan and execute.
> > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> > > > Please tell the newsgroup how any
> > > > suggested solution worked for you.
> > > > http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
> > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > "Michael Soland" <MichaelSoland@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in
> > message
> > > > news:6C3C4A0B-51B7-4455-A5A1-608ACE9BA782@microsoft.com...
> > > > > I have a beast of a system running Windows XP Pro, when it should
> > probably
> > > > be running Server 2003. I have a problem with too much memory and
not
> > enough
> > > > programs to run. The Task Manager reports that my system cruises at
304
> > MB
> > > > of memory used. I know that turning off Virtual Memory is a bad
thing,
> > but
> > > > is there a gentle way of coaxing programs to stay resident in
memory?
> > > > >
> > > > > I'd also like to know if there is a way to associate a certain
program
> > to
> > > > run on a particular processor (in a multi-processor machine) each
time
> > the
> > > > program is invoked.
> > > >
> > > >
> >
> >

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