512 meg RAM still not enough?

[dancray]

I run a lot of open browsers (15-20) for my work....along with some streaming java applets...and 2 to 3 statup proggies (like firewall, wincooler).

I have 512 meg ram (256 meg micron pc-133 and 2x128 meg pc 100)...but fairly often I get low memory warnings and when I check my system properties (performance) info tab...it shows that ONLY 8-9% of system resources is free. Is this an accurate reflection when working the mentioned number of browser windows/programs?

So what can I do (apart from closing windows/proggies) to keep my free memory up above that 10% warning line?

more memory?? some tweaking??


thanks

dc

[JLP]

I'm also using quite a lot open browsers (mostly Mozilla which uses even more memory) and other (mostly graphics) programs at the same time. I have 512 MB RAM and i don't get low memory warnings. Check your pagefile settings and make sure it's set high enough. Also if you use Windows 9x/ME then you get all those warnings because Win9x platform is really bad at memory management.

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Live long and prosper!

[Raptor^]

If you are running Win9x, don't add anymore or Windows screws up quite impressively

Anyway, try increasing the size of your swap file and see if that helps.

[J1NG]

Raptor^
Huh? Having more than 512MB in Win9x screws it up?

I haven't seen my setup (and several others) screw up royally yet with the RAM; I've got 1GB of DDR in my system (But I have seen Win9x screw up royally with processors ) Maybe I'm just lucky with the RAM. But anyway, some systems run fine with more RAM than 512MB, but some don't.

Dancray
Try to shut down some unecessary background apps if there are any running. That might help also.

J1NG

[az]

Try using Opera as a browser, if possible. Its handling may at first seem odd, but after a while I liked it better than IE/NS, and it's optimised for multiple windows (MDI, so only one browser instance is started for all windows, instead of one per window).

AZ

[Guru]

In win9x systems with more memory then 256MB cacheman is a must have! d/load it from www.tweakfiles.com

[dancray]

thanks...I will try cacheman...btw ..where or what are the "pagefile settings"? Are they the same as Virtual memory - Swapdisk?

[Jorden]

I've nothing to add, but for a link. Although my favorite has gone offline

But okay, 3D Spotlight has something to say about the Virtual Memory of Win9x/ME. It doesn't matter if you have a lot of memory in your PC, you still need that darn Swap file

Although, on a personal note, I once tried to disable the swapfile completely in WinME, and it ran fine with my 256MB PC-100 Maybe that's an option for you to consider!

Jord.

[JLP]

dancray: pagefile (Windows 2000)is almost the same as swap file in Windows 9x/ME. If you are looking somwhere where you can set the size of swap file you are looking in the right place. If you can try to set it at least 1.5x amount of RAm in your system. More the better.

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Live long and prosper!

[dancray]

ok, I'll try the swap file increase option...lessee..512 meg ram x 1.5 = 750 meg swap file...yikes!

[fds]

Oh, that resources crap has nothing to do with how much RAM or swap file space you have.

It's a stupid hard limitation of Win9x inherited from the Win3.x days.

You are only hurting yourself by not using Windows 2000 instead.

[Liquid Snake]

Yes, Win9x has poor memory management, and it's rather unstable/slow when you use memory-intensive programs (e.g. having 20 browser windows open at once). Win2K is much improved, but try Cacheman as Guru suggested before considering Win2K.

[ayoub_ibrahim]

for win95/98/ME with more than 512 Mb of memory, read this!

[Shandra]

Hi Folks,

Mh - haven't tried it yet... but on my search for my personal problem with windows 9X always swapping - even if the main mem isn't filled up - I found this....
(Ok, once more, haven't tried it yet)
If you add in
SYSTEM.INI
[386ENH]
(the line)
ConserativeSwapFileUsage=1

It should make use of the page file only if there actually is no more RAM to use....

(Even me hopes that this will work, cauz' if page file is disabled I got some lags in those situations Win would normally swap... and that it makes use of the pagefile even if
it is just win that was started... (think it was 44MB of swap file used (Have it set up as permanent) Just now as I am just browsing its.... 79MB Main Ram used (of 512) and 95MB of swap (of 360))

IMHO,
SHAnDRA

[Wombat]

The System Resources don't relate to your amount of RAM. But if it's really that low, I might check for viruses. The only time mine even went down to the twenties was with a virus.