Explorer.exe causes Out of Memory error

Out of memory errors usually imply that you have too many programs running using up resources. The best way to eliminate this is to eliminate the TSRs which are loading at boot up and running continuously. To do this, hit start button, click RUN and type in MSCONFIG. Go to the start up tab and uncheck programs which are not needed to be loaded at boot and do not need to run continuously. If you have any problems identifying the TSRs, you can post them here and someone will help.

Hope this is of assistance to you in resolving your problem.

Dan,
Thanks for your coments but perhaps you misunderstand. This "out of memory" problem only occurs in Explorer.exe. I can work for hours in Adobe Photo Shop or download and transfer digital images from camera to Adobe, to storage without a problem. I have made it a practice to reduce all memory resident programs to a bare minimum and show only 3 icons at the taskbar. I have also eliminated all resident programs except Explorer and Systray. The result is exactly the same the first time I open explorer.exe.

I don't know why but the command "msconfig" at the "Start", "Run" prompt only gives me the error "Cannot find the File". The same error for C:\msconfig and C:\windows\msconfig. If I use the "find" function under "start", and looking in C: no file "msconfig" or "msconfig.*" is found.

Yes, apologies. I did misread your post. I'm old. Is that a valid excuse? :-)

Sorry I couldn't have been of more assistance.

Unfortunately, it's worked all too well for me the past few years, too :)

Later,

Kay

Kay H wrote:

- Unfortunately, it's worked all too well for me the
- past few years, too :)

Hey!!

Y'all stole MY excuse so just stop it right now :o)

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Satisfied Dell customer since 5-8-98 :-)

F91W5 EF29F V8X1H / Krups 466c (Tahoe Blue)

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ATTENTION everyone on the forum.....Dell has added a "scratch pad" conference to post test messages and test sig's. It will be cleared out weekly so it can keep the extra traffic off the boards. Your help is greatly appreciated!!!

Maybe Dell will open a Dell Users Retirement/Assisted Living Home for all of us. After what we've spent on computers, and the valuable free technical advice we give (no judgment here on whether it is good or bad advice), shouldn't we get some sort of reward? I could go for some hot young nurse spoon feeding me and typing my responses to DellTalk for me. NURSE!! More of those funny pills that make my computer screen look all swirly!!

Hey Tommy, put that in the Dell Suggestion Box.

Dan

I personally would want another nurse than yours, but other than that, this does sound like a plan. Where do we sign up for this place? I can be ready in a couple days... :)

Later,

Kay

Dan,
You and Pamela, and Greg, and Kay have certainly gotten a lot of mileage out of my poor little 'broke' Explorer file but if it's old you want to talk about, let's just see how old you are! Are you old enough to know what a Bo dollar is and do you own one. Have you ever mailed a letter for only 3 cents? Did you ever buy US Savings Stamps? One out of three - you might be getting a little gray. More than one - my goodness you're a 'peer'! Wonder if I can get Dell Tech to even discuss a software problem? Oh well I can always load Win98 over the whole mess and see if the problem goes away.....Now there's a dangerous concept! hudon@bitstreet.com
Don

All kidding aside Don, I do have one more thought. Could it be you don't have sufficient swap file space? How big is your drive? How much free space do you have? Do you let Windows manage your virtual memory or have you set the size yourself? Just a thought. Programs can take up a swap file and not release it, just as programs can do with your RAM memory. Also, image programs use a lot of swap space if you have them set to many undo levels. All of these huge graphic versions and commands take up lots and lots and lots of swap space. It may not be releasing it. Some products have settings which allow you to reduce or increase the undo level. Yours may and you can perhaps free up some swap space that way. There is a way to REALLY clear it, but it involves lots of DOS commands and stuff. I can give you detailed info from MS on how to do it if you need to.

Anyway, just a thought. And I do remember 3 cent stamps very well. Not sure that I'd take a wooden nickle for one of those bo-dollars. . . But since age is a state of mind, and one can be anything one wants on the internet, I'll be a dashing 40 year old again. Now, if you buy that I'm 40, I have a Bridge nearby here in Brooklyn we can talk about. :-)

Dan

Dan,
The HD is 11 Gigs, the RAM 128 Meg, The 'virtual memory' is handled by the computer, and there are 7.4 gigs available on the HD. I'm running Windows 95 (4.00.950-B) with microsoft plus. I've been running the system for more that 8 months without a glitch. I agree with you that the work with images and photo programs use scads of memory and it is not uncommon for me to 'use up' the available RAM but beyond a noticable slow down the system keeps working. This is the part I can't rationalize, why can I take a cold computer, boot it and the first command I use is Explore, and in less than 2 minutes I will be out of memory
and I never left Explorer!

Here is a comment from Dell Tech. What do you think? Quote: "Restart the computer in safe mode. Go to the startup folder and remove everything from there. If that doesn't help then there may be something loading in the win.ini and system.ini files.
Respectfully,
Adam"

Of course I have the same problem with Adam's comment. Why would deleting all items from startup prove a thing. The problem does not occur until Explorer is opened. The startup programs have loaded long before that and caused no problem. I tell you what.....I learned DOS commands a long time before I did anything else about computers (yeah I program in Basic), so if you know a way using DOS commands to fix the problem, lead me to it!

I notice you evaded the US Savings stamps the school children bought in WWII ---25 cents each, paste them in a little book until you had $18.75 and you turn it in for a $25.00 War Bond! Most of the Bo Dollars are worth quite a lot since no more were made after 1935. I didn't get one because they made none during the years 1930,31,32 (depression). Bo dollar = a US silver dollar with more than 80% silver and in general ciirculation in the US. Almost all the old folks have one minted in the year they were born! Yes it is a state of mind!!!

Well then Don, I'm completely stumped. Sorry I don't have more suggestions for your explorer problem.
Maybe you're right and a reformat or reinstall of Windows is in order.

Keep us posted on any progress you may have, and best of luck.

Ok, you win. You're older. :-) But, we're gaining on you.

Dan

Dan,
Guess I "misread" your previous email. I really though you said you had a way to fix the problem 'if I was willing to use DOS', which I indicated I was able to do. Reformatting was not an option at this point. Thanks again for all your help. Glad to have folks like you out there! Have a Merry Christmas.
Don