PERFORMANCE ISSUES

You reported the ChunkSize as chunkfilesize. This is incorrect. It is also a good idea to set the [VCACHE] parameters to the following:

MinFileCache=32768
MaxFileCache=32768
ChunkSize=512

Go here and get this tweaking guide in help file format for more system optimizations.

http://www.tweakfiles.com/allinone/tweakingguidetopc1.html

or this one

http://www.tweakfiles.com/registry/windowsregistryguide.html


M.B.

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A great part of the information I have
was aquired by looking up something
and finding something else on the way.
~Franklin P. Adams

Hey,

Glad you made progress. Thanks for posting the information. How's your system running now compared to out of the box?

Since performing the specified tweaks to the system.ini file the system seems to be running smoother, faster with less hd thrashing.

I can't imagine why Dell technical support did not provide the information sooner. Their constant reply that the default settings of the operating system were the same as when the system is shipped did not conform with the difference in performance.

A few of the tech's wanted to run diag's. My argument was that if the system continues to run this way it will cause a premature failure as the hd was being excessivley accessed. This is a settings issue not a hardware issue. If there was no hd problem before why now? The only difference was the software was loaded manually and the software loaded and the system boots, scandisk/defrag runs ok. Stonewalled.

My reluctance to set the system.ini parameters to arbitrary settings viewed on the web or elsewhere may have created a problem that if there is a real problem it might then be more difficult to determine what the source of the problem was.

I am sure that there are a few more that need to be applied. For now the system seems to run better then it had for the past few weeks.

They really need to publish this information as I am sure many of the call's they recieve are about the same issue.

Here's what my vcache settings are. The words are different from yours. I wonder if mine are incorrect? Do you know of a definitive reference to the system.ini file and its possible entries, etc.?

[vcache]
maxfilecache=51200
chunksize=1024
minfilecache=51200

A document I have seen on the web reflects the same chunksize=1024. And even confirms the parameter "chunksize" as indicated by "joetheboss"
The same document indicates minfilesize=16384 and maxfilesize=16384. I seems that the number is determined by the amount of memory you have. The same document indicates another parameter -namecache=4096. under VCACHE. Suggesting that it improves performance by setting a limit on the number of files windows can track. And pagebuffers=32 under 386enh. The doc. states that this particular field was tested on a winme system and that the writer had not tested it on a win9x system.
I know I picked up on that too. Dell technical...They tell you they don't support changing the system registry, then when they do half the info is wrong. The doc. also reflects the difference. "minfilecache".
It' getting late. Pick up on this tomorrow. Thanks to all.

OK, thanks. Sounds like maybe they are totally unrelated paramenters? I'll have to crack the books, I guess.

I have examined a number of these sites. They provide similar information to what I was told by Dell technical. Prehaps the info at these sites may be more accurate and more extensive.

On the other hand if your system can't reboot or your apps will not open or some other insanity that occures after you plug in one of those variables you obtain from one of those "web sites."

Then what, call Dell technical for a problem you created. I work with much bigger machines then this and have done so for years and tend to err on the side of caution out of habit. If it works your a hero, if not better dust off your resume.

From what I have seen from one of the responses correcting the information I recieved, it seems there will be yet another resume circulating very soon.

Thank you for the information.

could you breifly describe the problem you had with yoru computer? I have a Dell 566 Celeron, with 64 megs of ram and it is running much much slower than when i first got the computer. I even reformatted my hard drive and that didn't help. I would like to know what was wrong with your comptuer before I apply these performance enhancing steps.

Thanks

I was advised by Dell tech. to REINSTALL THE SYSTEMS SOFTWARE. The issue should have been handled with a less radical approach. After the reinstall, aside from ironing out the usual, updates and MS/NAV conflicts. The system lost it's seemless transparency, it was running slower and the hd was thrashing, apps were taking longer to load and the system was generally running lousy. Leaks, etc. did not have such a dramatic impact on system performance before the reinstall.

Dell tech. advised me yesterday that the system and database they use for troubleshooting is over 20 years old. They really need to publish "their 90% fix." accurately as a Dell Doc.

I was advised by Dell tech. to REINSTALL THE SYSTEMS SOFTWARE. The issue should have been handled with a less radical approach. After the reinstall, aside from ironing out the usual, updates and MS/NAV conflicts. The system lost it's seemless transparency, it was running slower and the hd was thrashing, apps were taking longer to load and the system was generally running lousy. Leaks, etc. did not have such a dramatic impact on system performance before the reinstall.

Dell tech. advised me yesterday that the system and database they use for troubleshooting is over 20 years old. They really need to publish "their 90% fix." accurately as a Dell Doc.

Ron,
Im sorry for the incorrect term (filesize) in the post. You are definitely correct and the page was sitting right in front of me. Thanks for the clarification. Im referencing from: Windows ME Secrets
Brian Livingston and Davis Straub.
The size i indicated is based on 25% of your installed RAM.

Started to have probelms with MSN home page loading, connecting to email and dell forum pages loading properly.

Suspected tweak info Dell tech. advised may be the cause. Allowed Win98 to manage virtual memory. Observed new setting in system.ini by allowing windows to manage virtual memory Paging=on. Restored vcache minfilecache=16384, maxfilecache=16384. Also removed chunksize=512 setting.

HD back to thrashing. Page loads ok. email ok. You can't win with windows. Can't depend on getting accurate story from Dell tech. support regarding these settings. I am sure that someone at Dell has this information as the systems performance is dramatically different after reloading the software.

In other words other than minsps=12 which is a fix for some goofy error message I never received and max and minfilecache settings, windows defaults are in effect. Tweaky tweaky at the factory.