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System Resources
I am also having low system resources. I went in and unchecked almost everything and I still have only 63% resources when nothing is running and not online or checking e-mail. I have 96 megs of ram, would more help? If so, where do I get it and can I install it? I am NOT a techie at all. Thanks.
Hi,
Isn't that a great site? I'd say that even if he wasn't a friend of mine :) I'm glad to hear that it benefitted you.
Wow, I know that Eudora Pro is a great mail program--I always liked the previous versions, but I had no idea it was such a resource hog. For me, IE is worth either a 5% or 7% hit--I can't remember the exact figure right now, but I remember thinking that it isn't too bad. That does change things for you a lot. It means that perhaps you will need to cut some more off the list of TSRs in order to get Eudora Pro to run smoothly, and to do any multi-tasking to speak of. To multi-task while running Eudora Pro, you might like to start out at maybe close to 90% resources free, and even then, it may be iffy to multi-task smoothly and without slowdowns or errors. Tough choice, where it is such a nice program. This is true if you had one of my systems.
Now, the deal with all this is that if your system is running smoothly for you, and performing at the level you want to see, then your resources are fine at whatever level they are. Some people's systems do just fine with much less in the way of resources free than do others. My two, a PIII-450 and a PII-300, need a great deal of resources free to do well. Your level needs to concern you when you see slowdowns, get out-of-resources error messages, or the system freezes up and/or dumps you out onto the Desktop while you are trying to run a program. You do what you need to do in order to get you the most convenience while still maintaining your system performance, OK? It's a judgment call on your part, aside from actual errors, and a compromise between convenience and need for resources free.
Talk to you later,
Kay- I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate your help, I am so glad I came here! I had no idea that resources was different than memory. I do a lot of graphics since I am a website designer, so sometimes I do have a lot running. Then I like to have my browser and my e-mail running in the back, since I am online almost all the time. I may have to change my way of doing things! I have a XPS R350, and although I LOVE my Dell system, I wish I had gotten a better or more powerful one. I should have gone with the lease opportunity instead of buying this. What I don't understand is how others have more resources to do multi-tasking, what kind of systems do they have to be able to have the resources needed?
And, yeah, Denny's site is awesome, thanks!
Hi,
Relax, we all have system envy; it goes with the territory of buying, rather than leasing, systems. In terms of your job, you should still be all right for a little while, as long as your video card supports all you need to do. Other than that possibility, you're in fine shape. I do a bit of website design with the PII system, but nothing too complex, due to the poor, poor video card on it. I need to upgrade that someday.
The difference in resource needs is not system-dependent, so much as it is application-dependent. As you've noticed, some applications need a great deal of not only resources, but also RAM--your main memory. The more they need, the more they will run badly if resources start running short. You run into situations called memory leaks--this is a common software flaw in which resources and RAM used is not put back for Windows to use when a given program no longer needs it--a program is supposed to perform a task, using resources and RAM. When it finishes that task, it is supposed to release the resources and RAM used, so that Windows can use it for other programs. A small leak is when the program grabs the resources and RAM one time, then holds it and reuses it. A large leak is when a program grabs and keeps additional resources and RAM every time it performs a task, never releasing any of it. Sooner or later, you run out of either resources or memory. Just so you know, this is a software error entirely, fixable only by way of a patch from the software manufacturers, and most don't address the issue unless the leak is huge. It speaks to a design flaw and is costly to find and to fix.
Those who do well with less in the way of resources are running very stable programming without any one program needing a great deal of resources free. Most of the rest of us start to notice a little bit of trouble at about 60% resources free--you start seeing slowdowns then, and errors follow when it gets down to the 40% range, in my experience.
No problem at all on the help--I really enjoy this sort of thing, OK?
Talk to you later,
Kay
KayH
1116 Posts
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0
Posted May 12th, 2000 11:00
Hi,
You must first understand that RAM and resources are not the same thing--the term resources refers to the first 640K in memory in the first MB of RAM. This is a limitation common to all DOS/Windows based PCs. No further amount of RAM will increase your available resources. The only thing which can improve your resources free is to not run programs and applications in the background. The truth is that you need only a few applications running in the background: Systray (if you have it installed), Explorer (This is Windows), and if you have HP peripherals, leave their hardware entries checked. That's it. The rest is run for your convenience, not the system's need.
Have you gone to Denny Denham's Startup Items site located here? This would tell you what your items are for the most part, and you can better decide what to uncheck in order to increase your resources free. Explorer, while it does run, will not be on the list--Microsoft doesn't give you the option of unchecking it.
If you have done this already, and if you have your items down to no more than ScanReg, Systray (if you have it), your AV program, and any HP hardware entries, then you would need to check more seriously into what might be running in the background. It becomes a little harder to remove the background run of these sorts of programs, though. So, go to Denny's site, work with his list, then restart your system. Immediately take a resource reading and see what you have. If it is still not what you want, post back, and we can check into what else might be running there.
Good luck
Kay