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Name: Coos Bay Lumber
I lately have been getting memory related error messages via software. Each leads me to belive the module I installed back two years ago is failing.
In one program it has a Memory requirements tab. It says I may need 58 Meg. of RAM to complete. Well, I got more then that, plus some to spare. After ten minutes it comes up with Insufficient Memory to complete error message. Leading me to think that Windows or the software is not using all of it right now. Used to absorb that easily, process in about two minutes, and bigger projects too.
The memory test place I used to go to must be on hard times, for they do not go there anymore. The software manufacturers all say install more memory (board will not take any more per BIOS and per OEM) you need 512MB or maybe 2 GIG to run such then.
Which all leads me to think that the memory module is going bad. The little green sliding memory resources that M-S installs, says I am only using 86 percent of available RAM every day. Does that lie?
Wm.
Generally speaking, memory is either good from day one or bad from day one...it doesn't deteriorate over time.
Are you running Win98? 512MB would be the max anyway.
Why is it that you didn't bother to post your system specs or mention the software program by name? And how is it that you don't know the model of your Dell...isn't it on the case?
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I gotta real problem with the new web- set up. I can post one place, and it pops up another location. Refuses to accept alterations or zero changes then to.
Have tried Mem 86 and they say new system they have doesn't apply anymore to Win 98 systems.Per H-P, Dell, and my instruction booklets, the BIOS and a few other things it says MAX memory for the board is at 256 Meg. right now, and that is what BIOs counts off. I had tried 512 a year ago, and it still counted off 256M. and then fired off.
Wm.
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"It says I may need 58 Meg. of RAM to complete. Well, I got more then that, plus some to spare. After ten minutes it comes up with Insufficient Memory to complete error message."
"Insufficient Memory to complete" is probably referring to the Windows"core" memory amount, not the amount of ram you have installed.
I'll see what I can dig up about that....
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It seems like I had some 'insufficient memory' errors when I had some malware take up occupancy on my hard drive. You might want to run a malwarebytes (or something similar) scan of your PC.
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"After ten minutes it comes up with Insufficient Memory to complete error message."
I found that the latter part of the message varies - quote the complete message, please.
One thing I did find in common is the Insufficient Memory to complete... message usually has nothing to do with the amount of ram you have installed, unless it's 512mb or more, in which case it's a false message and you have to tweak something, and you have stated you have 256mb, above.
.............I didn't find as much about Windows "core" memory as I did the last time I looked, a long time ago, except for a few "hits"
e.g."Topic Outline
Windows Core Memory Management
Processes and memory space
Virtual memory
Windows heap allocation
Memory-mapped files
Managing dynamic memory "http://www.senecac.on.ca/outlines/0...
......
Windows Core stuff here:
http://www.aumha.org/win5/a/resourc...Excerpts
In the Windows 98 Resource Kit, check the article titled “Core System Components.” Much of what follows comes from that article. The Win9x Core consists of User Resources, GDI Resources, and the Kernel.
User Resources are limited to a fixed 64 KB. You cannot increase this.
GDI Resources are limited to a fixed 64 KB. You cannot increase this.
Etc.
.........The Windows core memory amount is the amount of memory required by Windows itself plus the amount programs currently running require that are running all the time.
Nowadays it seems it's usually included in info about the memory System Resources use.
How to Use the System Resource Meter Tool in Windows 98 and Windows Millennium Edition
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=...What it amounts to is the Windows core has fixed limits, and if you exceed those limits, one of the things that can happen is you get "Insufficient Memory...." messages despite the fact you have more than enough ram installed.
It's commonly recommended you at least do this to reduce the amount of memory the Windows core is using :
- use Start - Run: type: MSConfig - Startup tab, and disable most of the Startup programs from running.
- make sure you have a decent amount of free space on the partition Windows is running from, so that the swap file can do it's thing
- "For most people, in most situations, the best advice regarding the Win98 or WinME swap file is: Let Windows handle it."
......How to Increase System Resources in Windows 95/98/ME
http://www.webstudio.com/site/artic...Windows 9.x System Resources
http://www.helpwithwindows.com/tech...
......Memory Use By Windows
http://www2.whidbey.com/djdenham/Wi...
.......http://www.aumha.org/win5/a/resourc...
Excerpt:
One of the biggest problems I have seen encountered with users of the Windows9x Operating system is a slowdown caused by a lack of resources.
.....Windows 95/98 and Dos memory issues
http://www.rybs.com/w95_atl.htm
.....Windows 98 & WinME
Memory Management
http://www.aumha.org/win5/a/memmgmt...Excerpts:
Foremost among the improvements in Win98/ME memory management are the changes in VCache.The VCache concept is that, as long as there is unused RAM sitting about, we should just cache information in it that we might need again.
One improvement in VCache management in Win98/ME over Win95 is that Win95 had a bug that kept VCache from releasing RAM when it was needed.
....
But, in Win98, this problem was fixed (with further improvements in Windows 98 Second Edition, that carried over into WinME), and these [vcache] lines are not needed. Not only are they not needed, they actually get in the way in Win98/ME. In Win95 they improved performance, but in Win98/ME they decrease performance, because of a second improvement that was made in memory management for Win98 — to be discussed in a moment.But first, THREE EXCEPTIONS TO THE FOREGOING:
EXCEPTION No. 1: For systems with more than 128 MB of RAM, setting a VCache maximum of about 70% of your total RAM is recommended as prophylaxis against run-away VCache growth in rare, specialized situations. (A tip of the hat to MS-MVPs Ron Martell, Ovidiu Popa, and Alex Nichol for months of experimentation and documentation of these details and recommendations.)
...
My note - this may not be needed by you but it won't hurt
- as in,Go to Start> Run, type in: sysedit
Check in "System.ini" and look for "vcache". If it is not there, add the line below. If it is there, edit it so it looks like the example below:
(for your amount of ram)[vcache]
MaxFileCache=183488
(about 70% of 256mb, in kb , 1,024kb per mb, to the nearest 64kb)
...EXCEPTION No. 2: VCache increasing above 512 MB can create serious memory handling problems. If you have more than 512 MB of RAM, a VCache maximum of 524,288 KB (or a little less) is recommended.
EXCEPTION No. 3: For systems with more than 1 GB of RAM, the defaults in Windows 98 or ME can cause continuous rebooting of the computer, or to hangs or serial reboots during the Windows upgrade process. To resolve this problem, add a MaxPhysPage=40000 entry in the [386enh] section of SYSTEM.INI.
The second improvement is that Windows can now execute code or access data directly from VCache.
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"Have tried Mem 86 and they say new system they have doesn't apply anymore to Win 98 systems. "
You should be able to use the Dos bootable version with any computer, because then it doesn't matter what operating system you are using.
......See response 2 in this - clean the contacts on the ram modules, and make sure the modules are properly seated:
http://www.computing.net/hardware/w..."....says MAX memory for the board is at 256 Meg. right now, and that is what BIOs counts off. I had tried 512 a year ago, and it still counted off 256M. and then fired off. "
Ram that works in another mboard , or any ram you buy or have lying around, may not work properly, or sometimes, not at all - even if it physically fits and is the right overall type (e.g. SDram, DDR, DDR2, etc.; PCxxxx, xxx mhz) for your mboard. In the worst cases of incompatibilty your mboard WILL NOT BOOT all the way with it installed, and the mboard may not even beep - the ram has to be compatible with the mboard's main chipset, or in the case of recent mboards, compatible with the memory controller built into the cpu.
The same applies for testing your ram in another mboard - the ram must be compatible with the other mboard - if it isn't, any results of testing the ram on the other mboard cannot be relied upon to be valid.
If you still have the ram that was installed when the system worked fine, try installing just that ram.
See response 5 in this for some info about ram compatibilty, and some places where you can find out what will work in your mboard for sure:
http://www.computing.net/hardware/w...
Correction to that:
Mushkin www.mushkin.comOnce you know which module ID strings work in your mboard, you can get them from anywhere you like that has ram with those ID strings.
If you have brand name ram, it is usually easy to look up whether it's ID string is in a list of compatible modules found by using your mboard or brand name system model number.
If the ram is generic, that may be difficult or impossible.
............If you do a ram test, do that AFTER having tried cleaning the contacts and making sure the ram is seated properly - otherwise any errors found may be FALSE.
If the ram is incompatible with the chipset, or on more recent computers, incompatible with the memory controller built into the cpu, it will likely FAIL a ram test - that is NOT a true indication of the ram being faulty - there is probably nothing wrong with it, and it will pass the test if installed in a mboard it is compatible with.
.........If you want to try a memory diagnostic utility that takes a lot less time to run a full pass than memtest86 does, this one is pretty good - Microsoft's
Windows Memory Diagnostic:
http://oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag...
It can be toggled (press T) to do a standard or a more comprehensive set of tests - use the default 6 test one first - if it passes one pass of that, use the latter one. A few of the tests in the latter set are intentionally slower.
If you don't have a floppy drive, see the Quick Start Information at that Microsoft link for how to make a bootable CD of the Windows Memory Diagnostic (you need Windiag.iso - you don't necessarily need to use the program they mention to add it to the CD).
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