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I'm actually writing about (and on) me mum's old system. She just got her computer fixed and back online, and it is almost incapable of handling any internet activity. I don't think anything is actually WRONG with it, but suspect that the small amount of RAM might be insufficient for modern internet activity.
Is it possible to bump up virtual memory on this machine and OS, until she can get some more RAM? Any thoughts or suggestions welcome.
Thanks in advance!
Cindy
Windows should manage Virtual memory by default. That is a pretty minimal amount of RAM, even for 95.
Windows emulates virtual memory by using a swap file on the hard drive - if the machine is low on free hard drive space, then the machine quite literally runs out of memory, and various errors or crashes are likely.
There may be other issues, but it would be advisable to have 100 - 200Mb of free space on the drive (maybe more) for the swap file.
Why don't they make computers that will do what we think we want them to do?
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Browsers take quite a bit of memory. With only 16mb the virtual memory system will probably `thrash'. That means it will constantly be swapping data to and from the hard drive page file and slowing down the system so much that it will be useless. And like Jboy meantioned, if there isn't enough hard drive space for the virtual memory file, you run into real problems. More RAM is the only fix.
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"Windows emulates virtual memory.."
Hmm - not enough coffee - that should have read:
Windows emulates memory
(virtual memory is emulated RAM)
Why don't they make computers that will do what we think we want them to do?
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Both the above responses cover pretty well everything in regards to this.
As an additional; See what's running on Startup and eliminate as much as possible. Keep it to "bare bones". I don't remember if MSCONFIG was in 95 (A, B, or C, (I don't think so)) but I know it can be added safely and work. Also I don't know if the 95 version matters, one of the other guys above can tell you. (It's been yeeaars since I ran 95, and I only had the C version.)
jboy will know for sure, he's got a museum of running computers, including 8086's. (Wonder how old he is anyway?) ;>) He (and a few others here) was born hard wired to systems.
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Heh - old enough to know better - - or so they keep telling me ; )
Sure, msconfig can't be beat and will work in any version of 95.
Another app worth running is the Windows Resource Meter (rsrcmtr.exe) to monitor system resources. Low resources can be a source of problems.
" it is almost incapable of handling any internet activity"
Yeah - I'm not sure what that means - are there specific error messages? There's always the chance of malware, so, the usual advice of maintaining good AV protection, and running Spybot. Ad-aware is also good, but it's slightly tricky to install on 95.
As well, the Dial-Up-Networking 1.3 upgrade might help to solve any connectivity problems.
A higher version of IE also might be helpful - 95 will run IE5.5 - - check out Evolt
Adding more RAM will, of course, be beneficial, but it's not a certainty that's the issue.
I slogged along on a 486 with 20Mb for a while there - a bit of a struggle, but functional.
Why don't they make computers that will do what we think we want them to do?
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Freeram XP pro will optimize RAM by moving certain programs to the swapfile, it also will warn you when recources are low, it runs in the system tray. I use it on all my 32 bit win computers, really speeds up my 486 runnin' '95b.
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Those programs, by and large are (worse than) useless, and any perceived gains are just that - perception only. Snake oil for the masses - the only one I've ever seen that actually has a positive effect on a system is the non resident Cacheman.
Why don't they make computers that will do what we think we want them to do?
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"FreeRAM XP Pro is an application that frees and defragments your computer's RAM (Random Access Memory). Oftentimes, other applications may hog or incorrectly use RAM, which decreases your computer's performance. FreeRAM XP Pro frees this RAM so your computer can run faster and more smoothly. The need to reboot is also less frequent.
How does it work? FreeRAM XP forces Windows to give up some of the memory that it has taken over; junk is cleared out of RAM, while less-often used items stored in the RAM are flushed to the swap file. There they do not take up any"
-from the readme
Customer: Do you have any mouse pads?
Salseman, pointing: Over there.
Customer: Great!, will they be comadible with my computer.
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Yes, I'd already read that, and remain unimpressed with either it or your recommendation of it. It's a blurb, and you swallowed it.
People who buy into that guff have no concept of Windows memory management, and your childlike devotion just adds weight to Barnum's observation.
Why don't they make computers that will do what we think we want them to do?
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... if you mean the people at PC World too, then yes. I got it off of the Aug. 2004 issue's cd.
Customer: Do you have any mouse pads?
Salseman, pointing: Over there.
Customer: Great!, will they be comadible with my computer.
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I have to side w/ jboy on this. When I was young, I tried out a few of these programs. At best, they only present you with a picture that you want to see. As far as dynamic results, they fall quite short.
You might want to have a look at this;
http://aumha.org/win4/a/memmgmt.php
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Yes - much like neo - when I was young, I used to know Everything (not anymore though)
Also of interest are Langa's Views - sure there can be some extremely minor gains:
I can't think of any scenario where having a "hole in RAM" would make ordinary, routine Windows operations faster. Quite the contrary, for routine running, all the memory-shuffling caused by these memory optimizers ends up costing you more time -- lots more time, because of that gigantic six-orders-of-magnitude speed difference -- than any possible speed benefit you might gain thereafter, including any speed gains from "RAM defragmentation."
It's said the most avid, name-brand consumers are the very young & the very old
Why don't they make computers that will do what we think we want them to do?
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jboy, That's (one of) the articles I was trying to remember/find but couldn't. Right on the first page;
"But I have to believe there's a placebo effect at work, and that people are seeing what they want to see -- they're seeing results that just aren't there."
My statement; "At best, they only present you with a picture that you want to see."
(Heh, almost got it verbatum.)
neotms88, You mentioned PC World. I subscribe to the Langa List, Ziff-Davis, PC Mechanic, eweek, among others. Just because one writer gives an opinion doesn't mean its so. There's a multitude of test results out there covering this very subject. With a little searching you can find them. Obviously with the opinion you hold, you'll be surprised. No offence intended here. Back when I had only 96 MB of ram I went looking for these such things. Tried a bunch of them, and ended up with the same results as most people testing them, you get a pretty picture, but end up using more to get nothing. Took me many hours/programs before I could say; "It just isn't so".
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Hmmm - I still 'only' have 96Mb of RAM ; )
Sure - with Windows, often less is more, as in: the less junk you're running, the more you'll get out of your machine.
Yeah - I had to dig for that Langa article myself, but he's usually spot on - always a good read.
Drop the last year into the silent limbo of the past. Let it go, for it was imperfect, and thank God that it can go.
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Yeah, well atleast it prevents Internet explorer from crashing on my granparents computer, yes I have tested many things, they have 32 Mb. RAM, running standard Netzero and IE 5.01, with a pentium 133.
Before I tried using it on my comuter, I would get frequent lockups, now it runs very smoothly.
Homepage is where you hang your heart @
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If it makes you happy - fine - recommending it to someone else based on your fairly subjective & limited experience, not so much.
Drop the last year into the silent limbo of the past. Let it go, for it was imperfect, and thank God that it can go.
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I downloaded it and started it. Following is the log file after some system use, surfing, etc.
LOG FILE:
FreeRAM XP Pro started with Windows at 2:05:27 PM 1/2/05
FreeRAM XP settings modified at 2:08:53 PM 1/2/05
FreeRAM XP RAM optimization completed
Was AutoFree used?: YesActual amount of RAM allocated: 161 MB
Was automatically freeing?: No
Free RAM before freeing: 213 MB (55%)
Free RAM now after freeing: 213 MB (55%)
RAM gained since starting: 0 MB (0%)
Time when started: 2:12:47 PM 1/2/05
Time when ended: 2:12:56 PM 1/2/05
Elapsed time for entire operation: 9 seconds
Current free virtual memory: 8 MB (100%)
Current free total memory: 221 MB (56%)
It doesn't appear to be doing a damn thing for me. It did pop up once telling me I should restart because of low resources, which I didn't have before installing it by the way. Another snake oil.
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No surprises there.
Nothing like the scientific approach - facts over 'feelings'
Drop the last year into the silent limbo of the past. Let it go, for it was imperfect, and thank God that it can go.
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