Memory Resource Loss??

I have a Dell4100 PenIII 933/133mhz 384Mem 20hd Wins ME. I have a problem after 2hrs my system starts to run rough and I have to reboot. Then it will run smoothly for another 2hrs before I have to reboot again. Is there any software that will help me w/ this problem?? I have been told that this happens do to my surffing the net and using up my resource memory. I welcome any advise that anyone has. I am think about adding more hard drive - 80gb. ODIE

 

Well, I would start off with a cleaning of any potential spyware. Spyware can cause a pc to come to a crawl.. so can viruses. With that.. please read our first line of defense:

READ ME FIRST: Basic Spyware, Trojan And Virus Removal

 

Try these steps

Right click My Computer > click properties > Click the performance tab > Click the file system button. A Dialog box will appear. For the Role of the computer click the drop down box and select Network server. This will enable better memory management in windows because it will think it has a network to support. Then below that Turn the read ahead optimization off. This feature is most likely eating your resources up because windows is trying to guess what you are going to do next all the time. click ok button to close file system dialog and click ok again to close system properties. Then restart. Hope that helps.

 

Thanks ZYTO: Ill try this !! Let you know how its doing in a couple of days.
ODIE

 

Its also because with Windows ME, 98 or 95, the system performance tends to deteroriate the longer you leave the computer on...

 

2 hours is not going to cause that much of a performance loss..

 

Do you think that XP would preform better?? I tryed to Install the XP Upgrade version. The upgrade Advisor said that my system had to eliminate a lot of my programs before XP would be able to be accept an installation, then it could be only the full version. With all the problems that I am hearing about the XP's problems, I am a little gun shy. ODIE

 

Dont be affraid of XP. It's MUCH more stable than any of the 9x series of windows. Just don't upgrade! unless you are looking for a crash-fest. I would recommend XP pro over any other version of windows. unless your hardware cant keep up with it. Then, I would then recommend 2k pro. But judging from your specs I would say you should have no problem with XP pro. So do it if you can. Run as far away from ME as possible!

 

Word!

 

Would Wins XP run more smoothly on my system and solve this Problem??
ODIE

 

that goes without saying...

 

Scardey Cat!! I run WinMe and it has been solid from day one with little exception. A fluke? Perhaps. But my experience with WinME compared to the problems that I read about with XP, and the multitudinous problems we have with XP at work, I'll stick with ME thanks all the same. TweakUI helps WinME immensely. Just my two pennies.

 

odiear3rd, I've kept out of this as I use W98SE, but it suffers from a similar trouble. As you have read, W9x/ME are not good at managing memory.

Try the MG search page
http://www.majorgeeks.com/search.php

and type in "memory" without the quotes. Hundreds of results will be returned. Look for those that mention RAM or memory, or similar, and click on those to see what they do.

Download any that appeal to you.

I use Maxmem from

http://www.analogx.com/contents/download/system/maxmem.htm

Version on their site shows v1.01 although I have v1.02 from them. Not sure if they have forgotten to update their text with new version number. I usually run it once or twice in succession when booting up. It usually increase my available memory from 50-60% up to 70-80% free. This after loading all the stuff I use for an Internet session, like Zone Alarm, Avast AntiVirus, teatimer.exe, Resource meter, Planet Clock etc.

As I write this I have 75% free (214mb free out of 288mb maximum, 74mb in use). You should do even better with 384mb to start with. Every 5 minutes it activates itself to free up memory resources. You can set 3 levels of activation. You can leave it running, or close it down after you achieve your maximum free. Hope this helps. Bazza

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Thanks BAZZA: I downloaded MAXMEM. I am having trouble opening up the program. Each time I try and open it from the desktop, it wants me to install the program again. How does the program work?? I must have a program installed that interfers with MAXMEM. Does other mem programs interfer w/ each other?? ODIE

 

BIGBAZZA: I think I found how to actvate the program (MAXMEM) I went to start< programs< AnalogX < MAXMEM<. Now I have it in my shortcut tool bar at the bottom of my screen on the right. So if you activate when you 1st boot atleast 2x it help your mem res.

 

Boccemon:
I too have heard too many bad things about XP like you have. Besides we like our comfort zones and dont want to start wanting to make changes in the systems we have. In my opinion if you want XP you should invest in a bigger system that has it already installed for us computer dummmies. I could not get TWEAKUI to work for me. But I did get MAXMEM . You need to check it out.Thanks for you help. "SCARDY CAT"

 

Will I tryed to fix this problem as a mem loss prob. That is not my prob. It must be a weak mobo & Cpu prob. I must either live w/ it or upgrade. Removing ME & inst XP might solve it, but my sys may reject it. These sys have a mind of their own. So ill settle w/ living w/ it.Thanks for all your help!! ODIE

 

Odi, re-reading your first post, I think we all might have missed the point. How much free space is left on your 20gig hard drive? How often do you defrag? What software do you use to do housekeeping on your hard drive? How often do you run those progs?

Try these 3, if you haven't already got them. All 3 are free and don't conflict with each other. What size are your Index.dat files? Bazza

Cleanup! http://www.stevengould.org/ Freeware 3.1
EmpTemp http://www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=1575
and CrapCleaner http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4191.html
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BIGBAZZA: Thanks for the reply! My HD is 20 (12.69 used & 5.94 free). I have not done a defrag in some time. I tried this morn but it just bogged down ( running it for over an hour & only got 2% done. I tried to go into the safe mode before wins come up but it would not go. The last time I did this the computer got stuck in the safe mode. The only way I could get it out of the safe mode was to uninstall Win ME and reinstall it again. Do you think I should uninstall win me again the do my DISK SCAN & DEFRAG?? It looks like that may be the to do this.I got all the down loads excepy for Crap Cleaner.

I keep my sys clean w/ ADAWARE, Spy Sweeper, Spybot, REG CLEANER,RAM IDLE, RAM BOOSTER, HiSTROY KILL 2003 . Tell me which of all these I should Keep and the ones I dont need. Thanks again for your help. ODIE

 

Another possibility: WinME and earlier have two resource heaps in memory that are fixed in size. Click here for full details. The Windows resource monitor reports the lower of the two as System resources.

The sizeof each heap is fixed, so adding memory to the system doesn't make any difference. Some (small) programs use 2% of System resources or less, but I have some programs that consume more than 10% of those resources. And I have a couple of programs that don't give up all of those resources when they are closed, so the resource heaps get drawn down over time. When you get down to less than 5% free, bad things start happening. Windows go blank, processes jam, and ultimately Windows crashes. I keep a resource monitor on my desktop so that I have some warning that it's time to re-boot. But it only tells me what percentage of both resource heaps are still available.

My question for today: does anyone know of some software (preferably reliable and free) that can provide a readout of which programs/processes are consuming how much of User and GDI resources? ATM does that just fine for CPU usage, but it doesn't provide any breakdown on resource heap usage.

 

RobM, thanks for the info and the link. I'm gonna have to study this a bit more thoroughly. I use W98SE (288mb RAM), and load the Windows Resource Monitor everytime, at bootup. It reports System, User and GDI percentages, as you know. I keep an eye on it all the time, but have not had any resource problems lately.

Start-->Programs--->Accessories--->System Tools---->Resource Meter for anyone interested (W98SE). Bazza
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odiear3rd. I suggest that you run defrag overnight. Set it running before you go to bed and let it do it's thing. Turn your monitor off as it is not required once the defrag is under way. I run Norton System Works "Speed disk" nearly every day to keep my drive/drives defragged. I have not used MS defrag in years so cannot even remember how well it works.

Persist in downloading CrapCleaner, it is worth it. I use W98SE so would not recommend how you go about anything about uninstalling WinME. I've never even seen it on a PC.

Keep whatever programs work for you. I used all those that I listed, plus more. Bazza

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i have loss use of my comp. My mouse curser disabled so I cant navagate the net or any my programs. Also the comp is stuck in the safe mode. I am using my daughters comp. Someone suggested that disable the mouse drive /control panel>systems>hardware. Anybody got any suggestion?? Please help me w/ this ODIE

 

Better start again, from the beginning. Did you defrag your Pc. Did it complete, or crash? How far do you get when you try to start up your PC. Where does it stop? When you bootup can you select Bootlog.txt instead of Safe mode. In W98SE press F8 and safe mode and other options appear. Don't know about ME. though. Select Bootlog.txt and it will log all startup processes. Anyone with ME, feel free to add words of wisdom. Bazza

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BIGBAZZA: I was not able to complete the defrag.ME has to be in safe mode to do a defrag. I tryed all that day trying to put in safe mode using F8 but it would not go. At the dinner hour I tried to shut down comp but had it in the restart mode. When I returned to comp it was in safe mode & curser was gone. The only way to navagate was w/wins key & the UP/DOWN/SIDE TO SIDE KEys. I could go to my programs but could not open them. So i had to use the ALT/CRTL/DELETE keys to close the programs. Then i had to use the power button to shut down the comp. A friend said that I had to disable the Mouse drive thru the control panel/ system/ hardware. Then i could reboot and the system would except the other drives. This was the possible answer I replaced the mouse and that did not correct the problem. I amlost as to what to do. I am using my daugthers laptop to send these messages. ODIE

 

Odiear3rd. I'm just about out of ideas. Any ME expert out there, please step in.
Maybe F8 is not the key to get into Safe mode. Anything in the manuals that might have come with the computer. Can you bootup into command prompt mode. I guess not if you can't even get into Safe mode. Have you tried google searches on ME & defrag, ME & safe mode? or searches along that line? Can you get into the BIOS as you bootup? Probably won't help but try anyhow. Check all settings in BIOS. Who knows? Just clutching at straws now for anything that might help you.

http://www.majorgeeks.com/search.php will get you into search in MG. Type in "defrag", without quotes for a list of defraggers that may work from a command prompt. They gotta work with ME, of course. Bazza

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BIGBAZZA:
Thanks for your suggestions. My daughters friend thinks its a driver prob. the mouse driver is interfering w/all the other drivers. He suggests that I go into the control panel and uninstall the mouse driver and reboot. Then in rebooting it should restore my system to navagate. Then I should be able to delete the safe mode. I had a simalar prob w/ not being able to get out of the safe mode and I had to uninstall Win ME. Then the reinstallation of ME solved the prob. ODIE

 

Thanks ROB: The website was self explanitory. I now can understad my problem. Again thanks for that.ODIE

Please read my other threads in this thread. If you know how to help me w/ this new prob . ODIE

 

I have Moved to the Driver Thread w/ a new Thread. ODIE

 

As creator of this thread I wish to close it. how do I do this?? can someone do this for me? I have moved my thread to DRIVERS THREAD . ODIE