Windows Virtual Memory (work PC)

[kap]

The system keeps dragging after awhile and I keep getting the warning about Windows virtual memory is low. I have only have Opera 10, FF 3, and two windows of HP 3000 Linux (?) open.

How much should I set the paging file size?
MS XP Pro ver. 2002 SP3
P3 - 797 MHz
384 MB of RAM
HD: used space: 10.7 GB, free space: 7.93 GB
Paging file size for selected drive HD:
Initial size: 384 MB
Maximum size: 768 MB
Total paging file size for all drives:
Minimum allowed: 2 MB
Recommended: 574 MB
Currently allocated: 500 MB

Anything else I need to do?

TiA

[anonymouse1]

How much physical RAM is in the machine?

[kap]

384 MB

I just set Windows to autoconfig the VM. System remains sluggish.

[C(-)ris]

kap wrote:
384 MB

I just set Windows to autoconfig the VM. System remains sluggish.

LMAO. Get more ram. Virtual memory is just crap on your hard drive and is slow slow slow.

[timg]

If you're running XP, you should have at least 1GB of memory.

If the system you're running it on can't handle that much memory, you should get a new system.

[kap]

Get more RAM? Get a new system? I had thought of that since I was assigned to this workstation a year ago. That's free lunch ... more like asking for a gourmet 5 course meal! It ain't gonna happen around here. I was hoping there was something else I could do. Thanks guys.

[onthedownlow]

Do the system managed size again, like you said - go and download this: http://www.mydefrag.com/Manual-DownloadAndInstall.html - run the 'Optimize Monthly' option, restart and you'll notice an improvement, I would be sure.

This will take some time, so do it at the end of the day. You can still use your computer, but obviously things will be even slower. lol

[Filliam H. Muffman]

kap wrote: Anything else I need to do?

You mean other than increasing RAM to AT LEAST 512 MB? 768 MB is better and I recommend 1 GB if there is any way to do it. The problem is that just the shipping costs on new RAM would likely be more than that PC is worth (if you can still find a retailer with stock old enough to work in that boat anchor).

I would go with 384 MB + 512 MB for size of the swap file. I think a big part of the problem (I mean other than running out of RAM as soon as you start those four programs) might be that the swap file is fragmented. It will be slow no matter what you do short of: backup, wipe, restore; one or more passes with a third party defrag utility; or cloning it to a new hard drive.

My laptop passed 4 years old a few months ago and I increased it to 2 GB as soon as the price took a decent drop about 6 months after I bought it. My Startup contains AVG, iTunes, Adobe Reader, Real Player and a couple of other things. My PF Usage is 320 MB from a cold boot. I have CF memory cards almost as big as that hard drive.

[Filliam H. Muffman]

kap wrote:
Get a new system?... It ain't gonna happen around here.

Maybe someone will sell you a used Dell Mini 9 that you could take in to use and try to embarrass them into a better machine. It should be at least 50% faster if it had 1 GB of RAM and a 32 GB HD.

They can buy a nearly complete barebones Atom based system for about $110 and get the same kind of upgrade as a Mini 9. A side benefit is it would pay for 1/3 of it's cost in the first year in just reduced energy use.

[kap]

Filliam H. Muffman wrote:
[quote=kap]
Get a new system?... It ain't gonna happen around here.

Maybe someone will sell you a used Dell Mini 9 that you could take in to use and try to embarrass them into a better machine. It should be at least 50% faster if it had 1 GB of RAM and a 32 GB HD.

They can buy a nearly complete barebones Atom based system for about $110 and get the same kind of upgrade as a Mini 9. A side benefit is it would pay for 1/3 of it's cost in the first year in just reduced energy use.
That would be awesome! LOL! I even volunteered to bring in my 1 year old Lenovo laptop. My boss was all right with the idea as she wanted higher productivity and efficiency ... even from a Windows box. Her boss said, "NO WAY!" due to security issues. As you can see I have been running into walls of steel. I do what I can to tweak the system. A tiny bit of speed increase perhaps.