RAM and Resources are not the same thing.
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I added more RAM, why don?t I have more system resources???
Many people are under the impression that adding another stick or two of RAM will increase the amount of System Resources available to Windows. This is a common misconception. System Resources are unrelated to the amount of RAM in your computer and whether you have 64MB or 1GB it will not change the amount of resources available to you under the Windows 9x platform. The Windows 9x platform includes the following operating systems:
- Windows 3.1 (technically not a 9x version of Windows, but it still has the System Resource problem
- Windows 95
- Windows 98
- Windows 98 SE
- Windows ME
If RAM and System Resources are unrelated, what are the System Resources???
System Resources refers to two 64kb* blocks of memory that Windows uses to track processes for open software. These two blocks are called
GDI Resources and
User Resouces. When Windows returns a figure for available resources it gives you the lower of these two figures if they are different. This is commonly called
Free System Resources. You can use the Resource Meter in Windows 9x to track the actual amounts of both GDI Resources and User Resources if you wish to see the actual available resources instead of relying on the Free System Resources figure normally provided by Windows.
When should I be concerned about running out of System Resources???
There is no set level at which you should be concerned about available System Resources. Whether a certain percentage free is inadequate, is really determined by the software you run on your computer. However, from experience, I have seen that computers with less than 30% of either GDI Resources or User Resources tend to be more prone to crashing or exhibiting odd behavior.
Is there any other time I should worry about System Resources???
Yes. When you first boot up your computer, and before you open any software, look at the amount of resources available. If you see anything less than 80-85% of your resources free, I would examine what is running automatically on startup. Many preconfigured computers from stores, such as Best Buy and CompUSA, come with a large assortment of software that runs automatically in the background. Even though you may only see the icon beside the clock, this software can still consume quite a bit of your system resources.
How do I determine what?s running at start up???
In Windows 98, 98 SE, and ME you can type
msconfig at a Run prompt. This will start an integrated utility that will allow you to view software that is automatically started upon booting your computer. Alternatively, or if you are using Windows 95, you can use
Startup Control Panel to view and change what software is run when you boot your computer. Startup Control Panel is much more flexible than msconfig, but both work well and allow you to alter startup software without having to manually edit the Registry.
Is there any way to reclaim my System Resources???
System resources should be reclaimed when the software that uses them is closed. In the case of 16-bit applications, all open 16-bit applications must be closed to recover system resources.
In a perfect world, the reclaiming of system resources would work without a hitch. However, the Win9x kernel is far from perfect. In addition there is loads of software available for the 9x platform that does a poor job of freeing resources when closed. It is also quite common for some Windows components to still be left open after a program is closed down. This is an intended behavior of Windows, due to the fact that many of these components are frequently used and having them open speeds up the access times when they are needed again.
This means that after running Windows 9x for several days or weeks you may notice that the resources available still seem to spiral downward even after closing Unreal Tournament and those 10 Internet Explorer windows you have open. In this case the only way to free those lost resources is to reboot your computer.
Is that really the only way I can free my lost system resources???
There are various freeware/shareware items out there that
?claim? to help with the System Resource problem that plaque the 9x kernel. I personally view them as snake oil, but to each his own. The only
true way I know of to solve the resource problem, is to make the jump to the NT kernel with either Windows 2000 or XP. Both of these operating systems offer excellent compatibility with most software.
*Technically there are more than two 64kb heaps. The breakdown is as follows: two 16-bit 64kb heaps and three 32-bit heaps. However, system resource problems lie within the two 64kb heaps, so the 32-bit heaps are really non-existent when dealing with low resource problems.
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