System resources - How can I free up more ?

[digmen1]

I am using Windows ME with 256meg of Ram.

What are the ways I can free up more System Resocures so that my machine will run better.

I am not able to upgrade to XP yet.

I have disabled many of the items in my system tray.

Is there a utility or way of seeing which programs or processes are taking up my System Resources ?

Thanks
Digby

[muchspl2]

I stopped at
I am using Windows ME
dump that and run 2kpro, if you can run ME you can run 2kpro with ease

[tesco]

Is there a utility or way of seeing which programs or processes are taking up my System Resources ?
alt-ctrl-delete...



read: http://tvg.pinecurtain.net/index.php?article=tuneup :)

[harrycary]

Checkout this site for some good tweaks for various M$ O/S's.

http://www.blackviper.com/Articles/OS/OSguides.htm#Windows_Me

An increase in memory wouldn't hurt either.

[fkdup74]

yeah some more RAM couldnt hurt...but....its still Win ME
XP will run fine on 256MB, but i wouldnt want ME on 1GB of RAM, or 2, or more
see...you can throw all the hardware you want at it, but....
its still one of, if not THE the worst OS ever ;)

what is stopping you from changing OSs?

[whiterook-2]

the site below might help you decide which programs to shut down, using task manager (alt-ctrl-del).

task manager help (http://www.answersthatwork.com/)

[peat moss]

yeah some more RAM couldnt hurt...but....its still Win ME
XP will run fine on 256MB, but i wouldnt want ME on 1GB of RAM, or 2, or more
see...you can throw all the hardware you want at it, but....
its still one of, if not THE the worst OS ever ;)

what is stopping you from changing OSs?


I'm confused too ! Why can't you upgrade to XP ?

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/upgrading/sysreqs.mspx

[muchspl2]

I'm confused too ! Why can't you upgrade to XP ?

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/upgrading/sysreqs.mspx
xp will run like ass with 256 unless you tweek the hell out of it IMO
he should go with 2kpro

[Ariel_001]

It will run good with 256.

And you should read thease two:
http://www.pcnineoneone.com/howto/resources1.html
http://www.annoyances.org/exec/show/article07-104


The way Windows 9x/Me handles a small area of memory called System Resources is one of the biggest shortcomings of the Windows 9x/Me architecture. Understanding the concept of System Resources is key to reducing system crashes and helping to maintain your sanity in an average workday.

Every time you open an application, it loads all of its visual components, such as windows, menus, text boxes, buttons, checkboxes, and lists, into memory. Windows keeps track of the visual components of all the applications so that, for example, when you drag a window across the screen, it knows what was behind the window and is able to redraw it. These visual components are stored in System Resources. Regardless of the amount of physical memory installed in your computer and regardless of the number of open windows, the amount of memory allotted to System Resources never increases.

What’s more, not all of the System Resources an application uses are released when the application is closed. So, you could open and close an application several times and actually run out of System Resources. That’s why Windows may complain that you’re out of memory, even when you have only two or three applications open.

The symptoms of low System Resources include slow performance, error messages when starting programs, application windows not updating properly, applications hanging, and the entire system crashing. The fix, at least as far as we lowly users are concerned, is to restart Windows. When Windows is restarted, the System Resources are cleared, and everything returns to normal.

This aspect of Windows, as well as many other troubleshooting tips, are discussed in detail in the book, Windows Me Annoyances.

The long-term solution is to upgrade to a version of Windows that doesn't have this problem. Both Windows 2000 and Windows XP are based on the Windows NT architecture, which has a much more sophisticated method of dealing with system resources. Both of these products will fix any "Out of memory" or "System Resources" problems you might be experiencing with Windows 95, 98, or Me.