BleepingComputer.com: Reducing memory usage

win98, I found runs like crap with less than 90% resoures free. I always used msconfig to disable everything except explorer. Most programs don`t need to start at startup { mostly all they do is save you a few seconds in loading time when you use the main program } I even stopped the anti virus and just ran scans manually . And your defrag will not complete because of programs running sometimes and if it doesn`t complete nothing is defragged . I also found that it is advisable to run defrag very often as win98 slows quite a bit without it . I have win98 on a few machines and keep them fast with 92% >96% resourses free at idle. win98 needs around 100mb >130mb ram to fully load itself and on systems with 128mb or less ram ,needs to depend on virtual memory and if your disk is not maintained { scandisk & defrag } that too slows down quite a bit.

I can't install more than 128MB of RAM in this computer due to a chipset limitation. The computer can run with more RAM, but it is very slow.

BTW, Iti, Mate, how is that little Brute going now? I have often wondered, as I think most of us have. You really got that Computer Flying against the odds.

Ray.

lti, on 12 November 2011 - 02:59 PM, said:

Thats unusual you can only have 128MB? Do you have 2 slots with 64MB in each? If you have you may as well to 2, 256MB and put them in the slots.

It will run slow with 128MB plus you have stuff running in the background you can't see that Task Manager doesn't show you.

I had 690MB in my Win98SE and it was quick as a flash with everything I used I also cut out the crap on startup, it was a 550Mhz processor.

Drovers Dog, on 14 November 2011 - 04:59 AM, said:

It is still running as well as it was when this topic was started. Snce then, I discovered that the chipset is only designed to run on up to a 75MHz FSB. The FSB was set to 83MHz from the factory, and I didn't change it when I upgraded the CPU.

Quote

The board has 2 RAM slots. One slot is empty and the other has a 128MB stick. Compaq claims that the computer supports 256MB of RAM, and it ran well with that amount of RAM until I upgraded the CPU.

lti, on 14 November 2011 - 10:48 AM, said:

Well the thing is with adding RAM you have to get the exact same suitable type its no good buying a 256MB stick and putting it in and hope it works there are different speed ratings for RAM and don't thing that adding a faster speed will speed things up it won't or it may even slow it down. The older computers are generally PC100 or PC133 my old WinME computer is PC100 which I bought 2, 256MB sticks of eBay for £18 a few years ago. So I have 2, 256 and 1, 128 in mine.

I used 2 128MB PC133 sticks. The stick that is still installed in the computer is a PQI MS3828UOE, and the one I removed was made by Simple Technology and had 16 chips. I don't know the specs on this stick. For most of its life, this computer had the Simple Technology stick and the original Compaq 32MB stick in it.

I have an older model Dell (Inspiron 9300). (Using Windows XP) That runs REAL slow.
Yes, there is a lot of stuff on it. I have removed pictures, programs
and old files as much as possible, and it is still running slow.
There are a few programs on my startup menu which I do not know if they need to be checked or not.

Here is the list:

sgtray

hpqSRMon

APSDaemon

Updater

ctfmon

I was also wondering if I can add more Memory. I keep getting a message that says my Virtual Memory is too low.

Or should I just get it reformatted??

This post has been edited by IoneIndigo: 19 November 2011 - 11:18 AM