Where is my memory going?

[SPX]

I recently installed the UberSkin add-on that allows you to see your memory stats via CTRL+ALT+DEL and it's reporting that I only have 30% free memory. I am running 98SE and have 64 MB RAM. I then proceeded to basically shut down every program that was running until just the OS itself was left. Then it reported that I had 42% free RAM. Does anyone know how accurate the tool really is? And if it IS accurate, then why is an OS that can run on 16 MB RAM (and according to MS, only 24 MB is recommended) using more than 32 MB by itself?

[T.N.G.O.G.]

I have 77 right now, after being online for a few hours, playing games, etc it drops to 40 or 43 or 60. The user resources and GDI always seems to stay in the 80's or 90's. I don't know what free memory is either.

Edited October 19, 2008 by T.N.G.O.G.

[chromatic47]

EDIT: Deleted irrelevant suggestion about vcache.

I have since learned that there are fundamental differences between Win95 vcache and Win98/ME.

Per this article:

http://www.aumha.org/win4/a/memmgmt.php

Edited October 20, 2008 by chromatic47

[herbalist]

Memload may help you find which process is using up your memory. It's one of a very few that show memory usage on 9X units for each process separately. Another member pointed me to this little utility. http://www.pricelesswarehome.org/acf/P_SYS...IES.php#0451-PW

Rick

[BenoitRen]

Thanks, herbalist. That's a neat tool. One issue, though: the memory amounts per process don't add up. I count about 40 MB used by the processes, and there is 40+ MB of free memory. I wonder where the remaining 80 MB went.

[T.N.G.O.G.]

MY FREE memory is up to 77 right now, but i notice it goes up and down, one min it was at 44, then it went back up to 92.

[sp193]

Hey all,

I was just wondering, is there really a memory leak in Win98 as stated by outside sources (If so, it would explain the ever decreasing RAM)? 'Cause my Win98 system's 512MB RAM would decrease(and not increase back to around it's original vaue), after opening and closing programs.

Also, why does a Win9x machine slow down after straineous activity like a transfer of many big files?

[Monroe]

Hi all,

.... I have been using this little program for years, along with Memload, to watch my memory go up and down as I open and close programs. I know there are other programs like this one but it frees up memory after you close a program and it uses very little resources. ... RAMpage ...

.... http://www.jfitz.com/RAMpage/ .... It works with 98SE and I recently put it on a computer running XP, so

this person could watch what programs use the most memory through the day (it's an office computer). It seems to be working just fine with XP .... it's been over 2 weeks and I have had no phone calls .... but it's really great for 98SE.

*** .... I should add, I use version 1.6 ... which is what you get on the "Download" tab at the bottom. Most people might not need version 1.6.1 ... but you can read and decide if that version is really needed but you must install v1.6 first and then v1.6.1, so the instructions say. ... but v1.6 works for me and also on that XP computer.

"Version 1.6.1 displays 4 (tiny!) digits when memory exceeds 1000M.

To upgrade, download this file, unzip it, and replace RAMpage.exe in the original

installation folder, (C:\Program Files\RAMpage\RAMpage.exe by default).

Note that you need to install Version 1.6 first.

The source code for Version 1.6.1 is available here."

duffy98

Edited October 23, 2008 by duffy98

[Sfor]

Also, why does a Win9x machine slow down after straineous activity like a transfer of many big files?

The Windows 98 Explorer does have a problem related to the integration with IE. Operations on large files, or large amount of small files are locking system resources. This problem does not happen in Windows 95.

There are several work arounds available.

- The easiest one is to keep IE at version 4. With IE 5.5 it works quite well. With IE 6, the Explorer bug is very annoying.

- Windows 98 lite without IE and with Explorer from Windows 95 works very well.

- An alternative shell like LiteStep or some other not using the Explorer for file operations.

- There is a work around by keeping two sets of browser DLL files. One for the Explorer from IE 5.5 and the other for IE 6.

- There is an Unofficial Explorer Lockups SHELL32.DLL fix, as well.

Edited October 23, 2008 by Sfor

[sp193]

Errm, well, I use the Win95 shell (4.00.950) on my Win98 system, but there still seems to be an obvious drag after transfering many big files....any other possibilities? The drag is still present, even after defragmenting my memory, and makes my system unstable.

[herbalist]

One issue, though: the memory amounts per process don't add up. I count about 40 MB used by the processes, and there is 40+ MB of free memory. I wonder where the remaining 80 MB went.

I'm guessing that the memory that's used by the operating system as a whole isn't included in the itemized list. My knowledge of what 98 stores in memory is quite limited. It would be useful to figure out what everything is that 98 keeps in memory and which items are responsible for its being used up. Are there any utilities that show more details of the memory usage by windows itself? Any listing of what is stored there, full or partial?

[FishBowl]

..why is an OS that can run on 16 MB RAM (and according to MS, only 24 MB is recommended) using more than 32 MB by itself?

Don't really know why, but I can tell you how:

Already uses the swap file at boot time...

That's one great reason to add more RAM.

[technoid]

Installing a cache controller, like Cacheman (outertech.com), wouldn't hurt either. You can set it to see how much ram is free (or used, etc) in the systray.