system resources

[Script Kiddie01]

it's me again. i have windows 98se and i hear that they are limited to 64 kb of system resources is this true and how do i increase this?

[cwk9]

I think you mean 64 megs. I don't think there is a hard set limit if there is its not 64. I do know however you won't see any improvement in performance once you get over 128 meg on 98. I think the same point is 512 on xp but some might disagree.

[journy101]

To my knowledge the 64k limit on system resources cannot be changed. Resources are difernt from RAM.

There are User resources and GDI (Graphics Device Interface) resources. These are managed internaly by windows. I believe the 64k comes from a segment size.

Go here http://www.experts-exchange.com/Oper..._11865498.html

and read the responce by hewittg, he explains everything you need to know about resources. Furthermore check out this site:

http://www.ascensionlabs.com/general...sResources.htm

[slarty]

"System resources" is GDI and USER heap in 16-bit versions of Windows (or versions of Windows that use a 16-bit version of GDI and USER).

In windows 95 they increased it by making the GDI and USER heaps separate, but it's still quite limited. As posters' correctly say, it is limited to 64k. This is a design problem, and cannot be mitigated.

BUT "system resources" is not normal memory, applications do not normally use it. It's only for allocation of GDI and USER objects like: Windows, Brushes, Bitmaps, Icons, Fonts etc. And in any case, the memory for the object itself (for instance a Bitmap or Font) doesn't come out of the GDI heap, only a small amount.

Unfortunately it leaks, especially if applications crash. This means that once the system resources gets too low, new GDI and USER objects can't be allocated, which has the following symptoms:

- Blank icons
- bits of the screen not getting repainted
- Things not working very well.

IIRC, GDI heap usually runs out a long time before USER heap. So that's usually what's wrong.

In practice, I've found that Windows 98 crashes more often than it runs out of system resources anyway. And in any case, if you reboot once a day or so (assuming it doesn't crash), system resources don't usually run out.

A few big apps (Photoshop) can be particularly harsh on sys. resources. But people don't usually run them on win98 anyway.

Versions of Windows with a 32-bit user interface and GDI don't suffer from this problem, hence they have virtually unlimited "system resources" (well limited by memory anyway). This includes WinNT, windows 2000 and Windows XP

Slarty

[journy101]

Unfortunately it leaks, especially if applications crash. This means that once the system resources gets too low, new GDI and USER objects can't be allocated,

Thats right.

This is exactly the problem I had when makeing a game. I was creating fonts but mistakenly placed it inside my window procedure which is a loop. Therefor fonts were being created rapidly, each time using up the GDI resources. Within half a minute an error and my mouse froze and the system stoped responding.

This is why a windows programmer must make sure they free any resources that may have been alocated during the execution of the program. Just like all programers must watch out for memory leaks.

[nihil]

Hi,

98 will run on almost all the resource that you can give it up to 512MB which is the viable limit for 9x/Me. The amount that it uses naturally (that is, to run the OS) will vary, but is probably around 64Mb given an unlimited supply? (512)

It will run on 16Mb as a minimum.................haven't tried it on less


I am not too sure what your ultimate question is, but you may need some kind of memory management/RAM defragging software?

I could probably help you a bit more if you told me:

1. Why do you think you want to give your OS more "resource"?
2. How much RAM do you have?
3. Is it 98 or 98Second Edition?
EDIT:..........sorry about that..it is second edition..missed that bit.....I have two boxes running that OS one is a P1/133 and the other a P3/533......let me know a bit more and maybe I can help?

EDIT#2........just had a thought.............98 still runs over DOS......are you thinking of the 640k DOS limit.................you cannot change that without re-writing the DOS OS

Cheers

[Script Kiddie01]

heya,

answers:

1: i still like the old games that are run in DOS. i.e carmageddon, duke nukem and Albion ( it's an old game i know but i like it). and i find that sometimes when i go to run them i get an error message "insufficent memory to run the application". i want to eleminate that.

2. 1024 megabytes. this may seem to much but in my defence it's just for bragging rights at school.

[nihil]

ARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

You have far TOO MUCH memory there. Win 9x is unstable above 512Mb IMHO. I do not believe that Me can handle it either, based on a machine that I have with 768Mb of PC800 RAMBUS memory.

Try removing memory down to 512Mb and see if this cures the problem.

Cheers

[Nokia]

You cant really change the amount of resorces that your computer needs, it needs them for a reason! If you try to decrease it something WILL crash, if you try to increse them you will be taking something away from an application or peice of hardware that nees it.

That only viable way is to get rid of background prosseses that you dont need.

Click on Start > Run then type msconfig. Then click on the starup tab, expand the window to make it easier.

This list all the prgrams that start up with your computer and run in the back ground.

Remove the tick from any programs you dont need to run every time your computer starts up.

i.e, In mine I have thing like Nero, clone cd, Microsoft office, msn messenger.

I dont use nero and office etc every time I use my computer so I would de-select these so that they dont run in the back ground.

They will still start up when you click on thier icons it will just take a few seconds longer.

It will also speed you boot prosess up to.

The only things you need to have running in WIN 98 SE are CTFMON, SYSLOG and EXPLORER
There may be others depending on what you have installed, you just need to use common sense, i.e dont de-select zone alarm if you want your fire wall to start with your computer, unless you can remember to manualy start it when you go online!


You can also get to it by, start > programs > accsessories > system tools > system info.
Go to the tools menu and select the system config utility. This dosent work in xp tho.

Hope it helps a bit.

[Phone Booth]

Dood i just done that on my computer and it has just booted up in no time at all! Things seem to be opening a bit quicker too. Thanks a lot matey!!