jmehal
asked on
Memory not released
I have a Abit motherboard with a Celeron 300A processor, 256 megs of ram,
Viper 770 32 mg Video. The problem is that when I open applications the memory being used is not released back to the system when I close the application. Eventually the computer runs out of memory. I can clean the memory and get it back to start the cycle all over again. I have changed the motherboard, added a dimm, and changed the hard drive and video card. Problem wont go away. Can the cpu be causing this. This has been a real headache. Help would greatly be appreciated. Thanks, Jerome
Viper 770 32 mg Video. The problem is that when I open applications the memory being used is not released back to the system when I close the application. Eventually the computer runs out of memory. I can clean the memory and get it back to start the cycle all over again. I have changed the motherboard, added a dimm, and changed the hard drive and video card. Problem wont go away. Can the cpu be causing this. This has been a real headache. Help would greatly be appreciated. Thanks, Jerome
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when an application is closed Windows 98 doesn't release all of the RAM used. so your system resources drop until you "restart" the system. then system resources will be higher
ASKER
OK, how do I find out which applications are doing this so I can correct the problem. Could this be a virus? McAffee doesnt find anything wrong.
ASKER
Also when I restart the system I get some back, but not all of it.
>Also when I restart the system I get
>some back, but not all of it.
Maybe you better provide some background information and details about what is leading you to this conclusion. If what you say here is true, then after a few days, you would have no RAM left at all, right?
I'm skeptical of what you're saying here!!
>some back, but not all of it.
Maybe you better provide some background information and details about what is leading you to this conclusion. If what you say here is true, then after a few days, you would have no RAM left at all, right?
I'm skeptical of what you're saying here!!
ASKER
OK, I changed hard drives and started fresh. Only had Windows 98 on the drive with a couple of memory utilities and AOL 4.0 I still had the problem on the new drive. I also have added another 128 meg PC100 dimm to the system to make a total of 256 megs. On boot I initially loose between 80 to 100 megs of physical memory from the start.As time progresses though the day opening and closing apps it runs out unless I use a memory freeing program.I have tried many diagnostic programs, virus checkers, etc. to no avail. Is it possible that my copy of Win 98 is corrupted? Maybe try installing it from another disk.It is not an upgrade, its a full version. Also hard drive is a Maxtor udma 66 113 gig thats brand new.
ASKER
Thats a 13 gig hard drive, not 113 gig
ASKER
Also when I run application called Idyll Tasks Manager 98, it shows cpu and memory usage. Cpu usage sometimes stays at 100 percent for hours with nothing running except background stuff setting at the desktop.Is this because the system is trying to get some of the ram back? I have asked quite a few people and software seems to be the general concensus.
You're still not making sense to me. You say:
"On boot I initially loose between 80 to 100 megs of physical memory from the start."
How do you know? What are you using to measure this? How do you know it's telling you the truth? Please give more details!
I'll ask it again:
Are you being fooled by the behavior of the memory manager? It doesn't reclaim memory from applications that have exited until pressed to do so by a new application trying to get memory.
Are you application really running out of memory? Under Win98 it is almost impossible to run out of physical memory. The first thing that runs out is the SYSTEM RESOURCE MEMORY. This is a fixed size and doesn't depend on the amount of physical memory installed. Under Win95 this was 64K, under Win98, it's 128K (that's K not MEG!!). Every window, button, application, icon, menu, etc., etc., etc., comsumes some of this limited memory. When you run out, no more objects can be created and you get the dreaded "Low Resources" warning. The only fix is to run fewer apps or switch to NT.
"On boot I initially loose between 80 to 100 megs of physical memory from the start."
How do you know? What are you using to measure this? How do you know it's telling you the truth? Please give more details!
I'll ask it again:
Are you being fooled by the behavior of the memory manager? It doesn't reclaim memory from applications that have exited until pressed to do so by a new application trying to get memory.
Are you application really running out of memory? Under Win98 it is almost impossible to run out of physical memory. The first thing that runs out is the SYSTEM RESOURCE MEMORY. This is a fixed size and doesn't depend on the amount of physical memory installed. Under Win95 this was 64K, under Win98, it's 128K (that's K not MEG!!). Every window, button, application, icon, menu, etc., etc., etc., comsumes some of this limited memory. When you run out, no more objects can be created and you get the dreaded "Low Resources" warning. The only fix is to run fewer apps or switch to NT.
ASKER
Is there a way you can call me? I have a 1-800 number. If I have 256 meg of physical memory and boot the system, I then load Idyll Softwares Task manager that shows I have 160 megs physical available. As I open and close programs I look at the Memory Manager(Task Manager 98) That I got from ZD Net. It keeps getting lower and lower until there is no more physiacl memory left. Even rebooting the system only gets a little of it back. If I use a memory cleaning program I get it up to 230 megs or so of physical memory. When its showing low physical memory the sytem eventually slows down, and sometimes blue screen of death. Also do you have any ideas about the cpu part of Task Manager? It shows cpu usage and will stay at 100% for hours with only background stuff running, i.e. no other apps except windows 98 and processes that load on boot. It does this now and then. I could e-mail you my 800 number if you are willing to call me about this. Thanks, Jerome Mehal
disable all utilities except anti-virus and then re-start. then see what happens. many utilities are memory hogs
ASKER