Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (
More info?)
In news:B6821961-A056-48CB-8279-E8E73EC4334F@microsoft.com,
Jim <Jim@discussions.microsoft.com> typed:
> Thank both of you.
You're welcome. Glad to help.
> My machine has 512 MB RAM. The C drive (the only
> hard drive) has 12.2 GB used and 99.4 GB free. The Virtual
> Memory
> was set at Custom with the initial size at 764 and the maximum
> size
> at 1568. Space available 102643 MB. I chnaged it to System
> Managed
> size. and will see if that makes a difference. The virtual
> Memory
> page also states Total Paging File size for all drives 764 MB..
> Any
> additional comments or suggestions wold be appreciated.
You frequently see advice to set the page file size to some
multiple of the amount of RAM you have, but it's poor advice. You
need to use the page file when you don't have enough RAM. That
means the more RAM you have, the *less* page file you need, not
more.
How much total memory someone needs is determined by what apps he
runs. If you subtract from that amount, whatever it is, the
amount of RAM you have, what's left is how much page file you
need. Because what apps you are running isn't always the same,
and the total memory need therefore varies, it makes sense to set
the minimum low (perhaps 200MB or so) and the maximum high, to
give you room to expand whenever necessary.
It didn't hurt you to set the minimum to 764, but it was very
likely more than necessary and therefore wasted a little disk
space. But in these days of large drives, for most people wasting
an extra half a GB or so isn't very significant. In your case,
with 99.4GB free, it's safe to say that how you had the minimum
set, although unnecessary, didn't hurt you at all.
--
Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
Please reply to the newsgroup
> "Ken Blake" wrote:
>
>> In news:uLeS8Yf5EHA.1408@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl,
>> Jim Macklin <p51mustang[threeX12]@xxxhotmail.calm> typed:
>>
>> > Each user needs RAM and virtual memory, when you reboot all
>> > that is cleared. When you are switching back and forth the
>> > available RAM and virtual memory is being used.
>>
>>
>> True, but it's important to note that the memory used by users
>> who aren't current will quickly get paged out of RAM. Only the
>> most-recently-used memory will stay in RAM, and that will be
>> that
>> of the current user. So, assuming that there's enough page
>> file
>> space, it shouldn't matter.
>>
>>
>>
>> > But more RAM and reset the VM to a large setting, and that
>> > should solve the problem.
>>
>>
>> A large-enough page file should be sufficient by itself,
>> without
>> increasing the RAM.
>>
>> --
>> Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
>> Please reply to the newsgroup
>>
>>
>> > see,
http://aumha.org/win5/a/xpvm.htm
>> >
>> >
>> >| How many users can be signed on at one time? When we have
>> >two
>> >(or
>> >| sometimes one) user signed on and the go to START, LOG OFF,
>> >SWITCH
>> >| USERS, then select the additional user we want to add, we
>> >cannot
>> >| switch to a third user (or sometimes even a second user).
>> >However,
>> >| if I reboot and then start selecting users, I can get all
>> >five
>> >users
>> >| signed on. Any suggestions? --
>> >| Jim
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