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Thread ID: 44613 2004-04-24 11:37:00 Why Is So Much Of My RAM Used? Winston001 (3612) Press F1
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231861 2004-04-24 11:37:00 I really enjoy my HP nx9005 laptop. Today I noticed System Information under the Startup menu, so had a gander.

I've got 512mb of RAM and the Sys Inf confirms that.

But it also tells me that I have 188.63mb of physical memory available.
What???!!!

I run ZoneAlarm, Norton Antivirus, Spyblaster, and Opera on XP Pro. Why would 323mb RAM be unavailable?

I am assiduous at running Adaware and Spybot. 		Winston001 (3612)
231862 2004-04-24 11:46:00 Rather than 'wasting' unused ram, windows will use most of it as a cache. If more ram is required by an application, it simply dumps some of the cache and allocates the space to the application. A good demo is to load a program such as Word, then exit it and reload it. The second load tends to be a lot faster due to cached files. So the free ram is that left after the 'used' ram and the 'cache' ram is deducted from the total available. wuppo (41)
231863 2004-04-24 11:55:00 To draw an analogy Winston, you should measure the square metres of floor space in your house. (RAM fitted)

Then measure the useable floor space with all your furniture in and the family in residence. (Basic operating system and support loaded)

Then hold a party, and invite all the PF1 crew (Applications loaded and running)

Then measure the floor space left. (physical memory available)

Then serve the drinks and Bluff oysters. 		godfather (25)
231864 2004-04-24 12:00:00 The extra memory will be the size of your swap file or what is available for the swap file. This will expand or contract as needed unless you have a Max/Min size set up.

The swap file can use all unused space on the hard drive or drives.

Do a search for swapfile.sys and see how big it is. 		Elephant (599)
231865 2004-04-24 12:06:00 > Then serve the drinks and Bluff oysters.

Do that lot and we will check out your system. I love my Bluff oysters natural thanks!

I'll bring my own booze and pocket knife.

:-) 		Elephant (599)
231866 2004-04-24 12:11:00 Whoops.... You don't have extra memory.... Must be thinking about oysters.

Try using CNTRL, ALT, DEL and seeing what is running.

For an explanation of what services can be closed down you can try here:-

http://www.blackviper.com/ 		Elephant (599)
231867 2004-04-24 13:28:00 Should I limit the range in my Swop file? I recall after buying my first PC World, about a year ago, energetically finding and then changing the Virtual Memory on my wifes computer. :_|

Oh dear..... I was a sad and chastened Winston for a few hours until I learned about system restore.

So, if I have this right, the Ram usage is a function of the amount of furniture in the room. Adding enthusiastic geeks will take up more RAM but applications involving Bluff oysters and possibly Speights will free up the RAM after being run continuously. Hmmm... I imagine running Conviviality 2.1 contemporaneously would be nescessary in which case I'd need a bigger room and more furniture.

Golly, this computing lark ain't half complicated. They never said anything about house alterations at the PC shop.

Cheers
Winston001 		Winston001 (3612)
231868 2004-04-24 15:01:00 If you want to keep on eating Oysters then don't do ANYTHING to a computer belonging to your Wife.

OTOH if the computer belongs to you and your Wife just uses it every now and then then it's fair game.

BUT only if you know how to fix it!!!!!????

:-) 		Elephant (599)
231869 2004-04-24 21:59:00 >Golly, this computing lark ain't half complicated.

One wonders if complication is due to the convoluted minds of the chaps who design computers??? 		Young Tom (5503)
231870 2004-04-24 22:58:00 That's why my PC is so noisy .....


There's a PF1 party in there!!!!! 		Jester (13)
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