Virtual Memory Question

[LouisG]

I've reformatted my drive and have started to install WinXp back onto the
machine ,,but when it gets to about 8 minutes left in the installation a
window comes up about being low on virtual memory and when i click continue
it freezes up the system and i have to shut the machine down and restart.
It then goes to the screen before the key entry page and we go through the
above again.

Any suggestions as to why this is happening???

Thanks

 

[Malke]

I've reformatted my drive and have started to install WinXp back onto
the machine ,,but when it gets to about 8 minutes left in the
installation a window comes up about being low on virtual memory and
when i click continue it freezes up the system and i have to shut the
machine down and restart. It then goes to the screen before the key
entry page and we go through the above again.

Any suggestions as to why this is happening???

Thanks

If you are getting error messages while doing a clean install, look to
the hardware as the cause of the problem. Here are some general
hardware troubleshooting steps. Start by testing the RAM and the hard
drive.

1) Open the computer and run it open, cleaning out all dust bunnies and
observing all fans (overheating will cause system freezing). Obviously
you can't do this with a laptop, but you can hear if the fan is running
and feel if the laptop is getting too hot.

2) Test the RAM - I like Memtest86+ from www.memtest.org. Obviously, you
have to get the program from a working machine. You will either
download the precompiled Windows binary to make a bootable floppy or
the .iso to make a bootable cd. If you want to use the latter, you'll
need to have third-party burning software on the machine where you
download the file - XP's built-in burning capability won't do the job.
In either case, boot with the media you made. The test will run
immediately. Let the test run for an hour or two - unless errors are
seen immediately. If you get any errors, replace the RAM.

3) Test the hard drive with a diagnostic utility from the mftr. Download
the file and make a bootable floppy or cd with it. Boot with the media
and do a thorough test. If the drive has physical errors, replace it.

4) The power supply may be going bad or be inadequate for the devices
you have in the system. The adequacy issue doesn't really apply to a
laptop, although of course the power supply can be faulty.

5) Test the motherboard with something like TuffTest from
www.tufftest.com. Sometimes this is useful, and sometimes it isn't.

Testing hardware failures often involves swapping out suspected parts
with known-good parts. If you can't do the testing yourself and/or are
uncomfortable opening your computer, take the machine to a professional
computer repair shop (not your local equivalent of BigStoreUSA).

Malke

 

[bxf]

It would have been nice to know how much RAM you (think you) have, and
if that is consistent with what is reported by the BIOS when booting.
Other than that, it may be useful to disconnect all external devices
before starting the installation.

 

[LouisG]

Thanks for the info ,,,this machine only has 128 mg of RAM and when i
originally started to work on it ,, i tried to install a 256 mg chip and
it wouldn't even boot past the startup screen and it wouldn't allow me to
get into the bios ,, i originally thought that it was bad ram but after
it booted with the machines original 128 chip i thought that maybe it was
something else.

I next went to the processor which had a heatsink on it but no fan
,,replaced with a shorter heatsink with a fan and a different processor
,, it went for days without freezing ,, so i thought the heat was the
problem , put back in the original processor chip with the new
fan/heatsink and it ran for days without freezing ,, so i figured the
heat problem was the cause ,,decided it was time to reformat and
reinstall and then this problem arose.

I guess my next test is the hard drive ,, i'll swap another in and try to
load windows on it and see what happens.

Thanks again ,,

 

[Malke]

Thanks for the info ,,,this machine only has 128 mg of RAM and when i
originally started to work on it ,, i tried to install a 256 mg chip
and it wouldn't even boot past the startup screen and it wouldn't
allow me to get into the bios ,, i originally thought that it was bad
ram but after it booted with the machines original 128 chip i thought
that maybe it was something else.

I next went to the processor which had a heatsink on it but no fan
,,replaced with a shorter heatsink with a fan and a different
processor ,, it went for days without freezing ,, so i thought the
heat was the problem , put back in the original processor chip with
the new fan/heatsink and it ran for days without freezing ,, so i
figured the heat problem was the cause ,,decided it was time to
reformat and reinstall and then this problem arose.

I guess my next test is the hard drive ,, i'll swap another in and try
to load windows on it and see what happens.

You don't have enough RAM for Windows XP. Practically, a minimum of
256MB is needed. The reason your computer wouldn't boot with the spare
stick of RAM you threw in there is that RAM needs to be matched to your
motherboard's requirements. Read the motherboard manual or, if this is
an OEM machine (Compaq, HP, etc.) look on the OEM's website for your
specific model machine.

Malke