Want to "tweak" the system to eke out more overall available RAM

[Spin]

Gurus,

Running Windows XP Pro SP3 on a 2GB RAM laptop. After boot and I login and
once the desktop settles down, Task Manager reports I have 1.5 GB RAM
available. This means the OS itself is using up 512MB RAM. I have already
set to manual startup as many "unneeded" programs and services as possible.
Looking in Task Manager, I pretty much see the minimum amount of processes
that I can cut it down to. What else can I "tweak" on the system that will
allow me to eke out more overall available RAM?

 

[Thee Chicago Wolf]

Running Windows XP Pro SP3 on a 2GB RAM laptop. After boot and I login and

once the desktop settles down, Task Manager reports I have 1.5 GB RAM
available. This means the OS itself is using up 512MB RAM. I have already
set to manual startup as many "unneeded" programs and services as possible.
Looking in Task Manager, I pretty much see the minimum amount of processes
that I can cut it down to. What else can I "tweak" on the system that will
allow me to eke out more overall available RAM?

You can disable or set to manual some services running in the
background that will reduce the RAM usage. Look here for info and
details:

http://www.blackviper.com/WinXP/servicecfg.htm

- Thee Chicago Wolf

 

[db.·.. >]

well, you could
simply end/kill
any process in
task manager
that your system
will allow.

there will be some
that you cannot kill
while there will be
others that you can.

if you kill explorer.exe
you can start it again
as a new task.

have fun!

 

[Bob I]

What issue is the problem? XP will try to make use of RAM to make the
system "faster" and more responsive. If you make other use of the RAM,
XP will use less for buffering and caching. I think maybe you should
just use the PC and let Windows manage the memory to help you use it
efficiently.

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Windows performance tweaking myths, busted
http://lifehacker.com/5033518/debunking-common-windows-performance-tweaking-myths

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience -
Windows Vista Enthusiast

---------------------------------------------------------------

Running Windows XP Pro SP3 on a 2GB RAM laptop. After boot and I login and
once the desktop settles down, Task Manager reports I have 1.5 GB RAM
available. This means the OS itself is using up 512MB RAM. I have already
set to manual startup as many "unneeded" programs and services as possible.
Looking in Task Manager, I pretty much see the minimum amount of processes
that I can cut it down to. What else can I "tweak" on the system that will
allow me to eke out more overall available RAM?

You can disable or set to manual some services running in the
background that will reduce the RAM usage. Look here for info and
details:

http://www.blackviper.com/WinXP/servicecfg.htm

- Thee Chicago Wolf

 

[Unknown]

Why would you want to?

 

[smlunatick]

Gurus,

Running Windows XP Pro SP3 on a 2GB RAM laptop.  After boot and I loginand
once the desktop settles down,  Task Manager reports I have 1.5 GB RAM
available.  This means the OS itself is using up 512MB RAM.  I have already
set to manual startup as many "unneeded" programs and services as possible.
Looking in Task Manager, I pretty much see the minimum amount of processes
that I can cut it down to.  What else can I "tweak" on the system that will
allow me to eke out more overall available RAM?

Several laptop models tend to also use the "general" RAM for video
card memory. Without the details on your maker / model of laptop, we
can not guide you further.

 

[R. McCarty]

One thing that will raise the quiescent memory footprint is using onboard
Video. Normally XP uses around 280 Megabytes ( Minus 3rd party
services). If you see a "Idle" memory use of 512 Megabytes or more &
services are restricted then the extra memory may be allocated for the
chipset based video.

The goal isn't so much to keep the footprint low as it is to control WHAT
is running. Programs these days install way too many background services
and watchdog apps that don't need to run 100% of the time.

 

[Fuzzy Logic]

Gurus,

Running Windows XP Pro SP3 on a 2GB RAM laptop. After boot and I login
and once the desktop settles down, Task Manager reports I have 1.5 GB
RAM available. This means the OS itself is using up 512MB RAM. I have
already set to manual startup as many "unneeded" programs and services
as possible. Looking in Task Manager, I pretty much see the minimum
amount of processes that I can cut it down to. What else can I "tweak"
on the system that will allow me to eke out more overall available RAM?

Free RAM is wasted RAM. RAM is significantly faster than your hard drive.
Windows allocates free RAM to disk cacheing to improve performance and if
the RAM is required to run programs it trims back the disk cache as
required.

 

[Bob I]

Did you mean to reply to me, or just missed the OP? I think he's on the
way to optimizing that laptop till it won't run.

 

[R. McCarty]

Pardon me, I did reply to the wrong point in the thread.

Did you mean to reply to me, or just missed the OP? I think he's on the
way to optimizing that laptop till it won't run.

 

[John Holmes]

Bob I "contributed" in 24hoursupport.helpdesk:

One thing that will raise the quiescent memory footprint is using
onboard Video. Normally XP uses around 280 Megabytes ( Minus 3rd
party services). If you see a "Idle" memory use of 512 Megabytes or
more & services are restricted then the extra memory may be allocated
for the chipset based video.

The goal isn't so much to keep the footprint low as it is to control
WHAT is running. Programs these days install way too many background
services and watchdog apps that don't need to run 100% of the time.



Did you mean to reply to me, or just missed the OP? I think he's on
the way to optimizing that laptop till it won't run.

You ****ing, top-poasting moron.

 

[Thee Chicago Wolf]

Windows performance tweaking myths, busted

http://lifehacker.com/5033518/debunking-common-windows-performance-tweaking-myths

That article mentions "speeding up" the computer by disabling
services. It is not intended to speed up so much as it does free up
RAM. This is what the OP was asking about. That part in the author's
piece about services is bunkum and not support by facts nor experience
since *no one* worth their computer tech mettle would use msconfig.exe
to manage / disable / enable their services. That's the wrong way to
do it and useless advice.

- Thee Chicago Wolf

 

[Thee Chicago Wolf]

Free RAM is wasted RAM. RAM is significantly faster than your hard drive.

Windows allocates free RAM to disk cacheing to improve performance and if
the RAM is required to run programs it trims back the disk cache as
required.

heh, the malware and spyware authors know this very well and have that
niche filled quite nicely. ~_^

- Thee Chicago Wolf

 

[chuckcar]

Gurus,

Running Windows XP Pro SP3 on a 2GB RAM laptop. After boot and I login
and once the desktop settles down, Task Manager reports I have 1.5 GB
RAM available. This means the OS itself is using up 512MB RAM. I have
already set to manual startup as many "unneeded" programs and services
as possible. Looking in Task Manager, I pretty much see the minimum
amount of processes that I can cut it down to. What else can I "tweak"
on the system that will allow me to eke out more overall available RAM?

Three relevant questions: 1. How fast is the processor on your laptop? 2.
What *model* of processor is on your laptop - i.e. Pentium 4, Dual Core,
Centrino, etc.? 3. What is the model and company name of your laptop?

 

[Spin]

The laptop is a Sony VAIO VGN-AX570G. Powered by the Pentium M 750
processor (1.86 GHz), 2 GB DDR2 SDRAM, ATI Mobility Radeon X700 graphics
with 256MB of video memory. Has Wi-Fi (wireless connectivity) built-in.