Windows - Low On Registry Space

[Guest]

I just received this message from my operating system for the 1st time since
I purchased my computer early in 2003:
Title: Windows - Low On Registry Space
Info: The system has reached the maximum size allowed for the system part of
the registry. Additional storage requests will be ignored.

I'm running WinXP Home SP2 with all Windows updates installed, M/B: Asus
A7N8X NVIDIA nForce2, CPU: AMD Athlon XP 2100+, RAM: 256 MB PC 3200, File
System: Fat32.

I tried closing all programs and re-booting the system. This same message
referred to above came up immediately upon a fresh boot. I have never run
across this type of message before and do not know how to clear up and
resolve it.

I did not install any new programs or change my configuration. I was playing
an installed chess game when the message first appeared.

I tried opening Help and Support and searched for information about "Windows
- Low On Registry Space". I received some information from Article ID 124594,
December 15, 2004, revision 4.2, "Understanding and configuring Registry Size
Limit ( RSL ). However, this article appears to apply to Win 2000 and Win NT.
At the bottom of the article was a link for WinXP users. This link took me to
Article ID 292726, May 18, 2005, revision 3.0, "Registry Size Limit
functionality has been removed from Windows Server 2003 and from Windows XP".
Copy and paste from that article
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY
In Microsoft Windows Server 2003 and in Microsoft Windows XP, the Registry
Size Limit (RSL) functionality has been removed. Therefore, there are no
longer any limits on the total amount of space that may be consumed by
registry data (hives) in paged pool memory, and in disk space.
MORE INFORMATION
In Windows Server 2003 and in Windows XP, there is no longer a limit to the
registry based on paged pool. Views of the registry files are now mapped in
the computer cache address space. Therefore, regardless of the size of the
hive, it is not charged for more than 4 megabytes (MB) of space
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well, I am unsure how to proceed in order to clear up and resolve the
"Windows - Low On Registry Space" message from my operating system. I would
appreciate any advice in this matter to fix this issue on my computer...

Thank-you, --Rick

 

[Rich Barry]

Rick, follow the instructions in this mskb article
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/124594/

When you get to HKey_Local_Machine\System\Current Control Set\Control.
Click on the Control folder and in the right pane rt click and select
New>Dword Value. In the New Value # 1 Box under Name type in
RegistrySizeLimit . Then rt click on it and select Modify>and type:
ffffffff Which will give you the Maximum allowable size. 102MB.

 

[Guest]

Well, at least I am happy to know I was on the right track when searching
Help and Support for this issue. Your directions refer to the same article I
had found and mentioned in my original post! Thank you Rich Barry for the
instructions for creating the RegistrySizeLimit in my registry. I have not
done this yet, but I have checked my registry and found that there is no
mention of RegistrySizeLimit in the particular section where I need to place
it. Since I have never fiddled around with my registry file, your
instructions will definitely be needed. I will be very careful to follow them
exactly...

On a side note, I had mentioned in my original post that this article
(124594) does not appear to apply to Win XP. The article mentions Win 2000
and Win NT. At the bottom of the article is a link for Win XP users and links
to article (292726) which states that Registry Size Limit functionality has
been removed from Win Server 2003 and Win XP...

This left me confused and is the main reason I posted my original message on
this issue. However, I am hoping that your instructions will work for Win XP.
I will post a message letting you know if this manages to clear the issue and
make my operating system happy...

 

[FrankV]

Reference your last paragraph, XP is an extension of NT so don't worry too
much about that.

.... Frank

 

[Mak]

not sure if it will help you or not, but google says there is a problem (low
on registry space in XP) with nforce 5.1 drivers (and you have nforce2
chipset), previous ver of drivers 'fix' the problem.

 

[Guest]

I would like to thank all of you for responding to my issue! I wanted to post
this message to let you know how I am going to proceed from this point. Well,
when I first received the "Windows - Low On Registry Space" notification, I
closed my programs and performed a re-boot of the system. On re-booting the
message immediately appeared during the boot-up process. That's when I
decided to post my original request for help here in this forum...

Since then, I re-booted and did NOT receive the message. I re-booted again
and DID receive the message. However, at this time I have re-booted approx 10
- 15 times during the last 3 to 4 days and have NOT encountered the message
at all, not even once, even though I have NOT made any changes to my registry
file yet...

So, I have copied all the input received from all of you since my original
post including the directions for adding a RegistrySizeLimit to my registry
and placed it into a document file. I have decided, at this time, to wait and
see if the "Windows - Low On Registry Space" appears again. If it does, I
will then make the proposed change to my registry file. I am thinking that if
I do not encounter the message again there really is no need to make the
change in my registry...

Does this sound like a prudent course of action? Thanks, --Rick

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

 

[Guest]

Thank you for your input into my issue and the "heads up" from a google
search! I will definitely keep your suggestion in mind, but I am going to try
to clear the issue with a RegistrySizeLimit entry in my registry file as
suggested in responses to my issue here in this forum.

I am thinking that if the RegistrySizeLimit entry in my registry file clears
the issue, I would much rather have the current nForce drivers. I do not want
to roll back the drivers to a previous version unless I have to...

Kind regards, --Rick