windows won't run programs/ handle problem

[e]

Folks,

So here is the issue. When I open "too many" programs under Windows, I stop
being able to run new programs. Or they will open, and some of the
subwindows will fail to create (most often the menubar.) For example, this
most often happens with ie.
http://mywebspace.wisc.edu/elhathaw/web/windows screwup 00.jpg


With firefox, various windows will fail to create; most often the main
window. http://mywebspace.wisc.edu/elhathaw/web/windows screwup 02.jpg
This is with 10 copies of ie, a couple other apps, and 6 firefox windows
open. I loaded anandtech but nothing displays because the main window failed
to create. I also clicked on file in the menubar but the menu doesn't
appear. See that the main window is grey instead of white as it ought to be.

Other programs, such as mspaint, will simply not open and sound the generic
"system beep." I also lose the ability to display the start menu, or to
display submenus of the start menu. Or to see the alt-tab dialog box.

I have no idea what is wrong. I've checked the event viewer and nothing
shows up. The laptop has plenty of free memory and free disk space. I've run
adaware and not found anything, and the issue happens with programs besides
ie. This happened under SP1 and happens under SP2. Also, this behaviour is
unaffected by how long the computer has been up; I can open enough programs
and trigger this right after rebooting if I wish. I've updated the video
card drivers to the most recent release from dell (dated 6/10/2004); I even
tried disabling video acceleration and the only thing that happens is video
playback unwatcheable

This occurs with ~20,000 handles, 600 threads and 70 processes; there is

200MB of free physical memory and a commit charge of 440/1250. IOW, the

system is not being pushed. In fact, any time the computer approaches 20K
handles (net, not for any individual process) this behaviour starts
occurring.

Laptop:
Dell 600m running WinXP Home SP2, SP1 installed by Dell, SP2 by me
512MB RAM
768 MB swap file
10GB free disk space
1 user

Thanks for any ideas.

earl

 

[Guest]

70 processes is a lot of processes to be running with only 512 ram,
installing another 256 or 512 should be a great help

 

[e]

70 processes is a lot of processes to be running with only 512 ram,
installing another 256 or 512 should be a great help

No, I don't think it will. This occurs while I have >200 free _physical_
memory and a commit charge < 1/2 the maximum.

Thanks,

earl

 

[C.Joseph Drayton]

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Hash: SHA1

Hi Earl,

Just wondering why you would have 6 instances of Firefox open.
Couldn't you just use the tabs? I use Mozilla v1.7, and I have had as
many as 20 tabs open with no problem.

Ciao . . . C.Joseph

That which a man buys too cheaply . . .
~ He esteems too lightly



e wrote:

|Folks,
|
|So here is the issue. When I open "too many" programs under Windows,
I stop
|being able to run new programs. Or they will open, and some of the
|subwindows will fail to create (most often the menubar.) For
example, this
|most often happens with ie.
|http://mywebspace.wisc.edu/elhathaw/web/windows screwup 00.jpg
|
|
|With firefox, various windows will fail to create; most often the main
|window.
http://mywebspace.wisc.edu/elhathaw/web/windows screwup 02.jpg
|This is with 10 copies of ie, a couple other apps, and 6 firefox windows
|open. I loaded anandtech but nothing displays because the main window
failed
|to create. I also clicked on file in the menubar but the menu doesn't
|appear. See that the main window is grey instead of white as it ought
to be.
|
|Other programs, such as mspaint, will simply not open and sound the
generic
|"system beep." I also lose the ability to display the start menu, or to
|display submenus of the start menu. Or to see the alt-tab dialog box.
|
|I have no idea what is wrong. I've checked the event viewer and nothing
|shows up. The laptop has plenty of free memory and free disk space.
I've run
|adaware and not found anything, and the issue happens with programs
besides
|ie. This happened under SP1 and happens under SP2. Also, this
behaviour is
|unaffected by how long the computer has been up; I can open enough
programs
|and trigger this right after rebooting if I wish. I've updated the
video
|card drivers to the most recent release from dell (dated 6/10/2004);
I even
|tried disabling video acceleration and the only thing that happens is
video
|playback unwatcheable
|
|This occurs with ~20,000 handles, 600 threads and 70 processes; there is
| >200MB of free physical memory and a commit charge of 440/1250. IOW,
the
|system is not being pushed. In fact, any time the computer
approaches 20K
|handles (net, not for any individual process) this behaviour starts
|occurring.
|
|Laptop:
|Dell 600m running WinXP Home SP2, SP1 installed by Dell, SP2 by me
|512MB RAM
|768 MB swap file
|10GB free disk space
|1 user
|
|Thanks for any ideas.
|
|earl
|
|
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