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repeated reboots, losing ram, cant reset vm

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spacekowboy

spacekowboy

Technical User
Mar 25, 2001
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my machine, 233 k6 64mg
has a winmodem, <i know>, and it logs it off and wont hold the reconnect till i reboot, if i go to dos and del win386.swp it always works on reboot...for an hour...

i installed a free utility named ramidle and i can watch the ram disappear from 45-48 free to 0, altho nothing i can find is using it..?

i tried to fix vm at same number for min and max to stop the cpu/windows from resetting it but no matter how large i set it, it wont boot to normal desktop

1. what is wrong?
2. how do i stop the machine from booting me off
3. where does the ram go?
4. why wont it let me set the vm, i have before and it was perfect, and slightly faster.
 
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Boot to safe mode, adjust VM to let windows handle it, at least long enough to get to a normal desktop.
Remove the winmodem, desolder the chips on it, and make jewelry. If that's not an option, remove the modem, and all com ports in device manager via safe mode.
Restart, go into BIOS setup, disable com 2, set &quot;PnP OS Installed&quot; to NO, set &quot;Reset configuration data&quot; to YES.
Restart, reinstall the modem.
You could also try removing DUN, restart, then reinstall by running &quot;inetwiz&quot; which will create a new connection, and force a clean install of DUN at the same time.

Where does the RAM go?
The winmodem is using it to process the data (translate from analog to digital, and pump it through the bus), and not releasing the RAM when it's done, it just fills up RAM (like a buffer) and then keeps overwriting itself.
Instead of doing a restart, hit CTRL+ALT+DEL and end task on &quot;rnaapp&quot;. You should be able to redial then. Cheers,
Jim
reboot@pcmech.com
Moderator at Staff at Windows 9x/ME instructor.
Jim's Modems:
 
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You can downloead a freeware program caled Release Ram, or R-ram that freefs up the ram after a program has done using it. You can even program this program to automatically release part, or all of your available ram at selected intervals, what ever you wish. I have this program and it works perfectly. This program can work in the Windows backround. or on the taskbar, to. It can be started automatically when windows starts (in the &quot;startup&quot;).
This prgram is exellent at monitoring your ram and if you would like, it will automatically release any available ram (not being used) if the ram gets to low!, or say, every minute, 5 minites, 30 min, WHATEVER YOU WISH!
You should definatle download this. reply if you do :)
 
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But maybe if you have a decent amount of ram to start with-like 256Mb,do not these small programs help to overcome one of the (many) basic problems with Win98se?-By the way,Jim, I always value your opinion! Andy.
 
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Have to say I'm with ComTech on this one. I also love the programs like Norton's System Works that tell the user &quot;if I wasn't on your computer, it would have just crashed&quot;. When in reality if it wasn't on their computer, they wouldn't have seen an error message period and nothing would have been wrong to start with. Every day above ground is a GOOD DAY!!!
 
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#-)

having forgotten to disable com2, i did so and shut down the pnp os in bios, which i had thot was disabled, and rebooted. it isnt as bad now, but still does same thing

so i fdisked, formated and reinstalled 98, it is fine.
the first version on another disk, still has same problem
btw, -no norton on these, but the older one has mcafee, which is, as you were discussing norton, a producer of problems.

i know its not the forum for it, but anyone have an idea about the best external hardware modem?

thanks for the help
 
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I have 768 meg of RAM, and running a quad-boot system, including Win98, and have no troubles at all.
What makes you think you need a ram freeing-upping type of program?
Good software releases RAM when it's closed.
Junk software does not.
Same applies to hardware, specifically modems.
If you REALLY think you need something to free up RAM, let me know, and I will show you a 1 line program that will do it whenever you want, or on a schedule via task scheduler.
Yes, it's only 1 line! Cheers,
Jim
reboot@pcmech.com
Moderator at Staff at Windows 9x/ME instructor.
Jim's Modems:
 
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please do show me the one line

you have a superb system but win98 as well as most software ive seen doesnt release all the ram it is supposed to and winmodems certainly dont

ive seen it drop

i bet you have a nice vid card as well, so your resources are always fine, most puters struggle, not with just ram, with all resources
:-Q
Q
 
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Yup, real nice vid card. It's a cheap ATI, with a Voodoo2, combined, I didn't pay $30 for them.
I don't use winmodems. Period.
It's NOT windows that doesn't release the RAM, it's 3rd party apps that don't, especially adware!

Anyhow, on to the lesson for today: :)

Enable MS Windows Scripting Host (Control Panel > Add/Remove programs, Windows Setup tab, Accessories category, second from the bottom.
Open Notepad, and copy the following into it, and save it as &quot;freemem.vbs&quot; including the quotes!
If you have 256 meg of RAM or more:
FreeMem = Space(120000000)
If you have 128-196 meg:
FreeMem = Space(90000000)
If you have 64-96 meg:
FreeMem = Space(48000000)
If you have 32-48 meg:
FreeMem = Space(20000000)
Put it on the desktop, or in the quick launch bar, and hit it once every hour or so. Takes a few seconds to run, but will free up the specified amount (or the closest to it possible) for use by new applications.
It does this by swapping out UNUSED .dlls and such that are still in RAM to the swap file. They get swapped out, but because the program is no longer running, the swap file doesn't get used resulting in slowdowns.
You could also put it into the Task Scheduler to run once every hour or so.
It's particularily effective on systems that have too much stuff loading at startup (Compaq or HP, anyone?). If the program is in the taskbar (by the clock) but is unused, it may get swapped out. This does create a slight slowdown when launching the program, but it's the same speed as a cold launch from the hard drive. I recommend taking ALL programs you don't absolutely, positively NEED out of the taskbar via msconfig.
Enjoy.
Cheers,
Jim
reboot@pcmech.com
Moderator at Staff at Windows 9x/ME instructor.
Jim's Modems:
 
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X-)

its the software yep,
but if you leave 98 running alone, it will eventually use
all the resources, try it

and thanks thanks for that program!!


;-)
 
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