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I have found a serious bug in windows (both in Win 95-all versions and in 98 and 98SE). It is very easy to elliminate the problem (exept in Win ME).
Windows automaticly allocates a disc-cache depending on how fast computer, how much memory there is. This algoritm is very old (pre 1995). If you have less than 8 Megabytes of memory (RAM) and a slow computer (less than 20 MHz) then there is no problem. But today memory is in excess of 100 mbytes and CPU-speed more than 100 MHz, this algoritm goes nut.
The intension with the cache is to use RAM-memory to speed up access between the operatingsystem and the harddisk.
If this disk-cahe is bigger than 40 mbyte microsoft does not guarantee the stability of windows. (I found this in microsofts own homepage). On my computer (256 mbyte RAM, 500 MHz) it will take about 1 minute. When I have been working with my soundfiles (or just copying files between CD and HD) for abaout 30 minutes the disk-cache will be about the size of my physical RAM. now the computer HANG. But the reported error is different from time to time, many times it will be "Explore have encontered...". But it can be anything........ very frustating.
By provoking the computer I can make any computer to hang within 2-3 minutes.
To observe this disk-cache , there is a program "System manager"=SYSMON.EXE, it is delivered together with WIN9x. You will find it if you have made a full installation of windows (by default it does not install). Because I use a Swedish version I can't tell you exactly how to install it but check out this link:
It shows how to do, actually you will even se the intresting ITEM: "Disk cache size"
Test it on your computer and see if it is more than 40Mbye, if so MS does not garantie the stability .....
How to correct it ?
Easy, MS have already made a remark in the file "SYSTEM.INI". In this file there is a remark:
[vcache]
Just add the following:
[vcache]
maxfilecache=20000
minfilecache=10000
I mostly make MAXFILECACHE to about 10% of the installed physical RAM. MINFILECACHE does not matter. 20000=20mbyte
An easy way to edit SYSTEM.INI is "StartMenu"-"RUN" write SYSEDIT.EXE. And an texteditor will start together with some systemfiles. Click at SYSTEM.INI-file, search for the words VCACHE and on a new line add MAXFILECACHE=20000.
Restart the computer and check out the memory-consumption, with "system manager".
I have 6 computer standing in an internet-cafe. Before I found the bug the did hange 1-2 times a week. Now they works for several month.
I think that MS knows about this bug. I think that pearhaps they have left it there to induce instability in win9x. There is no such problem in NT.
Claes.borjesson@abc.se
Windows automaticly allocates a disc-cache depending on how fast computer, how much memory there is. This algoritm is very old (pre 1995). If you have less than 8 Megabytes of memory (RAM) and a slow computer (less than 20 MHz) then there is no problem. But today memory is in excess of 100 mbytes and CPU-speed more than 100 MHz, this algoritm goes nut.
The intension with the cache is to use RAM-memory to speed up access between the operatingsystem and the harddisk.
If this disk-cahe is bigger than 40 mbyte microsoft does not guarantee the stability of windows. (I found this in microsofts own homepage). On my computer (256 mbyte RAM, 500 MHz) it will take about 1 minute. When I have been working with my soundfiles (or just copying files between CD and HD) for abaout 30 minutes the disk-cache will be about the size of my physical RAM. now the computer HANG. But the reported error is different from time to time, many times it will be "Explore have encontered...". But it can be anything........ very frustating.
By provoking the computer I can make any computer to hang within 2-3 minutes.
To observe this disk-cache , there is a program "System manager"=SYSMON.EXE, it is delivered together with WIN9x. You will find it if you have made a full installation of windows (by default it does not install). Because I use a Swedish version I can't tell you exactly how to install it but check out this link:
It shows how to do, actually you will even se the intresting ITEM: "Disk cache size"
Test it on your computer and see if it is more than 40Mbye, if so MS does not garantie the stability .....
How to correct it ?
Easy, MS have already made a remark in the file "SYSTEM.INI". In this file there is a remark:
[vcache]
Just add the following:
[vcache]
maxfilecache=20000
minfilecache=10000
I mostly make MAXFILECACHE to about 10% of the installed physical RAM. MINFILECACHE does not matter. 20000=20mbyte
An easy way to edit SYSTEM.INI is "StartMenu"-"RUN" write SYSEDIT.EXE. And an texteditor will start together with some systemfiles. Click at SYSTEM.INI-file, search for the words VCACHE and on a new line add MAXFILECACHE=20000.
Restart the computer and check out the memory-consumption, with "system manager".
I have 6 computer standing in an internet-cafe. Before I found the bug the did hange 1-2 times a week. Now they works for several month.
I think that MS knows about this bug. I think that pearhaps they have left it there to induce instability in win9x. There is no such problem in NT.
Claes.borjesson@abc.se
