Windows 98 memory advice

[expertec]

I was wondering if any of you folks remember Windows 98? You do? Good, you can help me then :D

I seem to remember that if you give Windows 9x too much memory it makes it run slower, how much was (is) too much?

If I upgrade a 98 system from 64meg to 256meg is that going to be a boost or a drag on the system?

Thanks. :)

[rong]

I think it was somewere over 512 or 700

[trackrat]

It will be a boost.

Over 512 used to cause problems.

[catgate]

Conventional wisdom said 2xRAM, but I have always played safe and run 3x. I have found that to be truoble free age uuhs kk y pststs .fn

[Boris]

Conventional wisdom said 2xRAM, but I have always played safe and run 3x. I have found that to be truoble free age uuhs kk  y pststs .fn

:unsure: I presume that catgate is talking about the size of swapfile here - but I'm not really sure what his

"age uuhs kk  y pststs .fn"

means ???

It was often suggested to manually make the swap file a fixed size of 2.5 times the size of the actual installed RAM - rather than leave it to Windows to manage.

There was a handling limit of 512MB physical RAM with Win98, but a registry tweak was available which would get around this problem.

[-pops-]

There was some advice about this on the Crucial web site at one time. Don't know if it's still there.

[catgate]

I presume that catgate is talking about the size of swapfile here - but I'm not really sure what his "age uuhs kk  y pststs .fn"

Correct.

"age uuhs kk y pststs .fn" was an indication of how truoblee fee itt si .

[Boris]

There was some advice about this on the Crucial web site at one time. Don't know if it's still there.

MS Knowledgebase info

Windows 98 & WinME

Memory Management - cure

EXCEPTION No. 2: VCache increasing above 512 MB can create serious memory handling problems.

If you have more than 512 MB of RAM, a VCache maximum of 524,288 KB (or a little less) is recommended.

This is obtained by adding a MaxFileCache=x entry in the [vcache] section of SYSTEM.INI, where x is the maximum value you wish to set.

i.e. "MaxFileCache=524288", which correspondes to 512MB.

VCache is limited internally to a maximum cache size of 800 MB. The problem is that, on computers with large amounts of RAM, the maximum VCache size can be large enough that it consumes all of the available addresses in the system arena, leaving no virtual memory addresses available for other functions such as opening an MS-DOS prompt. This problem may occur more easily if you have an AGP video adapter: The AGP aperture is also mapped to addresses in the system arena, and if VCache is using its entire 800 MB allowance and an AGP video adapter has a 128 MB aperture mapped, there will be very little address space remaining for other system code and data that must occupy the available range of virtual addresses.

[Boris]

Oh - and the "UNOFFICIAL Windows98 Second Edition Service Pack " removes the 512 MB limit :D

Info

Download