Some of us like to say that Windows will start with only 16MB, run a single application with 32MB, and run many applications with 64MB. Well, this is pretty much true.
There are usually two ways to tell how much RAM you have.
One way is to watch as your computer starts, before the Windows Splash screen you will see numbers count up, usually in KB. Typically, it will start at 0KB and run slightly higher than your MB x 1000. If you have 32MB of RAM, it will count to slightly higher than 32000KB. (Geek Note: Why is it higher than the MB? This is because to a computer, a megabyte is really 1024 x 1024 instead of 1000 x 1000, or more precisely, 2 to the 20th power.)
A more simple approach to finding out your amount of RAM is to Right-Click on My Computer on your Desktop, and look in the first tab, after your time of processor, for xx.x MB. If you have 32MB, it will read 32.0MB. Now, wasn't that easier than rebooting your computer?
Here's the deal with RAM: Every program running, even if its merely calc (the Windows calculator), takes up a sliver of RAM. Windows itself is a program, therefore it takes up a certain amount of RAM. If you only have 16MB of RAM, chances are Windows already used it all up, and has to do something called page-swapping to virtual memory. Basically, Windows knows there isn't enough real RAM available for all currently running applications, so it makes a hidden file on the hard drive and writes part of RAM out to it, so it can have a bit more to use for programs. When it needs the data back from the hidden file, known as the swap file, it writes out RAM to the hidden file, then immediately copies the memory it needs from the swap file into the space in RAM it just wrote out from. If you can hear your hard drive clicking for a few seconds when you switch between open applications, chances are it is swapping memory.
Virtual memory is, no doubt, a wonderful thing. However, Windows by itself, by my last few calculations, takes a bit more than 32MB of RAM. So while it is possible to run Windows in 32MB or less, it can be very, very slow. If you have less than 32MB of RAM, and your computer cannot take an upgrade to increase it to 32MB or more, you are probably better off using Windows 3.1/3.11 or an operating system such as those based on Linux.
Ideally, a Windows95/98 computer should have 64MB RAM for stable operation if you are not planning to do heavy graphic manipulation. I have a laptop computer with Windows98SE and 64MB RAM, and it does just fine. If you have 32MB, and you can't upgrade your computer beyond that, do not upgrade to one of these new fancy Windows operating systems. In my opinion, you would gain no advantage by using Windows ME, because your computer could not handle the extra multimedia capibilities comfortably.
Security updates prevent intruders from gaining unathorized to your computer. System updates fix bugs that cause undesirable operation. You should get both, but only from Microsoft directly (some sites might claim to have updates, but they could very well be viruses posing as updates). The Windows Update site is the easiest way to get updates. On your first visit, you may have to authorize a program to run to check your computer for updates. After a few minutes, a list should come up. You really only need those marked security or system updates. (Warning: Microsoft may make you download Internet Explorer in order to uses Windows Update features. This could take a few hours if you are connected at 56k or less.)
Many programs, such as AOL Instant Messenger, have options to start automatically when Windows starts. While this may be good option for certain applications, such as when you are concerned about viruses and want a virus scanner to run in the background, for many other applications this is a waste of memory and will significantly slow down your boot up time. If the program has an icon in the tray next to your clock on the Start bar when your computer boots, it is using up memory and taking up a small sliver of processor time. If you Right-Click on these icons, often you'll find a preferences section that will allow you to deselect "start automatically when Windows starts." Exact wording may vary. Also, some programs must be manually deleted or moved from the Start > Programs > StartUp folder, otherwise they may continue to load at bootup.
Every couple of weeks you should check for contents in two folders on your hard drive that will waste precious disk space. They are C:\Windows\Temp and C:\Temp. (Virtually all Windows computers have C:\Windows\Temp, but only some have C:\Temp) These folders are typically used for application swap space and temporary installation files. So if you are not running any special applications, and you're not currently attempting to install any new programs, the contents of these folders can generally be safely deleted. Enter the folder using Explorer, and then choose Select All (CTRL-A), hold down SELECT, and press the DEL key. (Warning: If you are only in Windows directory, but forget to click Temp and you delete the files, you will no longer be able to boot your system. Always, I repeat Always verify that you are in the temp folder before attempting to delete these files in the method prescribed above.)
Before you can check for errors and defragment your hard drive, you must shut down all running applications, including those in the icon tray. Then, go to My Computer and Right-Click on your hard drive. Select Properties. Look for the Tools tab. There should be readouts as to how long ago you last performed a scandisk and defragmented your hard drive. Select Scan Disk. Choose Standard Scan (if you know there are serious problems with your hard drive, you can chose Thorough, but this option can take hours to complete). Once that is complete, go back to the Tools tab of the hard disk and select Defragment. You should not attempt to use your computer while it is defragmenting. If you select Details, you can see a pretty picture of what the program is doing. Defragmentation moves blocks of data closer together, and closer to the beginning of the disk, so you should notice a bit of an improvement in your software loading speed if you haven't defragmented for a while. I like to think of it like a hard drive exercise, You should do this every two weeks to a month, depending on how much you use your computer.
Some people seem to be more prone to get viruses than others. It is generally a good idea to keep a backup of your important files off your hard disk (on a few floppies, a zip disk, or a CD-RW disk) so that you can restore them if your computer ever crashes or becomes infected with a data-destroying virus.
Brand new viruses are rarely detected by a virus scan program, so you should always play it safe and use caution when downloading files and attachments onto your computer, and when receiving disks from family, friends, and colleagues. Keep your virus definition files up to date (check your scanner documentation for instructions on how to do this). If you choose not to run a virus scan all the time, consider running a full system scan every few weeks.
If you have a hard drive with 2GB of space or more, Windows by default will usually reserve 200MB or more of your hard disk for Recycle Bin files. In reality, you probably need less than 50MB for your Recycle Bin. If you have a drive of 2GB or more, consider resizing it to 1 - 3%. (Mine are set at 1%)
To change the amount of reserved hard disk space, right-click on the Recycle Bin, then choose properties. From there, select "Use one Setting for All Drives." Drag the Bar down to 1%, 2%, or 3%. Then Click Apply.
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