“Minus 12 GB Memory on the Hard Disk” says System Performance tableau in Windows ME

My problem is a repeated response from Windows ME saying that my PC does not
have enough Conventional memory to open certain applications.

I have tried out two remedies proposed for this problem: the first mentioned
in a revised MS KB Q254953 article to ensure that the Property of the Hard
Disk is not selected to be “removable’ and the second to ensure that the
responsibility of managing the Virtual Memory is left to Windows in the
Control Panel System Performance Dialog. Neither has worked and I am still
unable to open applications requiring Virtual memory.

While working on the second remedy, I was shocked to find that Windows ME
says that I have minus 12034 MB free memory, even though the Property of the
Hard Disk shows 69 GB free space on the drive. Even if I leave it to Windows
to manage Virtual memory, what can it do if I have minus 12 GB of Virtual
Memory? Of course, the number is all greyed since I have selected the option
to let Windows manage Virtual Memory.

There are other remedies mentioned for Windows 98 but I have not come across
any other for ME. Could any expert or Microsoft suggest how to get Windows
ME to provide a Plus 15 GB Virtual Memory with a Hard Disk having 69 GB free
out of 75 GB so that I can start opening all applications?

P. Jayant

The negative VM is nothing to worry about - it derives from a minor bug that
they never bothered fixing properly
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=272620
refers
--
Noel Paton (MS-MVP 2002-2004, Win9x)

Nil Carborundum Illegitemi
http://www.btinternet.com/~winnoel/millsrpch.htm

Please read http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm on how to post messages to NG's
or
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/f.../Mar27pmvp.asp

"P. Jayant" wrote in message
...

My problem is a repeated response from Windows ME saying that my PC does
not
have enough Conventional memory to open certain applications.

I have tried out two remedies proposed for this problem: the first
mentioned
in a revised MS KB Q254953 article to ensure that the Property of the Hard
Disk is not selected to be “removable’ and the second to ensure that the
responsibility of managing the Virtual Memory is left to Windows in the
Control Panel System Performance Dialog. Neither has worked and I am still
unable to open applications requiring Virtual memory.

While working on the second remedy, I was shocked to find that Windows ME
says that I have minus 12034 MB free memory, even though the Property of
the
Hard Disk shows 69 GB free space on the drive. Even if I leave it to
Windows
to manage Virtual memory, what can it do if I have minus 12 GB of Virtual
Memory? Of course, the number is all greyed since I have selected the
option
to let Windows manage Virtual Memory.

There are other remedies mentioned for Windows 98 but I have not come
across
any other for ME. Could any expert or Microsoft suggest how to get Windows
ME to provide a Plus 15 GB Virtual Memory with a Hard Disk having 69 GB
free
out of 75 GB so that I can start opening all applications?

P. Jayant

O. K. I need not worry about the negative Virtual Memory. But I still have
to get Windows to assign sufficient VM for enabling opening of applications
or a CD.
Could you suggest any references to solve the problem? Thanks for consoling
me about having negative VM.

P. Jayant

Provided that you are letting Windows manage virtual memory (which you say
your are) then that isn't the problem - the message you saw was, as Noel said,
simply a cosmetic error (See MS KB272620 - "Negative Hard Disk Free Size
Reported on Virtual Memory Tab in System Properties"
(http://support.microsoft.com?kbid=272620) where you will find it states "You
can ignore the incorrectly listed free space because Windows internally
interprets the numbers correctly as large positive numbers.").

Turning to your problem can you please give some examples of the circumstances
where you are seeing this message about lack of conventional memory? Whilst
I'm familiar with this problem whilst installing Win Me I don't recall having
seen anyone report this as being a problem once the system was installed. Has
this problem always existed or has it only recently started to occur? If only
recently what changes, both hardware and software did you make to your system
around that time?
--?
Mike Maltby MS-MVP



P. Jayant wrote:

O. K. I need not worry about the negative Virtual Memory. But I still have
to get Windows to assign sufficient VM for enabling opening of
applications or a CD.
Could you suggest any references to solve the problem? Thanks for
consoling me about having negative VM.

The point of Noel's response - and the KB article - is that *you do not
have* negative VM. Negative VM is a logical impossibility.

Do you have any programs supposed to improve memory? If so, uninstall them,
they do not work. Otherwise, what size is reported for the file
C:\Windows\Win386.swp? And what does it say in the [386Enh] and [Vcache]
sections of C:\Windows\System.ini?

Shane


"P. Jayant" wrote in message
...
O. K. I need not worry about the negative Virtual Memory. But I still have
to get Windows to assign sufficient VM for enabling opening of
applications
or a CD.
Could you suggest any references to solve the problem? Thanks for
consoling
me about having negative VM.

P. Jayant

I'll leave it to you, Mike.

g


Shane


"Mike M" wrote in message
...
Provided that you are letting Windows manage virtual memory (which you say
your are) then that isn't the problem - the message you saw was, as Noel
said,
simply a cosmetic error (See MS KB272620 - "Negative Hard Disk Free Size
Reported on Virtual Memory Tab in System Properties"
(http://support.microsoft.com?kbid=272620) where you will find it states
"You
can ignore the incorrectly listed free space because Windows internally
interprets the numbers correctly as large positive numbers.").

Turning to your problem can you please give some examples of the
circumstances
where you are seeing this message about lack of conventional memory?
Whilst
I'm familiar with this problem whilst installing Win Me I don't recall
having
seen anyone report this as being a problem once the system was installed.
Has
this problem always existed or has it only recently started to occur? If
only
recently what changes, both hardware and software did you make to your
system
around that time?
--?
Mike Maltby MS-MVP



P. Jayant wrote:

O. K. I need not worry about the negative Virtual Memory. But I still
have
to get Windows to assign sufficient VM for enabling opening of
applications or a CD.
Could you suggest any references to solve the problem? Thanks for
consoling me about having negative VM.