How low can the Systems resouces go?

Hi,
When I start my computer, it reads that I have 79% resources, before
long, it reads 56%. It does this quite often. What causes this and how low
can I let it go before it starts giving me trouble and I have to restart it?
Angel

They have to hit ZERO before problems arise. You will get a warning message
when they hit 15%.

You have quite respctable figures. Don't worry, be happy, and have a Merry
Christmas, s!

--

Gary S. Terhune
MS-MVP Shell/User
http://grystmill.org/articles/cleanboot.htm
http://grystmill.org/articles/security.htm
"Roll Your Own Free Security Suite"
http://wiki.castlecops.com/Roll_your...Security_Suite

Angel wrote:
Hi,
When I start my computer, it reads that I have 79% resources,
before long, it reads 56%. It does this quite often. What causes this
and how low can I let it go before it starts giving me trouble and I
have to restart it? Angel

Hi Gary,
Thanks. You and yours have a Very Merry Christmas
Angel

"Gary S. Terhune" wrote in message
...
They have to hit ZERO before problems arise. You will get a warning
message
when they hit 15%.

You have quite respctable figures. Don't worry, be happy, and have a Merry
Christmas, s!

--

Gary S. Terhune
MS-MVP Shell/User
http://grystmill.org/articles/cleanboot.htm
http://grystmill.org/articles/security.htm
"Roll Your Own Free Security Suite"
http://wiki.castlecops.com/Roll_your...Security_Suite

Angel wrote:
Hi,
When I start my computer, it reads that I have 79% resources,
before long, it reads 56%. It does this quite often. What causes this
and how low can I let it go before it starts giving me trouble and I
have to restart it? Angel

Already did, s. Wife, one daughter and I had ours last week, before
daughter heads to Venezuela to visit with mother and family for the
holidays. There'll be another one next week when for one day all daughters
(two others) will be here for one day and I won't, then another at
Christmas, and finally wife and 2 daughters will head for Canada the day
after Christmas to celebrate with *her* parents.

Don't you just love these drawn out affairs, g?

--

Gary S. Terhune
MS-MVP Shell/User
http://grystmill.org/articles/cleanboot.htm
http://grystmill.org/articles/security.htm
"Roll Your Own Free Security Suite"
http://wiki.castlecops.com/Roll_your...Security_Suite
"Angel" wrote in message
...
Hi Gary,
Thanks. You and yours have a Very Merry Christmas
Angel

"Gary S. Terhune" wrote in message
...
They have to hit ZERO before problems arise. You will get a warning
message
when they hit 15%.

You have quite respctable figures. Don't worry, be happy, and have a
Merry
Christmas, s!

--

Gary S. Terhune
MS-MVP Shell/User
http://grystmill.org/articles/cleanboot.htm
http://grystmill.org/articles/security.htm
"Roll Your Own Free Security Suite"
http://wiki.castlecops.com/Roll_your...Security_Suite

Angel wrote:
Hi,
When I start my computer, it reads that I have 79% resources,
before long, it reads 56%. It does this quite often. What causes this
and how low can I let it go before it starts giving me trouble and I
have to restart it? Angel

In addition to Gary's comments, here is my standard blurb:

There are two kinds of system resources: user and graphic device
interface resources. They are used for such things as managing input
from the keyboard and mouse, toolbars, icons, graphics, etc. The
resources are fixed chunks (64 kb) of memory and are unrelated to the
amount of Ram that is installed. A PC with 512 mb of ram has the same
resources available as one with 16 mb.

If your machine starts getting sluggish, the cursor "hops" or you get a
resources warning, your resources are too low. Shutting down programs
that are unneeded may help or a reboot may be required. Certain
programs are resource hogs and once you identify one as such, limit the
amount of dual tasking that is done and reboot periodically. Reducing
the amount of programs started at boot will increase the amount of
resources you start with. This may keep you from running out so quick.

To cut back on the number of programs starting at boot, check the
programs themselves for an option not to load. You might have to double
click an icon in the tray (others might require a right click) and then
look for preferences or options. If you cannot find an option, look
for the program in the following start up points and remove the
reference to it:

Start up folder on the start menu, the load= and run= lines in the
win.ini and these registry run keys (use regedit.exe):

1. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion*\Run
2. HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\*Run
3. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion*\RunOnce
4. HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\*RunOnce
5. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion*\
RunServices
6. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion*\
RunServicesOnce
7. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion*\
RunOnce\Setup

There is a freeware program that makes this process a lot easier to
manage: Startup Manager,
http://home.ptd.net/~don5408/toolbox/startupcpl/

You can use msconfig.exe, startup tab, to disable programs; however, by
doing so, you may lessen its value as a troubleshooting tool. There
might be some double entries in msconfig--leave those for your AntiVirus
program and load power profile alone as they are required. If you
disable an entry in msconfig or remove it from the start up point and
the program loads again after a reboot, that is an indication that you
missed an option on the program itself. If you don't know what an entry
is, check he http://www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_index.htm


--
Regards


Ron Badour, MS MVP for W98
Tips: http://home.satx.rr.com/badour
Knowledge Base Info:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=kbinfo



"Angel" wrote in message
...
Hi,
When I start my computer, it reads that I have 79% resources, before
long, it reads 56%. It does this quite often. What causes this and how low
can I let it go before it starts giving me trouble and I have to restart
it?
Angel

"Angel" wrote:

Hi,
When I start my computer, it reads that I have 79% resources, before
long, it reads 56%. It does this quite often. What causes this and how low
can I let it go before it starts giving me trouble and I have to restart it?
Angel


Zero, or close to it.

http://www.onlinehelp.bc.ca/tips.htm#resources
http://www.aumha.org/win4/a/resource.htm

System Resources refers to two 64K blocks of memory that Windows
allocates to programs for tracking purposes. These blocks are called
User Resources and GDI Resources respectively and Windows reports
whichever has the least available free space as the value for "Free
System Resources".

The value of Free System Resources should not be a concern unless and
until you start getting "System Resources are getting low" type
warning messages, which generally happens at about the 10% level. In
test circumstances it has been shown possible for a computer to
operate at full performance with System Resources showing zero percent
free.

System Resources are totally unrelated to the amount of RAM installed
in your computer and adding more RAM will not affect the System
Resources (unless you start running more applications because you have
more RAM).

System Resource usage is determined by the number and type of
applications that you have running on the computer. Certain types of
applications have been shown to be especially demanding in terms of
System Resource usage:
- "Eye and Ear Candy" such as Active Desktop View As Web Page,
sound effect schemes, animated mouse cursors and desktop icons, and
fancy screen savers.
- Web browsers, as each open browser window requires additional
resources.
- Multimedia applications of all types
- System monitoring utilities such as Norton SystemWorks.

If you are using any applications that have the ability to "preview
fonts in fonts list" such as Office 2000 then all of the installed
fonts will be loaded into GDI resources when the application is
launched. This will result in the usage of approximately 1% of GDI
resources for each 64 fonts that are installed. If no such
applications are in use, or if the "preview fonts in fonts list" is
turned off then resources will only be consumed by those fonts that
have actually been used by windows or by an application.

If you are running any 16 bit applications (Windows 3.x) then Windows
95/98/Me will treat the System Resources allocated to all of these
applications as one block and will not release any of them for reuse
unless and until all of the open 16 bit applications have been closed.

Also, when an application is loaded it is quite common that it will
also require some additional Windows components to be loaded as well.
However, when that application is closed Windows will, by design,
retain the Windows components because they are likely to be needed
again. Therefore the resources initially allocated when an
application is opened will not all be released when that application
is closed. Most, but not all.

Footnote:
To be absolutely technically correct, there are 5 System Resource
heaps not just 2, the two 16 bit 64K ones plus three 32 bit ones. The
32 bit ones are big enough so that there has never been a documented
instance of resource usage problems caused by them, so it is simpler
to pretend they do not exist and just focus on the two 64K resource
heaps when troubleshooting system resource related problems.

Good luck

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP (1997 - 2006)
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca
Syberfix Remote Computer Repair

"Anyone who thinks that they are too small to make a difference
has never been in bed with a mosquito."