MS-DOS PROMPT - Hinders Windows 98 Performance

I am running some communication software which reads/writes files and
transfers them through the internet in very small bursts. If I open an
MS-DOS prompt and give it focus, my communications program slows to a snails
pace. A file transfer which normally takes 6 seconds becomes 30 seconds.
If I remove the focus of the DOS-Prompt to any other Windows program, the
comm software performs normally.

I switched the computers performance role to 'Network Server' - no change.
I played with the MS-DOS Prompt properties as best I could - no change.

Are there any settings that can lower the CPU usage/priority of a MS-DOS
prompt??
Need some steering here!!
TIA

ScottM

How much memory do you have? How much unused HD space is available? What is
the speed of your CPU?

"Scott M" wrote in message
...
I am running some communication software which reads/writes files and
transfers them through the internet in very small bursts. If I open an
MS-DOS prompt and give it focus, my communications program slows to a
snails
pace. A file transfer which normally takes 6 seconds becomes 30 seconds.
If I remove the focus of the DOS-Prompt to any other Windows program, the
comm software performs normally.

I switched the computers performance role to 'Network Server' - no change.
I played with the MS-DOS Prompt properties as best I could - no change.

Are there any settings that can lower the CPU usage/priority of a MS-DOS
prompt??
Need some steering here!!
TIA

ScottM

128MB, 13MB Free HD space, 500MHz


"Papa" wrote in message
...
How much memory do you have? How much unused HD space is available? What
is
the speed of your CPU?

"Scott M" wrote in message
...
I am running some communication software which reads/writes files and
transfers them through the internet in very small bursts. If I open an
MS-DOS prompt and give it focus, my communications program slows to a
snails
pace. A file transfer which normally takes 6 seconds becomes 30
seconds.
If I remove the focus of the DOS-Prompt to any other Windows program,
the
comm software performs normally.

I switched the computers performance role to 'Network Server' - no
change.
I played with the MS-DOS Prompt properties as best I could - no change.

Are there any settings that can lower the CPU usage/priority of a MS-DOS
prompt??
Need some steering here!!
TIA

ScottM

Well, looks like your hardware is adequate, although these days 128 MB is a
bit marginal. You might try adding another 128 MB, or even going to a total
of 512 MB. I use that much on my W98 and Windows XP systems now, and do not
experience any slow-downs such as the one you described.

"Scott M" wrote in message
...
128MB, 13MB Free HD space, 500MHz


"Papa" wrote in message
...
How much memory do you have? How much unused HD space is available? What
is
the speed of your CPU?

"Scott M" wrote in message
...
I am running some communication software which reads/writes files and
transfers them through the internet in very small bursts. If I open
an
MS-DOS prompt and give it focus, my communications program slows to a
snails
pace. A file transfer which normally takes 6 seconds becomes 30
seconds.
If I remove the focus of the DOS-Prompt to any other Windows program,
the
comm software performs normally.

I switched the computers performance role to 'Network Server' - no
change.
I played with the MS-DOS Prompt properties as best I could - no
change.

Are there any settings that can lower the CPU usage/priority of a
MS-DOS
prompt??
Need some steering here!!
TIA

ScottM

The amount of ram in the video card is also a factor. How much ram do you
have and what kind of card? Are you letting Windows handle your virtual
memory? Unless you are a techie, I would suggest letting Windows handle
your virtual memory. Have you seen the microsoft article about freeing up
conventional memory for MS-DOS programs. It would be better for you to run
MS-DOS programs with a reboot to MS-DOS mode. Also, I would not suggest
running any ram freeing programs because they usually end up taking up more
resources by running then they give back to the user. When they give back
some memory, it is usually small amounts that are quickly used up.
Personally, I find Ramboosters useless.

"Papa" wrote in message
...
Well, looks like your hardware is adequate, although these days 128 MB is
a
bit marginal. You might try adding another 128 MB, or even going to a
total
of 512 MB. I use that much on my W98 and Windows XP systems now, and do
not
experience any slow-downs such as the one you described.

"Scott M" wrote in message
...
128MB, 13MB Free HD space, 500MHz


"Papa" wrote in message
...
How much memory do you have? How much unused HD space is available?
What
is
the speed of your CPU?

"Scott M" wrote in message
...
I am running some communication software which reads/writes files
and
transfers them through the internet in very small bursts. If I open
an
MS-DOS prompt and give it focus, my communications program slows to
a
snails
pace. A file transfer which normally takes 6 seconds becomes 30
seconds.
If I remove the focus of the DOS-Prompt to any other Windows
program,
the
comm software performs normally.

I switched the computers performance role to 'Network Server' - no
change.
I played with the MS-DOS Prompt properties as best I could - no
change.

Are there any settings that can lower the CPU usage/priority of a
MS-DOS
prompt??
Need some steering here!!
TIA

ScottM

You only have 13MB of free HD space? That's essentially zero. Not even 1% of
a 1GB drive. You may be having Swap file problems. Even 13% of a small drive
(under 2GB) is marginal.

Or did you mean to write something else?

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS MVP for Win9x

"Scott M" wrote in message
...
128MB, 13MB Free HD space, 500MHz


"Papa" wrote in message
...
How much memory do you have? How much unused HD space is available? What
is
the speed of your CPU?

"Scott M" wrote in message
...
I am running some communication software which reads/writes files and
transfers them through the internet in very small bursts. If I open
an
MS-DOS prompt and give it focus, my communications program slows to a
snails
pace. A file transfer which normally takes 6 seconds becomes 30
seconds.
If I remove the focus of the DOS-Prompt to any other Windows program,
the
comm software performs normally.

I switched the computers performance role to 'Network Server' - no
change.
I played with the MS-DOS Prompt properties as best I could - no
change.

Are there any settings that can lower the CPU usage/priority of a
MS-DOS
prompt??
Need some steering here!!
TIA

ScottM

Oops, I glossed right over that one, thinking I read 13 GB. I hope that's
what he meant.

"Gary S. Terhune" wrote in message
...
You only have 13MB of free HD space? That's essentially zero. Not even 1%
of
a 1GB drive. You may be having Swap file problems. Even 13% of a small
drive
(under 2GB) is marginal.

Or did you mean to write something else?

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS MVP for Win9x

"Scott M" wrote in message
...
128MB, 13MB Free HD space, 500MHz


"Papa" wrote in message
...
How much memory do you have? How much unused HD space is available?
What
is
the speed of your CPU?

"Scott M" wrote in message
...
I am running some communication software which reads/writes files
and
transfers them through the internet in very small bursts. If I open
an
MS-DOS prompt and give it focus, my communications program slows to
a
snails
pace. A file transfer which normally takes 6 seconds becomes 30
seconds.
If I remove the focus of the DOS-Prompt to any other Windows
program,
the
comm software performs normally.

I switched the computers performance role to 'Network Server' - no
change.
I played with the MS-DOS Prompt properties as best I could - no
change.

Are there any settings that can lower the CPU usage/priority of a
MS-DOS
prompt??
Need some steering here!!
TIA

ScottM

"Scott M" wrote:
I am running some communication software which reads/writes
files and transfers them through the internet in very small bursts.
If I open an MS-DOS prompt and give it focus, my communications
program slows to a snails pace. A file transfer which normally
takes 6 seconds becomes 30 seconds. If I remove the focus of
the DOS-Prompt to any other Windows program, the comm
software performs normally.

Are there any settings that can lower the CPU usage/priority of
a MS-DOS prompt??
Need some steering here!!

Back in Win3.1 days, the duty-cycle ratios could be fine-tuned with the
MinTimeSlice and WinTimeSlice keys in system.ini's [386Enh] section. I
can't find any evidence these were carried over to Win9x, but you might try
adding WinTimeSlice=100,100 or ...=200,200 to system.ini and see if it makes
a difference. (I believe the defaults were 100,50 -- the second number was
background cpu time.) The closest Win9x topic I could find was "Idle
Sensitivity", a Win9x pif setting. Do a google search on "Idle Sensitivity"
and read some articles to see if that sounds like it might be of any help.