Virtual Memory & Safe Mode

Can anyone tell me if Virtual Memory is running while in Safe Mode? The
reason I ask is that I am wondering if it is better to run Defrag in safe
mode, versus, shutting off virtual memory and then run defrag. I'm told if
you don't shut off virtual memory and then run defrag, a section of the drive
is still reserved for vitual memory, and that section of the drive never gets
defrag'd. Is this true, and if so is virtual memory on or off in safe mode?

Help?
thanks, Robert

There is no need to defrag the area of the drive used by VM. If you are
concerned about performance, add enough ram to your system so VM is not
used.

--
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

"Robert" wrote in message
...
Can anyone tell me if Virtual Memory is running while in Safe Mode? The
reason I ask is that I am wondering if it is better to run Defrag in safe
mode, versus, shutting off virtual memory and then run defrag. I'm told
if
you don't shut off virtual memory and then run defrag, a section of the
drive
is still reserved for vitual memory, and that section of the drive never
gets
defrag'd. Is this true, and if so is virtual memory on or off in safe
mode?

Help?
thanks, Robert

Thanks Ron,
Robert

"Ron Badour" wrote:

There is no need to defrag the area of the drive used by VM. If you are
concerned about performance, add enough ram to your system so VM is not
used.

--
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

"Robert" wrote in message
...
Can anyone tell me if Virtual Memory is running while in Safe Mode? The
reason I ask is that I am wondering if it is better to run Defrag in safe
mode, versus, shutting off virtual memory and then run defrag. I'm told
if
you don't shut off virtual memory and then run defrag, a section of the
drive
is still reserved for vitual memory, and that section of the drive never
gets
defrag'd. Is this true, and if so is virtual memory on or off in safe
mode?

Help?
thanks, Robert

Thanks Ron, but that didn't really answer the question did it?

"Ron Badour" wrote:

There is no need to defrag the area of the drive used by VM. If you are
concerned about performance, add enough ram to your system so VM is not
used.

--
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

"Robert" wrote in message
...
Can anyone tell me if Virtual Memory is running while in Safe Mode? The
reason I ask is that I am wondering if it is better to run Defrag in safe
mode, versus, shutting off virtual memory and then run defrag. I'm told
if
you don't shut off virtual memory and then run defrag, a section of the
drive
is still reserved for vitual memory, and that section of the drive never
gets
defrag'd. Is this true, and if so is virtual memory on or off in safe
mode?

Help?
thanks, Robert

'Robert',

I insert this URL mainly because of the cautionary note re- the possible
dangers of disabling virtual memory while you defrag.

http://www.putergeek.com/virtual_memory/

The below site also says not to disable your virtual memory during
defrag. then encourages you to do so.

http://www.cyberwalker.net/columns/nov01/081101.html

As to whether virtual memory runs in Safe Mode; I very much doubt it
from what I have read, although I find it difficult to be absolutely
sure.

This site http://sbc.webopedia.com/TERM/S/safe_mode.html refers to the
use of extended memory in Safe Mode and the following site explains
extended memory.

http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/E/extended_memory.html

Regards,
Emrys Davies.





"Robert" wrote in message
...
Can anyone tell me if Virtual Memory is running while in Safe Mode?
The
reason I ask is that I am wondering if it is better to run Defrag in
safe
mode, versus, shutting off virtual memory and then run defrag. I'm
told if
you don't shut off virtual memory and then run defrag, a section of
the drive
is still reserved for vitual memory, and that section of the drive
never gets
defrag'd. Is this true, and if so is virtual memory on or off in safe
mode?

Help?
thanks, Robert

The huge bulk of unmovable clusters during a Defrag is your Swap File,
Win386.swp. After that, any CVS (Compressed Volume File) may also be
big. No one should have one of those, but should get a larger hard drive
instead. Finally, in Win98, any file that is attributed BOTH "System" &
"Hidden" will be an unmoveable. If you use Thumbnail View, a "Thumbs.db"
file will be created in each folder to which you apply it. Some of those
can be large & are Attributed both System & Hidden (See accompanying
post).

I used to turn VM off, and I swear it makes for a better Defrag. The
purpose of it was to prevent other files from pussyfooting around the
bits/pieces of the Swap File during the Defrag.

HOWEVER...

(1) It is possible one may not be able to reboot with VM off. That would
be the case, if one has only 32 MB RAM. There was one poster who said he
had 64 MB & could not reboot when he turned off VM. However, "Scanreg
/Restore", choosing the most recent backup, should reset VM to being on.

(2) DO NOT "START, Programs, MS-DOS Prompt", with VM off. I had an
orderly crash doing that. Repeating the experience online to better
report it, my second crash doing it was HORRENDOUS-- it had a heartbeat!
Also, some apps will open a Windows DOS box on their own; so, beware!

Here is what I have now done...

(a) Set swap file minimum size to 300 MB, & reboot back to windows.
Do so at "Control Panel, System, Performance tab, Virtual Memory
button". This will create a 300 MB space for a swap file. It will not be
entirely contiguous. Set the minimum only.
(b) Boot to DOS
(c) SMARTDRV
(to speed up the following considerably)
(d) COPY Win386.swp Win386.jnk
(This fills in gaps between files, so that later Win386.swp will
be contiguous.)
(e) REN Win386.swp Win386.old
(Win386.swp will recreate at boot.)
(f) Boot to Windows
(Now, you have Win386.jnk, Win386.old, plus a new Win386.swp.)
(g) In Explorer, delete Win386.jnk & Win386.old. Hold Shift as clicking
to Delete to prevent it goes into the Recycle Bin!
(h) Do whatever you normally do, to keep the following from constantly
restarting.
(i) Scandisk (Thorough, usually w/o write checking)
(j) Defrag

Now I had my buffer between the swap file & the rest of my files. This
is meant to keep the swap file out of the way of the rest of the system
during a Defrag. There may have been some little bit of the swap file
still among the other files, but the vast bulk of it was one contiguous
block 300 MB away! I saw it, by pausing Defrag before it ended &
scrolling past a sea of white to the sea of red! (By the way, "REN
Win386.swp Win386.old" created a zero byte file, or I am a madman!)

Notes:
1. This need be done but once this way, except should you subsequently
delete Win386.swp. Anyhow, mine has stayed put!
2. The 300 MB swap file has moved to the root folder C:\, because a
minimum size was specified.
3. You still have a "C:\Windows\Win386.swp", but it is zero bytes in
size.
4. It has been promised "C:\Win386.swp" will never move physically on
the hard drive. Those 300 MBs will stay put. However, should the swap
file get larger than that, the excess will intermix with other files.
When the swap file shrinks, it will then return to the 300 MB area.
5. The purpose of Win386.jnk was to give the system room for growth,
before it must use disk space on the other side of the swap file. (It
does appear to work that way.)

Is it all worth it? I really think it did make a difference.


--
Thanks or Good Luck,
There may be humor in this post, and,
Naturally, you will not sue,
should things get worse after this,
PCR

"Robert" wrote in message
...
| Can anyone tell me if Virtual Memory is running while in Safe Mode?
The
| reason I ask is that I am wondering if it is better to run Defrag in
safe
| mode, versus, shutting off virtual memory and then run defrag. I'm
told if
| you don't shut off virtual memory and then run defrag, a section of
the drive
| is still reserved for vitual memory, and that section of the drive
never gets
| defrag'd. Is this true, and if so is virtual memory on or off in safe
mode?
|
| Help?
| thanks, Robert

Files that are Attributed both System & Hidden (R-Clk it, Properties)
are system files, & probably it is best to let them be. I'm sure there
are files that have been made to be System & Hidden for a purpose. Part
of that purpose is so Defrag won't move them. (In Win95, either S or H
prevents moving; in Win98, it must be both.)

What shows in Defrag are clusters, which are the smallest unit Wundows
can handle in the file system. Cluster size depends on the size of the
partition. A file of even one byte will occupy an entire cluster. The
"unmovables" that show up as red-cornered clusters in Defrag are
clusters that contain...

(1) Files that are both System & Hidden, as shown in Properties. The
number of these is likely in the teens, but some are large & will fill
many clusters...

"START, Programs, MS-DOS Prompt"
C:\DIR C: /ASH /S /V
....snip Size
IO SYS 222,390 04-23-99 10:22p 12-15-03 RHS
DRVSPACE BIN 69,632 04-23-99 10:22p 04-14-04 RHS
VIDEOROM BIN 65,536 07-30-01 6:02p 04-14-04 HS
DETLOG TXT 73,728 03-24-03 4:07a 04-07-04 HS A
....snip
Total files listed:
9 file(s) 435,831 bytes
4 dir(s) 6,461.88 MB free

Also, you will get more (& big ones), if you have turned on Thumbnails.

THUMBS DB 89,600 12-14-03 2:36a 12-14-03 HS
THUMBS DB 219,648 07-01-03 10:51p 12-16-03 HS A
THUMBS DB 48,640 06-22-03 11:08p 12-16-03 HS A

Thumbs.db appears in every folder in which Thumbnail View is turned on,
it seems. (Now, I have turned it off, & they have disappeared.)

(2) BUT the real bulk of "unmovables" is likely the swap file,
Win386.swp.
Would you like to know how to move it out of the way?

(3) Any CVF (Compressed Volume File), which no one should have. Get a
larger hard drive instead.


--
Thanks or Good Luck,
There may be humor in this post, and,
Naturally, you will not sue,
should things get worse after this,
PCR

"Robert" wrote in message
...
| Can anyone tell me if Virtual Memory is running while in Safe Mode?
The
| reason I ask is that I am wondering if it is better to run Defrag in
safe
| mode, versus, shutting off virtual memory and then run defrag. I'm
told if
| you don't shut off virtual memory and then run defrag, a section of
the drive
| is still reserved for vitual memory, and that section of the drive
never gets
| defrag'd. Is this true, and if so is virtual memory on or off in safe
mode?
|
| Help?
| thanks, Robert

Yes it runs in safe mode. The only reason to run defrag in safe mode is
when the disk continually gets written to which causes defrag to restart.

See the defrag and scandisk troubleshooters located he
http://home.satx.rr.com/badour/html/how_to.html

--
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

"Robert" wrote in message
...
Thanks Ron, but that didn't really answer the question did it?

"Ron Badour" wrote:

There is no need to defrag the area of the drive used by VM. If you are
concerned about performance, add enough ram to your system so VM is not
used.

--
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

"Robert" wrote in message
...
Can anyone tell me if Virtual Memory is running while in Safe Mode?
The
reason I ask is that I am wondering if it is better to run Defrag in
safe
mode, versus, shutting off virtual memory and then run defrag. I'm
told
if
you don't shut off virtual memory and then run defrag, a section of
the
drive
is still reserved for vitual memory, and that section of the drive
never
gets
defrag'd. Is this true, and if so is virtual memory on or off in safe
mode?

Help?
thanks, Robert