Win98 Lagging big time

[JeanneD]

I recently upgraded my Aunt's PC from win95b to win98, and ever since I did it, lags really badly...like if you type it takes a good 10-20 even 30 secs for the letters to appear. However you can hear the hard drive run and run like its super busy. Any ideas? I already virus scanned and scandisked and defragged. It will run fine for little while sometimes then do it again.

clone:
P200mmx \intel vx board
32mb ram
20gb drive
40x cd
Diamond GL Pro1000 8mb
yamaha sound card




[This message has been edited by JeanneD (edited March 26, 2000).]

[RGK01]

Sounds like it's out of virtual memory??
Check system properties, performance, virtual memory for settings. Also, you might try updating/reloading the IDE Bus Master Drivers.

[JadedTech]

It also wouldn't hurt to pop another 32mb of ram in there. Also make sure the yamaha sound card isn't loading any XG wavetable stuff at startup. My system was noticeably slower after upgrading to 98 because of yamaha software that was quietly loading on start that wasn't needed.

[DesertEagle]

I would go to start>run>msconfig.exe, click the startup tab, and remove all of those unneeded system tray programs--they are a system memory hog. I would also go and set the computer to be a network server, even if it's not. Windows allocates more virtual memory to programs when set at a network server.

[JeanneD]

hi I am going there today, will try the assorted suggestions. The virtual memory is on auto, and with a 20gb drive that only 2gb full I figured it can use as much virtual memory as it wants (however that is exactly what it acts like and was my first thought and why I thought it might be a virus too).
She does have the XG thing running, will disable. Her board only has 2 simm and 2 dimm slots, and since its so expensive to buy simms I think I will pick up 64mb sdram (she can't afford any of it, but is a lonely widow and loves AOL) I've done several upgrades, just recently gave her the 200 and the 20gb HD and now the 98. Somehow tho this pc is always a big headache. Maybe I will set the virtual memory so its permanent. She doesnt have much in startup, nortons antivirus 6.0, real player, and the yamaha thing I will take out...she already shows like 88% free resources which is pretty good. I thought you were only supposed to use the server setting if you have 64mb or more ram thats why I didnt set it, but will try, see if that is a fix. Now when I put in the new ram, she will have 64 tho, so I will set it (I have set it on all mine) I really appreciate all you guys trying to help and will let you know what it is later (I hope anyway) Never thought of the IDE drivers, I will try that too.


[This message has been edited by JeanneD (edited March 28, 2000).]

[JeanneD]

FYI
I changed the ram to sdram anyhow, but think the problem may have been the sound card (I have used many yamaha cheapy cards before and they work fine but this is like the third pc this one was in, guess it was tired - what clued me is she happened to mention some weird things about her sound which she never mentioned before). Put in a SB Ensonique I had, seems fine now (so far)
Thanks again for the help

[The Kinslayer]

That system resources 88% free is a load of crap. I think microsoft put that in as a constant variable. why? because my machine with 128 meg always has '88%' free, and so did my 133 with 16 meg ram. go to ********right.com, look at their 'other programs' or whatever, and download yourself a copy of 'mikes micro meter'...that is a program that not only tells you how much of your 'system resources' you have free, but it also tells you how much RAM you have free. I know the machines at school say '88%' free, but I slap MMM in there (it's like 14k) and it suddenly says "0%" ram free. Also, ASUS has a sweet program 'Asus Monitor' or whatever, it has a portion of it that tells you your ram USAGE... which is how well your ram is being used. Mine, no matter what, sits at like 97% usage, with like 3 meg free or somthing. That is good, because my system is actually using most of it's resources properly.

[The-Fro]

Or upgrade to Win2K, which does all of that stuff on its own, for real.

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I can tell after the day I've had, it's gonna be one of THOSE milleniums.

[bdunn]

I wouldn't install Win98 on a machine with less than 96 Meg RAM. In fact I un-installed it on this one for that same reason. Win95b was much faster.

98 sped up a little when I killed the active desktop but it was still too slow with 64 meg.

I recently upgraded to 128 and may someday try 98 or 2000 if I have any problems but everything works fine so right now I'm happy with it.

Bruce

[ReBoot]

FYI, Windows resource meter reports 88% free, that includes the swap file.
Use Windows System Monitor, and see how much free physical RAM there is, and that will give a much better indication of what's really going on.

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