Optimize Memory Usage

To Optimize Memory Usage

You can choose to optimize your computer's memory usage. If you use your computer primarily as a workstation, rather than as a server, you can have more memory devoted to your programs. Your programs will work faster and your system cache size will be the default size that came with Windows XP. You can also specify to set aside more computers.

Memory for a larger system cache, if your computer is used primarily as a server, or if you use programs that require a larger cache.

• Click Start, click Control Panel, click Performance and Maintenance, and then click System.
• Click the Advanced tab, and then click Settings under Performance.
• Click the Advanced tab, and then do one of the following under Memory usage:
• Click Programs if you use your computer primarily as a workstation, rather than as a server, to have more memory devoted to your programs.
• Click System cache if your computer is used primarily as a server, or if you use programs that require a larger cache.

To Change Visual Effects

Windows provides several options to set the visual effects of your computer. For example, you can choose to show shadows under menus, which gives them a 3-D look. You can tell Windows to display the entire contents of a window while you move it on your screen.

To make large text more readable, you can choose to display the smooth edges of screen fonts.

Windows provides options for enabling all of the settings (for best appearance), or none of the settings (for best computer performance). You can also restore the original default settings.

Manage Computer Memory

To Manage Computer Memory

When your computer is running low on RAM and more is needed immediately, Windows useshard drive space to simulate system RAM. This is known as virtual memory, and is oftencalled the paging file. This is similar to the UNIX swapfile. The default size of thevirtual memory paging file (named pagefile.sys) created during installation is 1.5 times the amount of RAM on your computer.

You can optimize virtual memory use by dividing the space between multiple drives andremoving it from slow or heavily accessed drives. To best optimize your virtual memoryspace, divide it among as many physical hard drives as possible. When you select drives,keep the following guidelines in mind:

Try to avoid having a paging file on the same drive as the system files.

Avoid putting a paging file on a fault-tolerant drive, such as a mirrored volume or aRAID-5 volume. Paging files do not need fault-tolerance, and some fault-tolerant systems suffer from slow data writes because they write data to multiple locations. Do not place multiple paging files on different partitions on the same physical disk drive.

To Change the Size of the Virtual Memory Paging File

You must be logged on as an administrator or a member of the Administrators group inorder to complete this procedure. If your computer is connected to a network, network policy settings may also prevent you from completing this procedure.

• Click Start, click Control Panel, click Performance and Maintenance, and then click System.
• Click the Advanced tab, and then click Settings under Performance.
• Click the Advanced tab, and then click Change under Virtual memory.
• Under Drive [Volume Label], click the drive that contains the paging file you want to change.

Under Paging file size for selected drive, click Custom size, type a new paging file size in megabytes (MB) in the Initial size (MB) or Maximum size (MB) box, and then click Set.

If you decrease the size of either the initial or maximum paging file settings, you must restart your computer to see the effects of those changes. When you increase the paging file size, you typically do not need to restart your computer.

To have Windows choose the best paging file size, click System managed size. The recommended minimum size is equivalent to 1.5 times the amount of RAM on your system, and 3 times that figure for the maximum size. Example, if you have 256 MB of RAM, the minimum size would be 384; the maximum size would be 1152.

For best performance, do not set the initial size to less than the minimum recommended size under Total paging file size for all drives. The recommended size is equivalent to 1.5 times the amount of RAM on your system. Usually, you should leave the paging file at its recommended size, although you might increase its size if you routinely use programs that require a lot of memory.

To delete a paging file:

· Set both initial size and maximum size to zero, or click No paging file. Microsoft strongly recommends that you do not disable or delete the paging file.

Animated Character

Turn Off, Display, and Select an Animated Character in Search Companion in Windows XP

This article describes how to turn off, display, and select a different animated screen character in Search Companion.

How to Turn Off the Animated Screen Character

• Click Start, and then click Search.
• In the Search Companion dialog box, click Change Preferences.
• In the How do you want to use Search Companion box, click Without an animated screen character.

The screen character is no longer displayed in Search Companion.

Note: You can also right-click the screen character, and then click Turn off the animated character in the You rang box.

How to Display the Animated Screen Character

• Click Start, and then click Search.
• In the Search Companion dialog box, click Change Preferences.
• Click With an animated screen character in the How do you want to use Search Companion box. The screen character is displayed in Search Companion.

How to Select a Different Animated Screen Character

• Click Start, and then click Search.
• In the Search Companion dialog box, click Change Preferences.
• Click With a different character in the How do you want to use Search Companion box.
• Click Back or Next in the Which character would you like to use box to view the characters.
• When the character that you want is displayed, click OK.

The screen character that you selected is displayed in Search Companion.

Note: You can also right-click the screen character, and then click Choose a different animated character in the You rang box.

Troubleshooting

If the Search Companion dialog box is not displayed, press F3 to open it.
You can also open the Search Companion dialog box when you press F3 in Windows Explorer, My Computer, or Microsoft Internet Explorer.