optimizing performances *

The basics of speed Limiting Windows' usage of disk cache Handling Windows' virtual memory Increasing Windows' stability

Overclocking tips Freeing up IRQs Boosting the Pentium Pro/Pentium II video chipset No ISA card = 5% performance boost

> Handling Windows' Virtual Memory

What's the use of Virtual Mem? Along the lines of limiting the disk cache, we will now proceed to create an optimally sized, permanent swap file. By default, Windows manages the swap file (a file on your hard drive used to simulate RAM in the event it uses more than you have) much like the disk cache. It expands the size of the swap file when more RAM is allocated by programs and (supposedly) shrinks it back down when less RAM is in demand. Handling virtual memory this way is smart, however the problem comes when the swap file starts to get fragmented and decreases performance because of that. Our goal is to create a permanent, defragmented swapfile. If you have a fast new Ultra DMA hard drive or a SCSI setup, you probably won't need to worry about setting the Virtual Memory settings yourself, but everyone else keep reading. Also, if you have 16MB of RAM or less, it's probably better to let Windows manage the memory.

Procedure

1> The first thing to do is to disable virtual memory all together. Right click on My Computer, select properties, go to the Performance tab and click on "Virtual Memory ..." Click on "Let me specify my own virtual memory settings" and then check the box marked "Disable virtual memory (not recommended)." Restart.

2> After your system restarts into Windows, start up Disk Defragmenter. Defragment your C drive (or whichever drive you wish to place you swap file on to). If you are running Windows 98, be absolutely sure to uncheck the box that says "Rearrange program files so my programs start faster" within the "Settings..." dialog box.

3> Next, go back into the Virtual Memory settings. Uncheck the box that says "Disable virtual memory (not recommended)." You'll want to specify the same number for both the minimum and maximum settings here. How much you set it to depends on how much RAM you have. A general rule is about twice the amount of RAM you have in your system. So, if you have 32MB RAM, set both the Minimum and Maximum to 64.

4> Restart.

If you get "Out of Memory" errors, go back into the virtual memory settings and raise both the Minimum and Maximum values by 25% or so. Be sure to follow steps 1-4 in doing that, as the whole purpose of a permanent swapfile is to have one that's defragmented and doesn't cause more slowdown than it's worth.

> Increasing Windows' stability

In order to prevent several blue screens and other "illegal operation" error messages, you may want to install some vxd (virtual device drivers) that are not installed originally in Windows.

Right-click on My Computer, then Properties. Select the Device Manager tab; in this window, double-click on System peripherals. Now click on every device and check the tab Driver\Details... If you can see C:\Windows\System\configmg.vxd, you are using the proper driver. On the contrary C:\Windows\System\vmm32.vxd proves that Windows uses a generic driver for that device and not a specific driver.

To install these, use the SFC application. Click Start\Run... and type sfc. In the window that appears, choose "Restore a file from the installation disc" then follow the procedure below for each vxd to be restored. There are seven of them: Vcomm.vxd (COM ports driver); Vdd.vxd (video device driver); Vflatd.vxd (video buffer virtual driver); Vdmad.vxd (DMA controller driver); Vmouse.vxd (mouse driver); Configmg.vxd (motherboard configuration manager driver); Ntkern.vxd (kernel driver).

1-Fill in the name of the vxd to restore.
2-Click Start and specify the source location (Cabs folder on your hard drive or Windows CD ; CAB 50 for Windows 98 SE and CAB 45 for Windows 98 first version).
3-Put C:\Windows\System as target folder. Restart Windows and check the Device Manager, the proper drivers are now used by Windows. It is faster but also far more stable.

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