XP virtual memory problem

[wysiwyg]

OK I know XP has a history (already) of virtual memory problems but how do I stop getting an error message each time I try to shut down my PC? P4 2 gig, 256meg RAM, 40 gig HD, mainly used for internet, word processing and video editing.

HELP!!!

wizzy

[FL310]

do you have any chat prog, like icq, running when trying to shut down?

[wysiwyg]

Not exactly. At the mo I am using AOL and that seems to have its own sort of chat. Do you think disabling it might help? If so does anyone know how you do that in AOL?

thanks fl310
wizzy

[carbheatcold]

I had the very same problem until I made the virtual memory portion of the hard disk larger. I changed it from 384MB - 768MB to 384MB to 1.5GB, on a 40GB HDD I did not think it would trouble me. Good news is no further problems since.

I have no idea what caused the virtual memory error because I did nothing obvious to change the running setup and had not even installed any programs prior to the warning, it just started!

Carbheatcold

[wysiwyg]

Very interesting chc. I have told windows to decide on its own amount of virtual memory it requires but have still had the message occur once since. I will try selecting the exact same settings as you and see how I go.

wizzy

[FLEX42]

wysiwyg

Try this site, they have lots of useful tips, and it's all specifically for XP.

http://www.xp-erience.org/

[carbheatcold]

wysiwyg,

When the problem first occurred I went through the computers HELP system and having found the virtual memory stuff it seemed to imply that the best option was to leave Windows to sort it out. So I left it and the errors continued. At that point I decided to custom set it and as I said earlier no further problems. That was over a week ago and the error was occuring on every shutdown.

carbheatcold

[wysiwyg]

Thank you one and all. I am trying the various solutions and will report back. I don't think I've ever had better help from a posting!

[wysiwyg]

Well ****** me! I deselected the option to let windows manage its own virtual memory and reselected 384mb for the lower figure and 1536mb as the upper figure (as it is exactly twice the lower figure and double the previous higher figure) and everything seems to be working fine! The virtual memory problem had been stopping my printer from functioning but even that is working now (as best as it can with these poxy XP drivers!).

Thanks very much everybody, especially carbheatcold for the solution and Flex for the interesting web site.

I hope this page gets revisited if anyone else has the same problem and remembers to us the prune search facility.

Regards
wizzy