scallon@cod.NOSC.MIL (Matthew C. Scallon) (10/19/89)
Hello Netters, I'm having a problem with the system taking up too much memory, to the point that I can't open up some programs like Microsoft Excel 2.2 or Adobe Illustra- tor. When running under Multifinder, I get a message the application can't be open because the machine is out of memory. With no other applications and 4 Megs? Be serious!! Anyway, I'll give everyone the 411 on my situation. From Finder: 160K System: 2,077K (with Kermit loaded on Multifinder) Inits: DialogKeys, Easy Access, QuickFolder 2.0, QuickInit (for QuickMaail), Radius MATH (for Radius II display), Suitcase. Cdev's: Gatekeeper, Color, General, II Display (for Radius II display)) Keyboard, Monitors, Mouse, QuicKeys, Sound, Startup Device, Vaccine v1 Machine: IIcx, 6.0.3 system, 80 MB Hard Drive. FYI, I've run Disinfectant and have Vaccine and Gatekeeper on at all times. I even run Disinfectant when I know no one has used my machine. Also, 'Info' says the system is only 323k long. I haven't added any DA's or fonts to the machine. I run Suitcase. If anyone could help, I'd appreciate it. I'd like to finally run MultiFinder in peace (if that's at all possible). Thanks in advance, Matthew C.A. Scallon scallon@cod.nosc.mil
rcfische@polyslo.CalPoly.EDU (Raymond C. Fischer) (10/21/89)
In article <1674@cod.NOSC.MIL> scallon@cod.NOSC.MIL (Matthew C. Scallon) writes: >I'm having a problem with the system taking up too much memory, to the point >that I can't open up some programs like Microsoft Excel 2.2 or Adobe Illustra- >tor. When running under Multifinder, I get a message the application can't be >open because the machine is out of memory. With no other applications and >4 Megs? Be serious!! I'm going to give some information that, to experienced Mac users, will be incredibly obvious, but to new Mac users may not have been stated anywhere before. You have been warned. First, the size of the System file has very little to do with the amount of ram used by the system. The two biggest sources of discrepancies are fonts/DA's and the disk cache. Fonts and desk accessories do not take up any RAM at all unless they are actually being used at the moment by a running application. A system file can take up 1200k of disk space, but because no application is using the fonts and no desk accessories are open, no RAM is being used. The disk cache, on the other hand, takes up no disk space at all, but can use up over 4 megs of RAM on a 5 meg machine. This is often the case when the 'About Finder' box shows the system using more than 400k. How to reduce the amount of memory being used by the system? 1) reduce the size of the disk cache or turn it off. This is done from the control panel. Near the bottom of 'General' 2) take INIT's out of your system folder. All of them use memory. Some like SuperClock! use little. Others (Suitcase) use moderate amounts, and some, like Backdrop and SoundMaster can use lots (up to 200k). Removing fonts and da's from your system folder will not help any. Ray Fischer rcfische@polyslo.calpoly.edu