"Resources" doesn't mean what's built into the computer (though more memory
can sometimes help by allowing for a bigger resource pool). In other words,
it doesn't matter how big your harddrive is, how fancy your graphic card is,
or fast your CD/DVD is, or how much memory you have (to some extent), there
is only a "finite" amount of system resources available.
All Windows systems (and even bigger boxes like mainframes) benefit from a
reboot to refresh everything. More current versions of Windows have done
better, but (it's been a while - I may get this wrong) there is a small
section of memory "reserved" for tracking open files, tracking certain
graphic items, and other "system, behind the scenes" stuff. Some programs
release all their resources when they are shut down, but many do not (thus
the reason for a reboot occasionally). Some programs even "leak" while they
are running - using a resource, but when it is not using it it doesn't fully
release it, asking for more resource, then stop using that resource (but not
fully releasing all the area), and etc, etc, etc so the system resources get
slowly used up. The longer a "leaky" program runs, the more the system
resources get "eaten up" until eventually all resources are in use - and
then your system can get REAL flakey. There are monitors you can run to
track this, but the monitor also takes up system resources! In the older
versions of Windows, I recall that it was recommended you reboot way before
you used up all your resources (like at 70% usage??).
I've noticed that the more "graphical" a program is, the more it tends to
eat up resources. Note that this is not necessarily a program problem, but
more of a system problem, since even the best written programs can still
exhibit this problem over time. Since Legacy has lots of graphics, it would
be a candidate where system resources would get slowly used up if the
program is left running, even if it isn't used. Note that some programs
release all their resources when you close the program, so simply restarting
the program and help. But many times all "used" resources are NOT released
upon a program close/restart - thus the reason a reboot is recommended to
"refresh" everything. It also tends to happen more often if you do a lot of
multi-tasking (jumping from one program, then back, then to another, and
back, etc). Just leaving a program open and sitting can eat up resources,
but actually toggling back and forth can tend to eat them up faster.
As I said, up to a certain point adding more memory (or a video card with
more internal memory) can help by making the resource pool bigger, but only
to a certain extent. In fact, if you have mega-mega memory it used to make
the resource problem WORSE because the system then had more STUFF to keep
track of! But that was in old days (older Windows versions) when folks
pushed their system to the limits by added bunches and bunches of memory - I
doubt that's a problem for most of us!
Bob
----- Original Message -----
From: "Kris" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2008 3:13 PM
Subject: Re: [LegacyUG] Blank Screens
Hi, Janice --
With *this* computer, I might chalk it up to resources (I hate this
computer). But my last one, no -- I didn't have any memory problems with
that one, but still had this problem with Legacy.
On Wed, 16 Apr 2008 13:56:11 -0500, Janis Gilmore <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
wrote:
[Janis Gilmore] Might this not be a resource problem? If your computer is
not loaded with memory, it may require a more frequent reboot, to free up
resources.
I very often leave Legacy open for days at a time, and have never
experienced this problem, although I do occasionally get a little funky
behavior - not this extreme, and no data loss. When it shows the first
sign
of entering its funky stage, I back up, close the program, and reboot the
computer.
I am on Vista Business.
Janis
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