Load Windows Into RAM

[Dehcbad25]

While Windows2k and WInXP manage its memory much better then the Win9x based operating systems, you can make both the actual Win2k or XP OS run more efficiently by keeping all of its code in system memory (since it's the most used program) rather than in a HDD swap file.

Go to Start -> Run and type regedit. From there follow this path. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE -> SYSTEM -> CurrentControlSet -> Control -> Session Manager -> Memory Management. Right click on the DisablePagingExecutive DWORD value, change its value to 1, save and reboot.

Now Win2k and WinXP will stay in your system memory instead of going into the HDD swap file. Please note, you must have at least 512MB of system memory otherwise you'll notice a slowdown in performance!

[cash_site]

Ok you say we need at least 512mb but how much does the OS take up? Might have to invest in some more 512mb sticks ;) 3x512 would be a very fast XP OS :P

[Dehcbad25]

I only noticed 20 MB difference after applying the change :p
I have 1Gb of RAM, and at this moment I have 33 process, and I am only using 310MB, and I have eMule and WMP open and working
Check how much RAM you have loaded before and after change

[cash_site]

After reading the tip, I check and it was enabled. So, I have been using it all along LOL, no wonder my windows runs flawlessly and quick!

nice tip though. :D

[lynchknot]

Would that be similar to this?

http://www.techstarcomputers.net/~sighost/sigs/ram.gif

[cash_site]

I dont think so Lynch, that is a proper RAM Drive, we're talking about letting XP run in RAM. I think it loads into RAM at startup or on the way to starting up.

But those ram drives are great. Can load an app in there and it runs super! fast ;) Just remember to copy any data back to HD else bye bye :P

[lynchknot]

I'm not sure how to use it yet. What do you mean by, "load an app in there"? Photoshop would be nice, since it's one of the slowest.

[MSNwar]

The performance increase is far more noticeable on a dual CPU rig with 1 Gig of RAM when multi-tasking. The performance increase is what made me decide to build my first dual CPU system.

Good tip Dehcbad25 :D

[Dehcbad25]

Glad it helps :D
Lynch, the tip I gave is to keep Windows in the RAM, since it has the vicious habit to go to pagefile. The only reason I could find for that, is that way it doesn't lose information if you have a powerout, which really doesn't help, because if it was in the task of wrtting to pagefile it will corrupt it anyway :p
Anyways, I think a good recomendation is not to enable this in flaky systems. Otherwise if your system fail, please let it scan before, just to make sure everything is OK.
I had improved my Computer quite a bit. I haven't done proper maintenance to this PC for maybe a year :p, I always keep arranging my PC at work (but I had W2K)
Last week I seted up a system for my grandmother. It is a HP with an Athlon 2400+, mine is only 1800+ but she is amazed that mine still faster :p
NEvertheless, she is happy (much faster than the Pentium 100Mhz that got replaced), so I guess it works ;)
lynch, Ram drives is a hard drive simulation that resides in your system RAM. So, you have to have a large amount of RAM to take advantage of it. Since RAM is approx. 1000 times faster than a HDD, loading a program from RAM is a lot faster than loading it from the HDD, so it is good to use with gloating apps, like Photoshop