Computer help?????

Basicly every time I go to open something the comp says I do not have enough memory but I have about 80% of hard drive left????

It may relate to RAM memory (not hard drive space) or even virtual memory settings.

You may have background programmes running, using up your system resources.

Very hard to tell from your post, it would help if you could give the exact error message and your machine specifications (processor, ram, operating system etc)

can't remember exact error as it was a couple hours ago something about swap floppy drive
System: amd duron 750
128mb ram
windows me
virtual mem is set to windows
Thanks x-ray

Error read : Insufficient memory to install windows unable to continue do to insufficient memory or do to insufficient free space on the swap file drive.System halted

Linux

As the error message mentions "swap file" it definitely sound like a virtual memory problem.

Try setting the amount of virtual memory manually, it should be at least 1.5 - 2 times the amount of ram installed in you system (so in your case as you have plenty of hard disk space try 256mb).

After you adjust the virtual memory settings you will probably need to re-boot for the changes to take effect

Good Luck

Originally posted by MarcV:
Linux

Click to expand...

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Ahh where's the fun in stability

Can I ask what you were instaling when this happened? As x-ray indicated, I'm also sure it is a virtual memory issue, but the 1.5 - 2x guideline is a bit obsolete, but not harmful. I'd suggest leaving it at windows-controlled. The total size of your hard disk would be helpful too.

I'm thinking that if you're installing something real big, it may require double it's actual size - once for the installation, and again for the unpacked archive of whatever's installing. If it's huge, the installation may still be trying to expand your swapfile beyond what's available. Triply so if it's an Operating System upgrade (since it will also keep your existing files in addition to the new plus the unpacked archive)

Originally posted by x-ray:
Ahh where's the fun in stability

Click to expand...

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Heh, yes! Just like my desk-lamp, Linux is stable. It also runs almost as many applications as my lamp...

It's all I've used since 1996. Guess you'd have to compare it to an led; the kids' stuff, like an incandescant, tends to burn out right while you're using it. The led has to be turned off manually to stop it from shining.

I have several thousand applications on my laptop, so that certainly isn't a drawback.

It's time for more RAM.

How do I find out the total size of the hard drive?Also I did not try to install anything when this happened.

I just found out the total physical mem is 240 kb

Originally posted by rycen:
I just found out the total physical mem is 240 kb

Click to expand...

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">By this do you mean you only have 240 kb hard drive space left ?

That sounds very unusual (your earlier post said you had 80% free), but if it is the case this would definatly be the cause of your problem.

Originally posted by rycen:
How do I find the total size of the hard drive

Click to expand...

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Double click on "my computer"
right click on your hard drive (normally C
click on "properties"

total physical mem is now 127.45 mb availible mem is 2.9 mb total virtual mem is 2 gb availible is 1.75 gb 42.9gb C drive 4.61 gb used

The "2.9mb available memory" part sounds bad, check for background programmes running (using up your memory)

You can find all running programmes via "Task Manager" just press CTRL-ALT-Delete and it will be activated.

Look at everything loaded at startup too. MSCONFIG if Me has it.

You got way too much loaded in physical memory. Your hard disk in NOT memory. Lots of spyware loads at startup. Then there are the unneeded crap like video card management software (you only need the drivers) and other stuff that card makers like to dump on you.

I only have load into memory what is actually needed.

BTW, I run Win98SE and Mandrake Linux 8.2 Powerpack Edition. 1 GB physical ram in both OSes with no problems.

How do I check what is loaded at startup?

Charles has a good point, there is way too much spyware around and it only serves to clutter up and slow down your system.

If you want to check for (and remove) spyware, you can download a free program called Ad-Aware

It's available for download here

All I get when I try to download it is http://ftp.pcworld.com/pub/new/utilities/security/aaw.exe