How do I change the update interval for Memory Minder Backgrounder?
How does the update interval work?
Give me some examples on setting the update interval
When "Update Summary" doesn’t seem to update anything...
Features
Version history
Improvements for v1.1
Known challenges
Warranty information
Registration information
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This program is sold as shareware. This means that you may try this program without any charge or obligation. If you decide to keep and use this program, please register by sending the registration fee to the address provided below. When you register, you will receive a printed user manual and a telephone number for technical support.
Registration fee:
US$15.00 (check or money order drawn on a U.S. bank, please)
Address:
Andrew Downs
7615 West Lake Street
Morton Grove, IL 60053 USA
Quick start
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1) Drag the Memory Minder Backgrounder and Memory Minder files to your Mac hard drive or floppy drive. Open Memory Minder. It will automatically start Memory Minder Backgrounder (the data gathering program).
2) Use your Mac for a few minutes. Open whatever applications you normally use.
3) In Memory Minder, select "Update Summary" to read the gathered data.
4) Click on an application name, then select "Suggest Size...", to change its partition (memory size). Quit when you're done.
5) Memory Minder Backgrounder will run until you restart or shutdown your Mac. It has no user interface. You can also stop/start Memory Minder Backgrounder from within Memory Minder.
What is Memory Minder?
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Memory Minder is a RAM management tool. Its purpose is to allow you to reduce or increase the memory requirements for application programs.
How does Memory Minder work?
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Each Mac application has a minimum and a preferred amount of memory (called a 'partition') that it requests when you open it (by double-clicking). Not all applications make good use of the memory they request; sometimes it goes unused. Memory Minder keeps track of how much memory applications request and then actually use. It lets you adjust the preferred memory size for the applications you've recently used. By doing so, you should be able to keep more applications open simultaneously.
Be careful, though: some programs have certain features that won't work properly if you set the memory size too small. To help you recover from this situation, Memory Minder lets you restore the original size.
How do I use it?
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There are two parts to Memory Minder. The first is a 'background application', called Memory Minder Backgrounder. Its purpose is to gather data. This program can be started by double-clicking, or putting the icon (or an alias) in the 'Startup Items' folder (which is inside the 'System Folder'). Memory Minder Backgrounder will start up, and keep track of applications that you run. It keeps its information in a file in the 'Preferences Folder' (inside the 'System Folder').
There is no user interface to this program; don't look for menus, dialogs, etc. If it encounters problems while running, you will hear your Mac beep: two beeps indicates a shortage of memory, three indicates a problem with the information file. Memory Minder Backgrounder then quits. If you find that it won't run for more than a few seconds, or consistently quits at the same point (i.e. after opening your 6th application), send me a message and I'll try to find the problem (with your help, of course).
After Memory Minder Backgrounder has been running for a few minutes, startup the program called Memory Minder. This is a regular Mac application, with menus, dialogs, etc. Memory Minder reads the information gathered by Memory Minder Backgrounder, and presents you with options for changing memory sizes. Any changes you make to the memory size for a given program will take effect the next time you open that program.
How do I change the update interval for Memory Minder Backgrounder?
The update interval refers to the time between data gathering attempts by Memory Minder Backgrounder. You may change it by selecting the "Preferences" item under the "Special" menu, then clicking in the bar to set the value. Click “OK” to save the new value. “Cancel” will not save the new value. You cannot drag the arrowhead, nor click above the bar: you must click in the bar, and you’ll see the bar flash once. This is a departure from the standard Mac interface, and I consider it a compromise (for now).
How does the update interval work?
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Memory Minder Backgrounder only performs so much work when it has control of the processor. It only writes a new information file when it has gathered a complete set of data on all current processes. The more programs you run simultaneously, the longer Memory Minder Backgrounder will take to complete its information gathering and writing. Once it has finished writing, Memory Minder Backgrounder sleeps for a time, then starts the read/write cycle again. What you’re controlling with the interval bar is the time between these read/write cycles.
Give me some examples on setting the update interval
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On a Quadra 650, I set the interval nearly all the way to the right. (Click at the far right side of the bar: the arrowhead should move. Then click very slightly to the left of that point.) This updates approximately once a second, and slows the machine only slightly. On a IIsi, I set it slightly farther to the left. (In the English version, between the letters ‘e’ and ‘n’ in ‘More Often’, as written above the bar.)
If you set the interval too far to the left (‘Less Often’), you’ll have to wait minutes for any information to become available. In general, at a slower interval you’ll get better results if you switch between applications frequently.
Best advice: start close to the right side of the update interval bar, and work your way left. Click "OK" for the change to take effect.
When “Update Summary” doesn’t seem to update anything...
If you select “Update Summary” but the numbers don't change, this may indicate that Memory Minder Backgrounder is still writing its information when Memory Minder goes looking for it. Since the information is still incomplete, Memory Minder decides it’s safer to use the 'old' information. Quitting and reopening Memory Minder gets around this problem, but can be annoying. That’s why the update interval becomes important, and must be set appropriately for each machine. Feel free to experiment; you won’t break anything, and at worst will just have to wait longer for updated information.
Features
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- Memory Minder sorts the listed applications by name, partition size, etc. Click on the column headings to sort the information. Memory Minder displays all memory sizes in kilobytes.
- Memory Minder requires System 7 or greater.
- Stop and restart Memory Minder Backgrounder from within Memory Minder, and change the information gathering interval for Memory Minder Backgrounder. This is useful if your system runs too slowly with the default setting.
- Balloon help is available within most dialogs and windows.
- Each time you restart Memory Minder Backgrounder, the previous contents of the information file will be overwritten. This saves disk space and processing time. If you want to keep a copy of the current information, use the 'Save As Text...' option to write the information to a text file.
Version history
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v1.0 released 3/94
- Initial release.
v1.1 released 8/94
- Summary window: Displayed sizes are more accurate. In version 1.0 they sometimes differed from the values displayed using “About This Macintosh...” by 15-16 kilobytes.
- Help balloons: The text in several help balloons was simplified.
- File menu: “Quit” is now available whether the Summary window is visible or hidden.
- Status dialog boxes appear while performing a “Save As Text...” or “Update Summary”.
- Special menu: the "Preferences" dialog gives you the option of automatically launching Memory Minder Backgrounder when Memory Minder starts up.
- Less conflict exists over the data file that Memory Minder and Memory Minder Backgrounder share, resulting in fewer quits due to file access problems.
- Updated to accomodate System 7.1 'SIZE' changes.
Known challenges
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- The help text ("Memory Minder Information" under the help menu) doesn't display the last three lines properly when it is first opened. Closing and reopening the help text corrects this problem. Also, the help text occasionally scrolls improperly, hiding the first line.
- Desk Accessories (such as Alarm Clock, Calculator, etc.) have a space character in front of their names. When sorting by name, they will fall to the bottom of the list. Also, you cannot change the partition size for DAs.
- Claris Resolve 1.0 won't import strings prefaced with a blank character (DA names), so you have to open the text file using TeachText or a word processor, clip the first character, and copy the remaining data to the clipboard before pasting into Resolve.
- Microsoft Excel 2.2 won't import the saved text file. Excel 4.0 works fine.
- Memory Minder can't handle more than 100 open applications. After this point, you should stop Memory Minder Backgrounder, then start it again. This will clear out the information file.
- Memory Minder cannot change sizes for applications that are locked or not shared.
- Occasionally, Memory Minder will not display any new information when you select "Update Summary". The easy way around this is to quit Memory Minder, then restart it. Memory Minder will then read the updated information and display it properly.
In spite of these challenges, please enjoy the program!
WARRANTY INFORMATION
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THE AUTHOR HAS USED HIS BEST EFFORTS IN PREPARING THIS SOFTWARE. HOWEVER, THERE ARE NO WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, WITH REGARD TO THE DOCUMENTATION OR PROGRAMS OR DATA PROVIDED. THE AUTHOR SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE WITH RESPECT TO THE DOCUMENTATION AND PROGRAMS DESCRIBED HEREIN. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHOR BE RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE FOR ANY LOSS OF PROFIT OR ANY OTHER COMMERCIAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR ANY OTHER DAMAGES IN CONNECTION WITH OR ARISING OUT OF FURNISHING, PERFORMANCE, OR USE OF THIS DOCUMENTATION OR THE PROGRAMS OR DATA.
THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS AND SHALL INURE TO THE BENEFIT OF THE AUTHOR AND ANY SUCCESSORS, ADMINISTRATORS, HEIRS, AND ASSIGNS. ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING BROUGHT BY EITHER PARTY AGAINST THE OTHER IN CONNECTION WITH OR RELATED TO THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE BROUGHT ONLY IN A STATE OR FEDERAL COURT OF COMPETENT JURISDICTION LOCATED IN COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS. THE PARTIES HEREBY CONSENT TO IN PERSONAM JURISDICTION OF SAID COURTS.
