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- DOCUMENT:Q94048 20-JUL-1993 [W_NT]
- TITLE :No Free Memory or System Resources in About Program Manager
- PRODUCT :Windows NT
- PROD/VER:3.10
- OPER/SYS:WINDOWS
- KEYWORDS:
-
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
- The information in this article applies to:
-
- - Microsoft Windows NT operating system version 3.1
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- Summary:
-
- The About Program Manager dialog box in Windows NT shows the total
- physical memory installed in the system, but not the free memory or
- the percentage of free system resources, which are both displayed by
- Windows 3.0 and 3.1. This is because Windows NT uses resources
- differently than do Windows 3.0 and 3.1.
-
- More Information:
-
- Because Windows NT allocates all physical memory for itself, showing
- free physical memory would be misleading. Similarly, showing free
- virtual memory would be misleading because every running application
- always has close to 2 gigabytes (2048 MB) of memory free. When an
- application starts, Windows NT allots it 2 gigabytes (GB) of virtual
- memory. Windows NT then uses a method of memory allocation called
- "paging" to redirect physical memory into each application's virtual
- memory. Windows NT often allocates all physical memory because it
- makes the process of memory paging more efficient.
-
- To see how Windows NT is using memory, use Performance Monitor (in the
- Administrative Tools group). Keep in mind that having very little free
- physical memory is not an indication of a problem. Under Windows 3.0
- or 3.1, when you are about to start a new application, you may check
- free memory and system resources before doing so. However, due to the
- new memory-management schemes for Windows NT, there is almost no need
- to be concerned about free memory before starting another application.
- If Windows NT needs more physical memory, it can quickly redirect
- memory pages so that every application gets the resources and
- performance it needs.
-
- Additional reference words: 3.10
-
- =============================================================================
-
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-
- Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1993.