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reboot · 05-30-2000, 01:17 PM

EVERYTHING in the taskbar uses resources, mostly physical RAM. When the RAM is used up, Windows will read/write to the swap file (win386.swp), causing the HD "grind" that you may hear. Any time a computer grinds to a halt and/or reboots spontaneously it's usually out of resources, physical resources. The taskbar programs don't use IRQ's and such, but with a winmodem that needs CPU cycles and RAM to work, if there is none left because of program hogs (Norton/McAfee AV's, TSR's, Anti-crash utilities, system monitors...)anything that uses lots of RAM and will NOT free it up for use by anything else, a modem dialing or hanging up can cause a crash/restart. Windows DUN is trying to use, and then free up, resources for itself to use, and other programs are being greedy about releasing needed resources. Hence the recommendation from everyone here for hard modems.
Windows also has a way of sharing resources that a BIOS will not, hence a winmodem may share an IRQ with your AGP video card, and work just fine...most of the time...but you will notice a winmodem running at it's slowest when it's on a shared resource. If it's sharing with a video card (for example) it will only get attention from the CPU every second cycle through the interrupts, instead of once every cycle, virtually crippling half it's ability to do it's job. Set "PnP OS Installed" in BIOS to disabled (or NO), remove all devices in device manager in Safe Mode, and restart. Windows will now assign resources according to the BIOS, and NOT allow sharing. This cures 99% of all conflicts, even suspected ones that DON'T show up in device manager with yellow !'s.
For your ESS modem, get the latest drivers from my modems page, remove the modem in device manager, shutdown, take the modem out, restart, shutdown, put the modem back in a different slot if possible, restart, reinstall. Failing that, remove and reinstall DUN with a restart in between, then run inetwiz to make a new connection.
Ideally, desolder all the chips and stuff on the modem card, make jewelry, and buy a new modem.

------------------
Who needs a life?, I have internet!
Cheers, Jim
Jim & Sue's Free Files | Jims Modems

05-30-2000, 01:17 PM	#6
reboot Member (14 bit) Join Date: Mar 1999 Location: Kelowna, B.C., Canada Posts: 9,138	EVERYTHING in the taskbar uses resources, mostly physical RAM. When the RAM is used up, Windows will read/write to the swap file (win386.swp), causing the HD "grind" that you may hear. Any time a computer grinds to a halt and/or reboots spontaneously it's usually out of resources, physical resources. The taskbar programs don't use IRQ's and such, but with a winmodem that needs CPU cycles and RAM to work, if there is none left because of program hogs (Norton/McAfee AV's, TSR's, Anti-crash utilities, system monitors...)anything that uses lots of RAM and will NOT free it up for use by anything else, a modem dialing or hanging up can cause a crash/restart. Windows DUN is trying to use, and then free up, resources for itself to use, and other programs are being greedy about releasing needed resources. Hence the recommendation from everyone here for hard modems. Windows also has a way of sharing resources that a BIOS will not, hence a winmodem may share an IRQ with your AGP video card, and work just fine...most of the time...but you will notice a winmodem running at it's slowest when it's on a shared resource. If it's sharing with a video card (for example) it will only get attention from the CPU every second cycle through the interrupts, instead of once every cycle, virtually crippling half it's ability to do it's job. Set "PnP OS Installed" in BIOS to disabled (or NO), remove all devices in device manager in Safe Mode, and restart. Windows will now assign resources according to the BIOS, and NOT allow sharing. This cures 99% of all conflicts, even suspected ones that DON'T show up in device manager with yellow !'s. For your ESS modem, get the latest drivers from my modems page, remove the modem in device manager, shutdown, take the modem out, restart, shutdown, put the modem back in a different slot if possible, restart, reinstall. Failing that, remove and reinstall DUN with a restart in between, then run inetwiz to make a new connection. Ideally, desolder all the chips and stuff on the modem card, make jewelry, and buy a new modem. ------------------ Who needs a life?, I have *internet!* Cheers, Jim Jim & Sue's Free Files \| Jims Modems