Attention Burners!!

I learned a neat little trick to prevent coasters. Maybe you guys would like to try it.

Go to START -> RUN

Type: "sysedit"

Open up the SYSTEM.ini window

Scroll down to "[vcache]"
After [vcache] insert these two lines:

MinFile=2048
MaxFile=4096

When refreshed the SYSTEM.ini will automatically add two extra lines.
It should look something like this:

[vcache]
MinFile=2048
MaxFile=4096
MaxFileCache=16384
CHUNKSIZE=4096

Remember to type exactly. The system in case sensitive.

[HAL9000]

Moved to Tips and Tricks.

[jet_rider]

So what does this do. Oh yeah is this for one os or all. Give us some more info please.

As far as I know it's for all Windows based OS's (9x, NT, Me, 2000). What it does is read ahead data, to be burnt, to cache (like virtual memory). It's something like if the burner coasts the data in cache will be able to allocate to the burn where the CD had coasted. But don't take my word for it... I learned this little trick at a seminar that I paid $350 to go to. So far I have noticed less errors on my CD-R's and I make at least 20 burns a day; usually 1 or 2 skips a little somewhere on my audio CD's, or I have at least 2 or three corrupted data files, but so far I have had none. This is also good for burning CD images!!

[Jade]

Actually, like your windows swap file, it's better to leave them at a same number. I have mine set at:

[vcache]
minfilecache=147456
maxfilecache=147456
chunksize=512

It is a multiple of some other value I long forgot. But since it is not wasting time searching for variable numbers in between, you are better off with the same values what ever they may be.

spent $350 on ice cream instead

And I got my VM setting = my ram multiplied by 2.5. Don't ask why.

[Jade]

Also it looks like you are missing your 'minfilecache' it shouldn't be 'minfile'. hmmmm and it works

[jet_rider]

Also [vcache] is not in the system.ini file for win2k. Can it be added???? Are you sure?????????

Well you may be able to add it to the Windows 2000 system.ini, but I won't speculate. Try at your own risk. Trust me it works for 98 and 98se.

There is also a reason you multiply 2.5 X RAM for your virtual memory. It's some formula but I'm not going to get into details, and because I forgot... anyways, I'd change the settings to something different, the vcache is in many ways different than virtual memory. Don't treat them the same.

[Jade]

I meant same number as in

minvcache=1234
maxvcache=1234

minvm=5432
maxvm=5432

not all the same number but same max and mins in each settings.

Also there not real settings but just to illustrate from what I've gathered the max and min should be the same so your resources don't waste time using variables in between.

Ok... I might as well tell everyone how to take full advantage of their virtual memory while I'm at it. First you want to get rid of all that Virtual memory trash on your hard drive... or actually you don't get rid of it, it just goes to the end of the hard drive. This is how virtual memory works. When you start running out of RAM, the computer will use artificial memory from your hard drive. Everytime you switch a program or open a new program virtual memory takes another block from your hard drive... eventually it will start looking like this:

{DATA}{virtual memory}{DATA}{virtual memory}{DATA}{virtual memory}etc.

Everytime you open a new block of data a new block of virtual memory exists for that data. So this is what you do to get rid of all that VM junk in your hard drive. Open up System Properties and go to performance. Disable Virtual memory and restart your computer. Run defrag (which will put the now unused blocks of virtual memory at the end) and then enable virtual memory after specifying Minimum as (RAM X 2.5) and Maximum as ((RAM X 2.5) + 100). i.e. if I have 64MB of RAM my minimum virtual memory would be 160 and my maximum would be 260.

If you want to make your Virtual memory to really work for you make a partition in the hard drive. Then specify to use that drive letter for your virtual memory. And set minimum and maximum to the same number which would be the size of that drive.

This is the proper way to set up virtual memory. Why that is... I dunno, but it is.

To take full advantage of RAM download RAMidle or another utility like it. Some programs don't free up all their resources after they are shutdown, but that utility will free up the resources for you.

[reboot]

To take full advantage of RAM download RAMidle or another utility like it

Sure, download and install a 3rd party program that uses RAM, resides in RAM to free up RAM...
Redundant, no?
Look in the tips and tricks forum for lots more on this RAM issue.
Otherwise your post about VM has been covered many times before, and the 2.5xRAM setting may have applied to Win95a with 16 meg, but is no longer applicable.
Jade's post about VM and VC settings is closer to the REAL numbers one would use, and actually with Win98/ME/2k/XP, allowing windows to manage the swap is an even better idea in most cases.
Having a dedicated partition just for swap is a good idea, although not practical for most people, unless they're planning a complete fdisk/format/install, or setting up a new system. They just don't have the extra HD space, or the knowledge to do that. (Hmmm, note to self and others, how about a tutorial on that?) Even then, letting windows manage the swap within the dedicated partition is a great idea (ie. Leave it dynamic, not static, in size).
I also use the swap partition as a temp install folder for software, and have the autoexec delete it upon restarts.

Well RAMidle only takes up a small portion of RAM. Running a number of programs at once though like Word, and Outlook will take up a sh*tload of memory. I only have 64MB of RAM and I usually start using virtual memory after my computer runs for about 2 hours because of opening and closing programs so many times. Using RAMidle will free up that RAM... right now I have 27MB free and growing when usually I'd be running on less than 1MB.

[Jade]

What ever works for you. I usually don't have problems with word or photoshop. Simply cos I don't use them. I use my comp mainly for music and games. Music really doesn't take much for my set up so I just optimize for games. But I can thank you. Apparently I may have placed my settings too high for gaming as well. I put my vcache settings to 36864 and prolly tell you if there are improvements by the weekend.

[Jade]

Originally posted by reboot Having a dedicated partition just for swap is a good idea, although not practical for most people, unless they're planning a complete fdisk/format/install, or setting up a new system. They just don't have the extra HD space, or the knowledge to do that. (Hmmm, note to self and others, how about a tutorial on that?)

believe someone had the same idea.

http://www.student.ipfw.edu/~gottjl01/win98tweak.htm

It does applies to Win98 with heavy use in programs but get the idea

And there guys have thier own opinion on vcache

http://www.easttexaschat.com/_tips/vcache.htm

It just depends on what works for you. Then give your PC a checkup at PCpitstop.com and see where the weak links are.

Don't forget Speedguide.net for patches if you have cable as windows was designed with 56k modems in mind.

Save your $$$