SG Broadband Community

DONT BOTHER DOING THIS TO WinME
It just aint worth the head ache I left the original info on this if you wanted to know how it was done..
WinME will give you a headache and more


WINDOWS ME

While this tweak is for WinME and it works. I will not be held responsible for the contents of the
conversion kit given freely by the author for converting the kernal


For United states WinME OS can't tell you what effect it will have on other ME OS


MAKE SURE everything is backed up
Well I guess no one was happy that winME didn't have a ramdrive


now its time for the real players to step up, cause this tweak for winME aint for the weak at heart.
First you will need this download.. http://humlog.homestead.com/nicksconsulting/files/winmedos.zip
I also included a link on the bottem of http://microsyspro.com to the files needed for the conversion
You need to follow the instructions to the letter written by the original author
Basically your gonna be changing the WinME kernal. A .TXT file is included...


NEXT as a reference you will need to look at your autoexec.bat file if there are entries in it then all of them
stay you will add to the autoexec.bat after the original entries
As per this example below.....
autoexec.bat example
SET windir=C:\WINDOWS
SET BLASTER=A220 I7 D1 H7 P330 T6
SET SBPCI=C:\SBPCI
SET winbootdir=C:\WINDOWS
SET COMSPEC=C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND.COM
SET PROMPT=$p$g
SET TEMP=C:\WINDOWS\TEMP
SET TMP=C:\WINDOWS\TEMP
SET PATH=C:\;C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM;C:\WINDOWS;C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND


PATH=D:\;%PATH%
rename c:\windows\system\ndis.vxd ndisvxd.bak
copy c:\windows\system\ndisvxd.bak D:\ndis.vxd
rename c:\windows\system\vtcp.386 vtcp386.bak
copy c:\windows\system\vtcp386.bak D:\vtcp.386
rename c:\windows\system\vudp.386 vudp386.bak
copy c:\windows\system\vudp386.bak D:\vupd.386
rename c:\windows\system\mstcp.dll mstcpdll.bak
copy c:\windows\system\mstcpdll.bak D:\mstcp.dll
REM rename c:\windows\system\wshtcp.vxd wshtcp.bak
REM copy c:\windows\system\wshtcp.bak D:\wshtcp.vxd
rename c:\windows\system\wsock.vxd wsockvxd.bak
copy c:\windows\system\wsockvxd.bak D:\wsock.vxd
rename c:\windows\system\wsock2.vxd wsock2.bak
copy c:\windows\system\wsock2.bak D:\wsock2.vxd


C:\WINDOWS\WIN.COM


The c:\windows\win.com has to be entered if you want windoh's to start


Config.sys example
DEVICEHIGH=C:\WINDOWS\HIMEM.SYS
DEVICEHIGH=C:\WINDOWS\RAMDRIVE.SYS 700 /E
DEVICE=C:\windows\ifshlp.sys


Do not add the win98 config.sys thats in this thread. winME already has most of the memory managment


So do it this way above..


I included the MS DOS editor with the download just incase you need to boot to DOS
copy it to C:\Windows\ since its not included.
You will also need a win98 or some sort of boot disk so that can get you to DOS if all goes bad.
(so that you can use the editor on the autoexec.bat or config.sys)


Also the files you are about to convert I suggest making and aditional folder and name it "recover".
and copy into it "C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND.COM","C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\EBD\IO.SYS" and
"C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\REGENV32.EXE"
COMMAND.COM to the recover folder
IO.SYS to the recover folder
REGENV32.EXE to the recover folder
Save these files I don't want to here of problems like I can't recover that type of stuff..


Anything that may be questionable to you write it down... ASK questions if I can answer them I will...


you will also per the instructions copy these into the same folder as the conversion files ....
read that well... I'm also not responsible for the instructions in there.


After you make the conversion to the kernal make up your config.sys file and make the entries the same as above
also in the Autoexec.bat file add the line to the end of the autoexec C:\WINDOWS\Win.com


When you reboot you should get a new ramdisk and with the new kernal running...
The system will take longer to start.. almost a full 2 minutes on the first reboot.....
once its set it starts more like Win98....


NOTE: there is no more safe mode or logged mode.. The only way to boot to DOS is with a boot disk win98 boot prefured
I can't exspess that enough....


Preformance I did have a noticable increase in speed with this and a increase of free memory useage downloads seem faster and network preformance is better...


Now it wouldn't be far if I didn't give credit to the person that sent me this conversion "OpticFlare" thanks for the great find sure got me.....
It was fun converting this file system...
Like finding out you can't run the DOS commands that you can in win98 keep
that in mind...
have fun and take your time with it....

[ 03-26-2001: Message edited by: dannjr ]

First let us try to understand what a .sys file goes through...

In Windows 2000 it has 2 pools of phyiscal memory it uses for kernel modem activities.

NON_PAGED POOL

and PAGED_POOL

NON_PAGED pool is memory that cannot be written to disk and is resident in memory all the time (once it is loaded it is "locked" in the memory).

PAGE_POOL is memory that can be written to disk and resident in memory whenever nescassary (can be loaded/unloaded from pool).

Windows 2000 loads .sys files to the PAGED_POOL

Each sys has its own memory address where it is loaded i.e. the 0x748b1824 hex address (to be fancy it is called a kernel mode address).

Notice how when you try to move a .sys file on the hard drive it won't let you it will say it is "in use" this means a .sys has some hard drive queries...

dray_heinz
Here's a little test for you since your convinced or otherwise that its using the renamed files to run on..
Rename the autoexec.bat to autoex.bat
Then restart the machine the first thing that will happen is that windows will ask you why you moved or deleted the "ndis" file then you will say ok so that you can finish booting... once you do try to connect with it without renaming the files. It can't because it has no networking files to do so.
If it dose connect then its using NetBUEI to do it.
next go back and rename your autoexe.bat back to autoexec.bat and restart this time ndis gets reloaded along with all the other files making a connection..
Now if you really want to see the difference.
Time your harddrive usage with it working. Really spend some time at it.. Then put it all back to the way it was before the ramdrive, and time the usage while on line your gonna see that the harddrive will almost double in usage especially on a lower powered machine..
This is true in win98 and win2k the Data still isn't done on winME only because I havent had the time to go through and finish testing the usage...
I did find some other plus's with the ramdrive on a layered network like I have but I'm still putting that info together...

Henmaster,

"Also I am suspecting that windows may not be using my ram drive at all, it may be using the files on the HDD with the new names. When a file is renamed windows still knows what it is based on its file size. If a file is missing windows will look for a "match" based on filesize and a few other things."

This is not true. Windows will not look for another .dll file that is the same size. There is either a specific line in the registry or and ini file that points to the .dll. If you do as much as rename the .dll to .old it will not work. Think of how many .dll files are the same size. I am not tryin to flame you here, just letting you know how Windows works.

Hello Dan,

I appreciate your code for the ram drives. I've set ramdrives up on three of our computers now. 1 Win98se 2 Win Me.
I can tell you about my Win Me and the sys files, like ndis.vxd.
You can delete the file and watch it disappear to the recycle bin then waut a few seconds and Win Me puts another copy of it in the Windows\System directory. I am doing this from the explorer folder.

So anyway, I had learned about a real Mode DOS patch from http://www.geocities.com/mfd4life_2000/
and had applied it to my 2 Win Me's before reading your post. You gave good advise about backing up the 3 sys files. Now I don't have the originals and I wish I did because I'm having trouble making it all work out.

Any body know how I can get the files from the net???

IO.SYS
REGENV32.EXE
command.com

Yes, these files are on my Win Me CD, but it is on a Hewlitt Packard CD that will only work if I restore the whole blasted system. Then I have to reinstall all other applications. Since I have already done this a few times Microsoft Office 2000 is getting suspicious of why I am having to reinstall so much and they may not give me another authorization code to reinstall Word.....

Thanks,
Ned

Discover
I'm uh kinda working on them recovery files for you now if someone has them sooner please send them.. In fact when I have them I'll post them for the others that have done it in and haven't said so...
Another thing I really don't know if I like this in ME to many quirks about it..
Like yes and no it worked...
Like I ran over some of the memory usage while that was freed up quite a bit the hole system was a dog..
The only thing that seems to run alittle better it TCP/IP and browsing but not good enough to go through all of this...
But hey we know the ramdisk/ramdrive works in the other OS's
I'll work on it some more maybe I'm just approching it from the wrong angle but I don't see any real safe way to go about it...

As soon as I have the files available you will to...
Ya well I didnt back up cause this aint a machine I depend on so its being reloaded..
Just so I can mess it up again...
Just don't mess with it if you don't have a strong stumack...

[ 02-22-2001: Message edited by: dannjr ]

Here are the three recovery system files for WinME I hope it helps http://humlog.homestead.com/nicksconsulting/files/recover.zip
If You need to know this is where they belong exactly on a fresh install here ya go.
REGENV32.EXE belongs in
C:\windows\system\
IO.SYS in
C:windows\command\ebd\
COMMAND.COM in
C:\windows\ and
C:\windows\command\ebd

After reading through all these postings, I have my doubts if copying certain system files to ram will have any impact on performance. As gana2k and henmaster have mentioned before, Windows automatically caches recently used files or data in RAM. I think that these system files are only read a few times at boot up and that's it. I'm currently trying to find a file access monitor to test my theory.

Mr. E, I think Cleansweep will help you.

Mr. E even if that was true it is what handles the memory is the key in the Ramdisk the Ramdisk.sys files handles the memory managment, in the OS it is the Kernel..

[quote]Originally posted by dannjr:
WINDOWS ME

While this tweak is for WinME and it works.


Just curious, but you are aware by now that this doesn't work, right?

Until you address modifying the SFP database, ME will continue to restore the renamed files as fast as they are renamed. (In some instances this may be on the next reboot, since the vxds are already in memory and use.)
Enable the following key and you can see SFP in action.

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\SystemFileProtection]
"ShowPopups"=dword:00000001

Originally posted by dannjr:
Here are the three recovery system files for WinME I hope it helps http://humlog.homestead.com/nicksconsulting/files/recover.zip
If You need to know this is where they belong exactly on a fresh install here ya go.
REGENV32.EXE belongs in
C:\windows\system\
IO.SYS in
C:windows\command\ebd\
COMMAND.COM in
C:\windows\ and
C:\windows\command\ebd

Uhh, that's the wrong IO.sys file, the one you want to restore is in the root of the HD partition you installed ME to, and that is where you restore it to. (generally C The correct file size is 110,080 bytes.

That IO.sys (116,736 bytes) in the zip file is the EBD file and won't work as a replacement for the OS GUI file.

Hope that saves you some problems.

Micro
Hi leaving WinME out of it for now till something better comes along for it like a new OS one that don't say ME on the end of it... hehehe .... This is also why I posted the recovery files for it also.... where were you a couple of day's ago..
Thanks
Dan

Mr E
What cablenut said....

Plus when win98 boots it looks at the autoexec.bat and config.sys it loads the proper named files to the ramdrive before win98 starts, and win98 only see's the files that had been moved so it uses them from there current spot based on the way win98 was built...
Next
RAMDRIVES run from the kernal there is no secret to that, it hasn't changed in over 9 or 10 years why would it be any different today...
I can pull a ramdrive.sys file out of DOS vesion 3.x, and DOS version current 7 or 8 and place them side by side open them in a editor and the only difference is one allows for a larger memory handle and it says its current version..
I have DOS version 3x running on a 8086 and it runs quite well to date..

Tandy 1000SL
40meg Side Drive
640kb memory
1.5meg memory card
4 voice sound
mic outlet
headset outlet
19200 kbps cardinal fax modem ISA
on chip time clock
1.44 floppy as the B: drive
1.2 floppy as A:
RGB Color monitor
DOT matrix HP printer
everything works
I'm just a collectin fool

Dan and Micro,

Thanks for the help.

I have too had xmsdsk working on Me but not too great. When I finally disabled Norton Protection off the recycle bin things smoothed out alot. However, and this goes for Win 98 as well, Setting the Temp files to the ramdisk causes problems. Download Accelerator locks up and on Me other programs seem to crash. So I now have remarked Set Temp=D:\Temp in my autoexec.bat. I'll come back later and work with it some more.

I would like to get my Windows cache to run in Ramdisk on Win98..
Speed corp suggested doing this at http://www.speedcorp.net/guides/ramdrive/
but like I said setting the Temp to ramdisk is causing other programs not to work.
Got any ideas?

On Me when running Norton scandisk I get a nasty note about running out of memory. Remove the ramdisk and it runs fine. But for Me it may be diminishing returns....

On both Os's I have set the Cache for Netscape to the ramdisk. Works fine and I think speeds browsing??

About IO.sys. Does anyone have the file Micro is talking about? I'm afraid to try yours Dan.... What do you think?

Ned

Discover & Micro
I just checked and yes I do have the hidden files exposed on this WinME machine, and its very posible that the IO.sys file could be differnt due to the fact that my WinME is a Developers version from a well known source..(A partner of Microsoft)

You be the judge I don't have a retail version, and this is definetly not Beta.
It was a clean install

My install of ME is also slightly differnt in the fact that it installs to 0ver 730meg where a normal install of ME is around 600meg. At least I think its 600meg.. so anyway there could be a slight differnce...

Micro
Could you .zip one up and send It to me I'll post it.. Or you post it either way...

Discover If your gonna keep going on the winME then keep a detailed log of what you do to it... That could save you from repeating steps...

Thanks
Dan

Originally posted by Discover:

About IO.sys. Does anyone have the file Micro is talking about? I'm afraid to try yours Dan.... What do you think?

Ned[/B]

The IO.sys file you want is easily restored.
From the "run" line, type "msconfig", select
"extract file", then "io.sys", press start, restore from "C:\Windows\Options\Install", restore to "C:\".

Originally posted by dannjr:
I just checked and yes I do have the hidden files exposed on this WinME machine, and its very posible that the IO.sys file could be differnt due to the fact that my WinME is a Developers version from a well known source..(A partner of Microsoft)

Micro
Could you .zip one up and send It to me I'll post it.. Or you post it either way...

Thanks
Dan

The developer's versions I have, don't have any different versions of IO.SYS.
You may just be looking in the wrong place.
The IO.sys used by Windows is in the root of the install partition. (C:\ on a regular install)(It does not appear on the CD)

The IO.sys in the Windows\command\ebd folder is only there to be copied to the "StartUp Disk", not used by the OS, as it is designed to not function with the rest of the GUI.
The difference between the 2, is that the IO.sys in the EBD allows access to real DOS, that's why it is copied to the StartUp Disk (EBD).

Oh, and I have been here since this "tweak" thread started, I just didn't have anything that needed saying until now as the discussion focused on NT/2K and Win98 versions.

The only way, that I know of right now, that you can get a ramdisk to run in WinMe (without downgrading and destabilizing the kernel, with that hideous me-dos patch) is with RamDisk98.
The Ramdrive.sys in Win9x depends on "real DOS mode" being fully loaded ahead of the GUI and this doesn't happen in ME.

Additionally, before you can sucessfully move protected system files to a ramdrive in ME, they have to be excluded from SFP (System File Protection) or they will be immediately restored to there designated places and ME will use them insteadof the ones you move to the ramdrive.
You can exclude files from SFP, by opening C:\Windows\System\SFP\sfpdb.sfb in any text editor and placing a ; before the line containing the file you wish to exclude.
You MUSTthen change the sfpdb.sfp file's attribute to "read-only" or it too, will be restored to it's orignal state as soon as SFP checks it.

You also want to watch out for loss of network function when moving things to a ramdrive, as drivers in ME don't take kindly to not finding files in out of the ordinary places. Your NICs may cease to function (communicate) on the first reboot AFTER moving the files.

Nope that was the only IO.SYS file I have in that particullar size but then I must be special...
Since I have other things to get done all I asked is that someone upload me the IO.SYS file, so if someone needed it, that there was a backup of it someware...
Unfortunatly I really don't have time for WinME and a Ramdrive right now.. The rest of the OS ramdrives and Ramdisk works fine...

Man you guys are smart, I'm still trying out how to ram this disk in

Hey guys,

I hate to bother you all again but... Now I've really screwed um Me on the 2 kids computers. Regarding restoring Me to its' pre DOS tweak: It seems that when I tweeked the io.sys file I lost the original file as well. I have tried using Your IO.SYS file Dan and I have tried using the file in the location you suggested Micro. Both cause a system halt and a message about a non system disk that needs to be removed. So if anyone has an IO.SYS file that I can try please send it to the forum or to me. Thanx.

With this ramdrive we began experiencing a low memory warning at various times. As in trying toi send an email or run sdcandisk from norton. So I have removed the ramdisk but still have the problem??? We have 256MB RAM

Got any suggestions?

I did place in the sys.ini file under vcache
minfilecache=8192
maxfilecache=8192
chunksize=512

And also followed some of the other tweaks suggested by cablenut.com. However, the low mwmory warning came only after the ramdisk and DOS conversion.

Please let me know if you guys have any ideas or IO.SYS fiels
Thanks again,
Ned

I connect at 784kbps, will this tweak benefit DSL as well?

Discover
Ok I figured maybe someone may have emailed the files by now but if they haven't and I know they haven't done so for me...
Anyway have you heard of radio shack or a local computer shop I can safely say Radio Shack I hope.. there like everywhere U.S.A and there pushing WinME...
Grab a couple of floppy disks take one and copy the junk OS files to it just in case...
Next run down to the local Radio shack/ Computer shop where they have WinME running..
Hand them the disk with one of the kids standing there with a tear in the poor childs eye and say can you make me a boot disk please off the WinME machine...
If the place is worth anything they'll do it for free...
When you get back with the disk.. Boot from the floppy having copied the junk IO.SYS your relitivly safe.. Now remembering where it is on the drive find it and Delete it..along with the command.com file..
Next at the "A:\" prompt type "sys c:\" this will put the boot sector back in place.. Hopfully where it belongs... this is what it will look like on the screen. Or should.

A:\sys C:\

Yes I did try this last night on the WinME I have here it did work I also checked about the files that are on the boot disk and found that the sys.com is part of the boot disk...

heres the list of fileson the boot disk from Microsoft... http://support.microsoft.com/support /kb/articles/Q262/5/02.ASP?LN=EN-US&SD=gn&FR=0&qry=Boot%20disk&rnk=81&src=DHCS_MSPSS_gn_SRCH&SPR=WINME
You could also try and I did not try to extract the files from the CABS on the harddrive.. but here is a hint on how to.. http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q129/6/05.asp?LN=EN-US&SD=gn&FR=0&qry=Boot%20disk&rnk=8&src=DHCS_MSPSS_gn_SRCH&SPR=WINME
Good luck

dmsmed
Yes this will benifit you if not the speed of your connection it will by making life easier on your Harddrive its been working good on the win98 win98SE machines and the win2k machines...

Has it speed up my connection well not allot.. But it has reduced Latency related to the network drivers having to swap on the hardrive....
Have some fun with it...

WinME won't be fun just a warning.. As you can see with the problem Discover is having with it...

[ 03-03-2001: Message edited by: dannjr ]

Originally posted by Discover:
Hey guys,

I hate to bother you all again but... Now I've really screwed um Me on the 2 kids computers. Regarding restoring Me to its' pre DOS tweak: It seems that when I tweeked the io.sys file I lost the original file as well. I have tried using Your IO.SYS file Dan and I have tried using the file in the location you suggested Micro. Both cause a system halt and a message about a non system disk that needs to be removed. So if anyone has an IO.SYS file that I can try please send it to the forum or to me. Thanx.

With this ramdrive we began experiencing a low memory warning at various times. As in trying to send an email or run sdcandisk from norton. So I have removed the ramdisk but still have the problem??? We have 256MB RAM

Got any suggestions?

I did place in the sys.ini file under vcache
minfilecache=8192
maxfilecache=8192
chunksize=512

And also followed some of the other tweaks suggested by cablenut.com. However, the low mwmory warning came only after the ramdisk and DOS conversion.

Please let me know if you guys have any ideas or IO.SYS fiels
Thanks again,
Ned

All you really need is already on your system.
What you want to do is reverse the changes that crappy MeDos patch performs.

Edit "C:\CONFIG.SYS" and "C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT" changing them as described below:

* Remove from "CONFIG.SYS" the line: DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\IFSHLP.SYS.
* Remove from the bottom of "AUTOEXEC.BAT" the line: C:\WINDOWS\WIN.COM.

Using Msconfig.exe with the "extract file" command, restore the following files from C:\Windows\Options\Install -

* "IO.SYS" to "C:\".
* "COMMAND.COM" to both "C:\WINDOWS\" and "C:\".
* "REGENV32.EXE" to "C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM".

AFAIK, these are the only changes the MeDos patch makes by default. You MUST restore them ALL, BEFORE allowing the system to reboot.

The problem with this patch, is that while WinME is based on the Win9x kernel and it's supporting files, it is NOT the Win9x kernel and it's supporting files. The distinction between the two is important, not only to stability, but compatibility with the OS's supporting files and drivers.

That, and the fact that the author of the patch was conceited enough (or inexperienced enough) not to bother even posting directions for it's removal.

Hope that solves your problems.

BTW - forget the vcache settings, they've been virtually useless as a tweak since vcaching was improved after Win95. The Vcache is dynamic to allow for best performance on an overall basis. Making it static only hinders performance on a PC that is not dedicated to a single (or very few) task(s). Most home PCs have to be able to perform many varied tasks and while a static vcache may speed up a couple, it will slow down others.

Thanks Micro U just reminded me of something here you don't want to run vcache at all.. in winME...

Originally posted by dannjr:
Thanks Micro U just reminded me of something here you don't want to run vcache at all.. in winME...

I'm not sure you meant that exactly as you stated it.
But you certainly don't want to run any version of Win9x with vcache disabled, if you intend to get any thing done. That's one of the easiest ways there is to see Blue screens on a PC thats not dedicated to a single task.

Originally posted by Micro:
I'm not sure you meant that exactly as you stated it.
But you certainly don't want to run any version of Win9x with vcache disabled, if you intend to get any thing done. That's one of the easiest ways there is to see Blue screens on a PC thats not dedicated to a single task.

Im sorry it was early...
WinME does not like second party vcache added to the system.ini...It makes the harddrive to strange things....
There was nothing meant by it.. Thanks

Peace

[ 03-03-2001: Message edited by: dannjr ]

Thanks Dan and Micro,

I tried both methods of restoring IO.SYS COMMAND.COM and REGENV32.EXE without success.

Dan with your method:

I had made a startup floppy when installing Me and had already tried copying the IOS.YS and COMMAND.COM from it. In explorer I removed the hidden and archive attributes and then rebooted from the floppy then copying to respective directories in C:. However, the startup disk does not contain the REGENV.EXE.

After copying the IO and COMMAND files and removing the IFSHLP.SYS and WIN.COM files I reboot and get the message: Invalid system disk Replace the disk, and then press any key

Micro with your method:

The 3 files are not located in
C:\Windows\Options\Install

There is a IO.SYS in C:\windows\command\EBD.
I tried it but it didn't work.

I cannot find any unaltered REGENV32.EXE on the hard drive. I even looked in zipped files in the CAB area.

This is why I am still asking for copies of these files.
Thanks again,
Ned

PS:

My system is an HP Pavillion that I recently purchased. The CD that came with the system only works on the Pavillion computer. In order to access files on the CD I have to restore the entire system. This wipes out all the other applications like Microsoft Word. This sucks! I know the files I need are on the CD but I don't know how to break in to get them!

er...Micro ?
I run the Vcache settings in my win/98se and it works fine! No Blue screens!

Originally posted by Discover:
[My system is an HP Pavillion that I recently purchased. The CD that came with the system only works on the Pavillion computer. In order to access files on the CD I have to restore the entire system. This wipes out all the other applications like Microsoft Word. This sucks! I know the files I need are on the CD but I don't know how to break in to get them![/B]

Ahh, yes, the old restore CD BS.
I sent the files zipped to your E-mail addy in your profile.
Let me know if they don't get there for some reason.

Originally posted by Buggyman:
er...Micro ?
I run the Vcache settings in my win/98se and it works fine! No Blue screens!

Even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then.

Seriously though, I take it you don't do a lot of graphics, cad, or database work?
Or keep the machine up 24/7?
The longer the OS stays up and in use without rebooting with a static vcache, the greater odds. It's just a waiting game. The more memory intensive usage, the sooner it happens.
You can run a static vcache with gaming and "general" use machines, but if you use yours for serious work , I'd highly recommend against it.
If it works for you, great !
But I think you'd be hard pressed to show any real improvements in speed or stability.

Originally posted by Micro:
Even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then.
How did you know I was blind???

Seriously though, I take it you don't do a lot of graphics, cad, or database work?
Nope just Internet browsing and Chatting.

Or keep the machine up 24/7?
Now that I do!

The longer the OS stays up and in use without rebooting with a static vcache, the greater odds. It's just a waiting game. The more memory intensive usage, the sooner it happens.
Well... I do reboot after tweaking.

You can run a static vcache with gaming and "general" use machines, but if you use yours for serious work , I'd highly recommend against it.
Browsing the Internet not serious?... You're kidding right?

If it works for you, great !
It does

But I think you'd be hard pressed to show any real improvements in speed or stability.
Well on that point you are right because My PROVIDER has admitted they have problems. So it's too early to tell on that yet.

The point I'm making is that we can't assume one thing over another.
I think Cablenut has done me a GREAT favor by some of the tweakings he's gave me.I'm not up to spec as outlined by my provider because of what is THEIR problem. But Cablenut has helped me gain some of it back.

All this means one thing, Tweaking is setting up your pc to what works BEST for you!
Peace Friend

[ 03-04-2001: Message edited by: Buggyman ]

[ 03-04-2001: Message edited by: Buggyman ]

Hey guys... I've got the tweak to work with MSTCP.DLL,NDIS.VXD, and VTCP.386....I want to know what other internet related files I could add to speed up my system. I'm on cable running 98se. Any help would be usefull. Thanks

[ 03-04-2001: Message edited by: mrloc ]

mrloc
You can add the Winsocks...
As outlined on page 7 of this thread by JonG..
A couple of people have tryed adding IE into it also..

Discover
Keep us up to date...
I hope the files Micro sent helped...
Micro thanks...

Guys what can I say... this aint a vcache debate.. We could start a new thread on vcache and list the several sizes to make and why...Like, Large small medium
server/games/photo/power user/
In fact heres a progy that will allow you to setit many differnt ways...
It's free and only for win95 and win98.. http://www.analogx.com/contents/download/system/cb.htm
have fun with it...

Hi all,
just wondering, if you are sure this tweak can speed up anything at all. From what i understand, ndis.vxd and all the other drivers are loaded into memory once you start your online-journey. After that all the needed drivers will stay in memory - at least if you don't use a swap-file whatsoever.
How can a ram-drive be faster than anything actually loaded into your ram?

I guess there will be an advantage, if you have very small amount of ram and your system pages a lot to your swapfile, but with 256+ MB ram you won't touch that a single time.

Nevertheless i tested the tweak. The creation of the ram-drive worked flawless (btw: there is no need for compatible-mode, just use: XMSDSK 2048 G: /C1 /T /Y and you are set). The files are copied over to the ramdrive and internet-, gamingaccess etc. worked without any problems. BUT there is no difference in speed or throughput or whatsoever. And that seems to me the proof of what i guessed above.

But i am openminded to every input concerning this topic. Maybe my thoughs are totally wrong. Any hint will be welcome.

Stay tuned, Eike

Just forgot to mention, that i use win98 se.

What is the minimum amount of RAM required for this tweak in W98 & W2000?

Does this tweak write the web pages to the ram-drive as well?

Eike,
I can't see how this tweak would improve throughput, but it's obvious it would help latency. As I mentioned in another threat it would be cool would be to get the DNS to cache to the ram-drive.

Has anyone put together some instructions for this tweak somewhere? Like Cablenut or DannyJr? Im dying to try this out.

Eike
where did you get the command lines for the XMSDSK 2048 G: /C1 /T /Y There is no documentation on the added command lines when I went to use the added command lines the way you have them there it simply bypassed the xmsdsk...
I'll work on this later.. Why don't you copy & paste your autoexec and config here so I can see it better in my own head...

As far as memory management here...
Its gonna save the hardrive from having to swap the info back and forth all the time reducing Latency or here is a quote below from cablenut

"First let us try to understand what a .sys file goes through...
In Windows 2000 it has 2 pools of phyiscal memory it uses for kernel modem activities.

NON_PAGED POOL

and PAGED_POOL

NON_PAGED pool is memory that cannot be written to disk and is resident in memory all the time (once it is loaded it is "locked" in the memory).

PAGE_POOL is memory that can be written to disk and resident in memory whenever nescassary (can be loaded/unloaded from pool).

Windows 2000 loads .sys files to the PAGED_POOL

Each sys has its own memory address where it is loaded i.e. the 0x748b1824 hex address (to be fancy it is called a kernel mode address).

Notice how when you try to move a .sys file on the hard drive it won't let you it will say it is "in use" this means a .sys has some hard drive queries...

--------------------

Head webcheese and geek guru @ http://www.cablenut.com
sorry for not retyping all the other info on how it works but most of this has been asked and answered in earlier post unless you or I are missing something here...

dmsmed
Its only using 1 meg of ram to run the randrive and ramdisk I have ran this on as low as 32meg installed on win98

DNS theres a good question since I just got back I really havent had time to play with it but this might be a good thing to look into


Bigpoppapump
page three about half way down for win2k for about two pages there is a good start...
by cablenut here in the thread
ANd for win98/win95 on page 7 by JonG
Will it get up on one of the web sites eventually...

Did I
miss anything

In W2k exactly what does this tweak run on the ramdisk/ramdrive which wasn't running on it before?

Win2k= ramdisk
Win98 & Win95= ramdrive

Unless you use the third party software...
Personally I like the Microsoft files there more stable...