My system: P4/1.6GB CPU, 256K of RAM, 60GB HDD, 56K dial-up modem (Opera browser), running Win98SE OS.
As I use my machine memory seems to get used up…i.e., when I close programs it seems somehow RAM memory is not “released.” If I open the task monitor, few programs are listed as running, or if so I close them via the task mon., though the RAM still seems to be “occupied” per System Resources under System Properties. How can I get a true picture of what programs are REALLY running in the background, are these TSRs that don’t list under task monitor?…and how do I prevent this from happening? The problem most often occurs after I’ve been on the internet for awhile…and it often gets to the point where I have to re-boot because “system resources” run so low. I run AVG (Grisoft) Anti-virus (free edition), Zone Alarm Firewall (free edition also…what can I say…I’m frugal…okay, cheap), and periodically run Spybot S&D to check for any possible spyware. I have also run (in “loops”), DocMemory on occasion suspecting physical problems with the RAM memory, but it checks out okay. Any help you guys might offer would be GREATLY appreciated. I am aware of programs available to “free up” RAM that programs (TSRs ?) won’t on their giveup, but it would be nice to find a solution to the problem, rather than a “fix” to the symptoms.
THANKS !!!