Res.Meter / Low Resource

[Peterclan2]

I run with the standard Win98 Resource Meter displayed in the tray. Today I got a Low Resources warning "Ninety percent or more of your system resources are in use" etc.

The meter was showing availabilities of 71% (sys) 71% (user) and 81% (GDI).

Doesn't make sense! How can it happen?
Tks,
Peter

[ileacy]

The Resource Meter alert is produced whenever your resources drop below 10% free. RM updates it status frequently (once per second I think). So it is quite possible for your resources to be temporarily below 10% free and back up above 10% free by the time you look at it.

[Peterclan2]

My system has 96MB of RAM, and your speedy response has made me pause and think. I'm now figuring that MS has set the resource meter up such that it reports the three kinds of resource availabilities net *after* Win98 has seized all it wants for itself! Am I right? - in other words, if clunky old coding with a lot of legacy stuff embedded in it results in the OS grabbing (say) 30MB for itself, thereby depleting my RAM availability down to 66MB, the reported percentages are based on the 66MB and not on the total physical RAM? Am I right? - MS has kept the size of the grab made by its OS invisible to ordinary users?
Hmmm.
Peter

[ileacy]

No. You are making the common error of confusing real/virtual memory with resources.

Check this thread for more info.

[Peterclan2]

Ian,
Thanks for your superb reply pinpointing the need to understand the difference between memory and resource, and linking to the four Winmag.com articles on the topic. They are print-and-keep quality and should be compulsory reading for every visitor to the forum! GREAT material.
Thanks again - Peter