Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!hplabs!hpfcso!yoshida From: yoshida@hpfcso.HP.COM (Stuart Yoshida) Newsgroups: comp.windows.ms Subject: Re: Windows hangs system Message-ID: <7450001@hpfcso.HP.COM> Date: 20 Nov 90 17:24:29 GMT References: <1990Nov17.183905.24109@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU> Organization: Hewlett-Packard, Fort Collins, CO, USA Lines: 37 rb9a@watt.acc.Virginia.EDU (Raul Baragiola) writes: > I have a Shamrock 386SX with 2MB RAM and SCSI drive. Windows works fine > if I don't use a permanent swapfile. If I do, it still works fine with > one or two applications open. Sometimes, when trying to open a new > application I get the message: > > General Failure error reading drive C > Invalid COMMAND.COM > Cannot load COMMAND > System Halted I have a BSR 386SX formerly with 2MB of RAM and a *non*-SCSI 80MB Seagate drive that did the exact same thing! I *don't* think it's a SCSI interface problem. I believe it's an inherent limitation of Windows and its use of the permanent swapfile. I added 2MB of memory for a total system RAM of 4MB and created a permanent swapfile of about 8MB, and the system worked much better. However, I can *still* crash the system if I keep on firing up mulitple programs, especially ones that require a lot of system memory. This does not happen when I use a temporary swapfile (probably because I haven't fired up enough programs to overload the 20MB of contiguous disk space available for swapping). I've concluded that Windows is running out of swapspace and croaking. Can anyone confirm this? -- Stuart "La vida de paz." --Yolocamba-i-ta' UUCP: {hp-sdd, hp-pcd, csu-cs, edison, hplabs}!hpfcla!yoshida Internet: yoshida%hpfcla@hplabs.HP.COM VOICE: (303) 229-2324