I just conv. f/Win 98 to WinXP on my Pent 3, and I get error message, running low on memory.what do I do?

Question

Can I just buy a disc to add memory, or do I need something physically installed?

Answer 1

It needs more RAM (Random Access Memory) which is a different from a Hard Drive.

If you have a name brand PC you can go to crucial.com and enter your PC model number and it will tell you what you need.

If that's confusing take the PC to your local computer shop and tell them you need more memory so you can run XP. They'll know what to do from there.

The minimum required for XP is 128MB of RAM. The more you can do the better. If you're just doing things like web surfing and word processing I wouldn't bother going above 256MB. There's no sense in spending too much money on that computer because I imagine you'll need to buy another one within the next few years now that Vista's been released and it would require a new PC for you to run it.

Answer 2

There are a number of ways to resolve your problem. In Windows, there are 2 types of memory. First, you have RAM. RAM modules are installed on your motherboard. The second type of memory is called virtual memory. Oftentimes, the amount of RAM installed is insufficient. Windows XP's solution is to convert some of the hard drive space in to "virtual memory." Virtual memory behaves like RAM but it is not as fast as RAM. Virtual memory has a lot of names, some call it paging file or swap file.

So, here are some solutions:
1. Install more RAM. Microsoft recommends at least 256MB of RAM to run Windows XP. However, Windows XP runs best with at least 512MB.

2. Clear up some hard drive space and use the space to create more virtual memory.

3. Unload DLL. This is a more advanced way to resolve the low memory problem.

Here are the solutions:
1. Read PC World Magazine's article "Upgrade Guide
Install RAM modules step by step." -- pcworld.com (http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,18024-page,1/article.html)


2. Increase the amount of hard drive space set aside for virtual memory:

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Optimize the size of the paging file. As a rule, the size of the paging file should be 1.5x the amount of RAM. If you have 256 MB or less of RAM then set the size to 384 MB. If you have 512 MB or more of RAM then set the size to 512MB. If you have 1 GB or more of RAM then set the size to 768 MB. Some computer experts suggest if you have 1 GB or more of RAM then you can try setting the size to 0 (i.e. don’t use a paging file at all). Follow these steps to change the size of the paging file.

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Use an account with administrative privileges.
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Right click My Computer > Properties > Advanced > under “Performance,” click [Settings] > choose the “Advanced” tab > under “Virtual Memory,” click [Change].
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Choose “Custom size” and set the “Initial size” and “Maximum size” to the same value.
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Click [Set] > [O.K.]. Reboot.

Answer 3

I believe that having less than 256 Mb is most likely your problem. This being true you need more memory for XP.

Editorial Comment, take it for what it's worth.
XP like most Windows products are resource Hogs. I suspect that your P3 system is also short on Processor Power and Disk Drive capacity. If you want to keep this old machine XP is not the operating system you need.

Good Luck

Answer 4

You need to buy more RAM. WIndows XP needs a minimum of 512MB to run effectively. Go to http://www.crucial.com and follow the 3 steps to find the exact ram you need for your computer. It will also tell you how to install it.

Answer 5

A flash plug, Mem745. Best Buy will work. Usb portable.

Answer 6

You either dont have enough hard drive space or are low on RAM. you can buy a new, higher capacity hard drive or more RAM