Freeing Up RAM

[Blookah]

I have 1GB RAM on my system but sometimes when I try to view things such as video I get a "cannot run program due to low resources" message. Even when I shut down all programs running in the foreground I still get the message. I've allocated more virtual memory w/no luck. Through task manager what applications and/or process's can I safely shut down to free up memory? Please help.
BG

[hywaydave]

WOW, you have 1gb of RAM and you're still low on resources?  Are you sure Windows is recognizing all your RAM?  It's hard to tell you what processes you can safely shut down.  From the sounds of it, it seems you have a huge amount of programs running in the background, most of them probably unecessary.  Can you do a printscreen of your task manager processes tab, and also a printscreen of your startup tab if you run 'msconfig' from the RUN menu?  If you need additional assistance, you can reach me at ResourcePC.

Dave

[Flame]

That's outrageous! What programs are running in your background? Also, if you don't have a lot of processes running, then scan for viruses and spyware...

[glb]Flame[/glb]

[Raptor]

Oh, my god!

I suggest you install the following application and show us the log it generates.

HijackThis

[merlin_2]

http://insight.zdnet.co.uk/hardware/servers/0,39020445,2132568,00.htm

http://oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.asp

or majorgeeks.com.......freeram xp

[Flame]

There's got to be a virus or something in that one... When you have that much RAM, and that much trouble, that's a code red...

[glb]Flame[/glb]

[Blookah]

I don't have a virus as far as my anti-virus program is concerned. I believe it is programs running in the background but don't know how to find that out or eliminate the problem.
BG

[Flame]

You can find out what's running by opening the Task Manager... Press CTRL + ALT + Delete  to bring it up...

[glb]Flame[/glb]

[Mac]

Have you tried setting the paging file to 2000 max and min as fixed size paging file?

Is the RAM module well seated?

RAM Knowledge Base
RAM And What it Does
RAM Virtual Memory Paging
RAM Reseating & Fitting PDF File

Is it one 1024Mb module or two 512 Mb modules, and what sort of RAM is it?

Processor Temperatures
Power Supply Wattage Calculator
Everest Home Edition Computer Diagnostic Program

[guiness]

I had the same problem.  1GB RAM and I kept getting not enough memory errors, even after stopping alot of the running processes.  I had run  a virus check and it came back that I had none also.  Long story short, it was viruses, (about 5).  It took Microsoft Beta  to find them all.  I ran several others before and none of them found them.  Just a suggestion.

[Raptor]

Microsoft Antispyware beta locates spyware. Not viruses.

[Mac]

Pity Microsoft didn't go with Spyware Doctor which has a a MUCH better layout.

[guiness]

My utmost apologies.  It was Kaspersky not Microsoft Beta.  However, my point was to try other programs,  not take the findings of just one.  

[Raptor]

Try the following programs as well if you have not yet done so:

AVG Free
-- Anti virus scanner
Adaware SE Personal
-- Anti spyware scanner
Microsoft Antispyware
-- Anti spyware scanner. Windows XP Home and Professional only.
Spybot Search & Destroy
-- Anti spyware scanner
ZoneAlarm Free
-- Free firewall - more user friendly
Sygate Personal
-- Free firewall - more configuration options