WindowsXP Too many windows/programs running?

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MrDaBomb

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Sep 7, 2004
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I've seen this problem on 3 seperate systems and am wondering if anyone else has seen it. Basically, if I get too many applications running, I can't open any new windows. The systems I've seen this happen on are:
  • AthlonXP 3000+ 1GB RAM on DFI LANParty
  • P4 2.4GHz w/1GB RAM on Supermicro Mobo
  • 2GHz PentiumM w/1GB RAM on a Dell Latitude D800
All systems are running Windows XP Pro SP2 with the latest Windows updates and drivers.

I often find this happens when I am running one of these applications, or try to open one of these programs when I have others running:
  • Adobe Photoshop 7
  • Macromedia Dreamweaver
  • Macromedia Fireworks
  • Act! 6
  • SmartFTP
  • Microsoft Outlook 2003
  • Textpad
  • PHP Designer 2005
As you might notice, most of these apps are RAM intensive. However, on all of the 1GB RAM systems, my RAM usage never really goes over 700MBs, unless a specific app is taking a lot of RAM (like Photoshop and a few huge pictures).

This always happens when I have many windows open. Say, like: Winamp, SmartFTP, 3x Firefox, Windows Explorer, PHP Designer, Navicat, MSN Messenger, SQL Server Enterprise Manager, CMD Prompt, Remote Desktop, Task Manager, Outlook, Ultramon, Google Desktop Search, MS OneNote, Daemon Tools and Statbar. Those, along with Window's processes, mean I'm running over 60 processes. Yet I'm not using more than 700MB RAM.

So, I've got all that stuff running, and when I try to open a new program (ANY new window even Task Manager) nothing happens. Like, you click the button and it ignores you. If I close a program, sometimes multiple programs, then it lets me open a new one.

Anyone have any ideas? Thanks for reading this far if you did, I'd give you a cookie, but your browser's privacy policy would probably block it ;)
 
I have not seen this before, but I regularly run 12+windows at a time with ~500MB used on several different machines. I'm guessing it's something in that install, not necessarly a "windows" problem, more like a "your install" problem.

Have you made any major changes to the explorer shell? Do you have any 3rd party programs running like power strip that would affect video settings?

 
Hmmm nope, they're all different Windows installs, with the Dell machine installed directly from Dell.

Its probably just the fact that Act! 6 is installed, that progrom is the biggest piece of bloatware ever.

I'm not running any special programs that modify the shell, except on the Athlon system where I've had StyleXP installed in the past.
 
MrDaBomb said:
Hmmm nope, they're all different Windows installs, with the Dell machine installed directly from Dell.

Its probably just the fact that Act! 6 is installed, that progrom is the biggest piece of bloatware ever.

I'm not running any special programs that modify the shell, except on the Athlon system where I've had StyleXP installed in the past.
Click to expand...
I meant anything on that PC vs. the other PCs.

 
MrDaBomb said:
I've seen this problem on 3 seperate systems and am wondering if anyone else has seen it. Basically, if I get too many applications running, I can't open any new windows. The systems I've seen this happen on are:
  • AthlonXP 3000+ 1GB RAM on DFI LANParty
  • P4 2.4GHz w/1GB RAM on Supermicro Mobo
  • 2GHz PentiumM w/1GB RAM on a Dell Latitude D800
All systems are running Windows XP Pro SP2 with the latest Windows updates and drivers.

I often find this happens when I am running one of these applications, or try to open one of these programs when I have others running:
  • Adobe Photoshop 7
  • Macromedia Dreamweaver
  • Macromedia Fireworks
  • Act! 6
  • SmartFTP
  • Microsoft Outlook 2003
  • Textpad
  • PHP Designer 2005
As you might notice, most of these apps are RAM intensive. However, on all of the 1GB RAM systems, my RAM usage never really goes over 700MBs, unless a specific app is taking a lot of RAM (like Photoshop and a few huge pictures).

This always happens when I have many windows open. Say, like: Winamp, SmartFTP, 3x Firefox, Windows Explorer, PHP Designer, Navicat, MSN Messenger, SQL Server Enterprise Manager, CMD Prompt, Remote Desktop, Task Manager, Outlook, Ultramon, Google Desktop Search, MS OneNote, Daemon Tools and Statbar. Those, along with Window's processes, mean I'm running over 60 processes. Yet I'm not using more than 700MB RAM.

So, I've got all that stuff running, and when I try to open a new program (ANY new window even Task Manager) nothing happens. Like, you click the button and it ignores you. If I close a program, sometimes multiple programs, then it lets me open a new one.

Anyone have any ideas? Thanks for reading this far if you did, I'd give you a cookie, but your browser's privacy policy would probably block it ;)
Click to expand...

Where is Djnes, He'd be so proud, because THIS is how you describe a problem.
 
firstly, why have all of these open at one time?? do u really need them?? well anyways, that doesnt solver or answer your problem i guess..

Increase your virutal memory, becuase sometimes if your virutal memory isnt big enough new tasks cannot be executed.. try that.. maybe it help..

gosh, i must agree, i liked the way you described your problem. :p
 
Mauli said:
firstly, why have all of these open at one time?? do u really need them?? well anyways, that doesnt solver or answer your problem i guess..

Increase your virutal memory, becuase sometimes if your virutal memory isnt big enough new tasks cannot be executed.. try that.. maybe it help..

gosh, i must agree, i liked the way you described your problem. :p
Click to expand...

i'd second looking at virtual memory. i always change mine from the default to 3gb min and max, having it same size helps out with defragging as well
 
Gah! Don't you people read stickies? ;)

You can determine memory usage through task manager/performance/commit charge peak vs limit. However, I'd assume the OP has alread checked it when he says his peak memory is ~700MB.

Wait... Did I just read that right? This is happening on 3 different PCs?

This *HAS* to be a bug in the 3rd party software/drivers (doesn't sound like a driver issue but that's possible) you have loaded on all the machines. I would take an inventory of ALL the software installed on all 3 machines. Compare the list, and only look at the software in common.

From there, it's going to get kinda tricky. Your going to have to uninstall each piece one at a time to determine what's causing the issue. You can likely count out some apps like say office, and focus on anything that would affect the explorer shell, or a system app like ultramon or daemon tools.

That's the general direction I would head. Good luck.

 
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