Win 98 SE Stability ...

I've got 2 sticks of Crucial 512 PC3200's. Im runnin' Windows 98 SE ... @
512, the computer is fine. @ 1024, the system is unstable. I've heard that
Win 98 does get unstable w/ RAM 512.

Question: Is there anyway around this?

..


OS = 98 SE
Mobo = Gigabyte K7 Triton 400 Series (KT 400 - AGP8X/FSB333)
BIOS = Award Modular BIOS v6.00PG (Currently Flashed)
BIOS ROM in socket = YES - Size = 256k
BIOS ID = 10/11/2002-KT400-8235-6A6LYG0CC-00
Chipset = VIA 82C3189 rev 0
AMD Athlon XP 2600+ - runs @ 2.08
RAM = SINGLE stick of: Crucial 512MB 400Mhz DDR PC3200 DIMM CL 3
Video = ATI Radeon 8500 w/ 128 DDR on-board RAM
Power Supply = Antec 'Solution Series' (dual fan) 400W
HD = Seagate Barracuda 40GB 7200
Self-Bilt box

On Wed, 03 Dec 2003 21:17:51 GMT, "JRS" wrote:

I've got 2 sticks of Crucial 512 PC3200's. Im runnin' Windows 98 SE ... @
512, the computer is fine. @ 1024, the system is unstable. I've heard that
Win 98 does get unstable w/ RAM 512.

Question: Is there anyway around this?

.


OS = 98 SE
Mobo = Gigabyte K7 Triton 400 Series (KT 400 - AGP8X/FSB333)
BIOS = Award Modular BIOS v6.00PG (Currently Flashed)
BIOS ROM in socket = YES - Size = 256k
BIOS ID = 10/11/2002-KT400-8235-6A6LYG0CC-00
Chipset = VIA 82C3189 rev 0
AMD Athlon XP 2600+ - runs @ 2.08
RAM = SINGLE stick of: Crucial 512MB 400Mhz DDR PC3200 DIMM CL 3
Video = ATI Radeon 8500 w/ 128 DDR on-board RAM
Power Supply = Antec 'Solution Series' (dual fan) 400W
HD = Seagate Barracuda 40GB 7200
Self-Bilt box


My understanding is that Win98 wasn't designed for more than 512 and
screws up. The cure would be Win2K or XP I would think.

JRS wrote:
I've got 2 sticks of Crucial 512 PC3200's. Im runnin' Windows 98 SE
... @ 512, the computer is fine. @ 1024, the system is unstable.
I've heard that Win 98 does get unstable w/ RAM 512.

Question: Is there anyway around this?

No, there is no way around it. Win98(SE) can only address 512 MB of
physical RAM properly and any more will cause problems. If you want to
use all the memory, you will need to upgrade to XP.

See this MS Knowledge Base article for RAM over 512MB,...........


http://support.microsoft.com/default...12&Product=w98

ray



"JRS" wrote in message
.. .
I've got 2 sticks of Crucial 512 PC3200's. Im runnin' Windows 98 SE ... @
512, the computer is fine. @ 1024, the system is unstable. I've heard
that
Win 98 does get unstable w/ RAM 512.

Question: Is there anyway around this?

.


OS = 98 SE
Mobo = Gigabyte K7 Triton 400 Series (KT 400 - AGP8X/FSB333)
BIOS = Award Modular BIOS v6.00PG (Currently Flashed)
BIOS ROM in socket = YES - Size = 256k
BIOS ID = 10/11/2002-KT400-8235-6A6LYG0CC-00
Chipset = VIA 82C3189 rev 0
AMD Athlon XP 2600+ - runs @ 2.08
RAM = SINGLE stick of: Crucial 512MB 400Mhz DDR PC3200 DIMM CL 3
Video = ATI Radeon 8500 w/ 128 DDR on-board RAM
Power Supply = Antec 'Solution Series' (dual fan) 400W
HD = Seagate Barracuda 40GB 7200
Self-Bilt box

Snip from another users post in the past

I have successfully run a system with 1GB of RAM on both WinMe and
Win98
machines. There is a problem with MS vcache for any Win9x derived OS.
It is
limited internally to 800MB. If you use an AGP card, you will most
likely
find the system won't boot or will be unstable with memory 768MB.
When I
went to 768MB for the first time, I experienced this problem anyway.

I did some searching on MS knowledge base then and found the following
links:
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;253912
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;304943

I currently have my Win98 machine set like this:

[vcache]
MaxFileCache=102400

The second link indicates you should limit the 'MaxPhysPage=' but I
found that
my system worked fine with installing this limit. Install it if you
want.




GO TO C:\ WINDOWS\SYSTEM.INI
CHANGE [VCACHE] SETTING
SET THE MAXFILE CAHCHE=524228
LIKE LIST :

[VCACHE]
MINFILECACHE=51200
MAXFILECACHE=52428

Windows 98 and stable should not be used in the same
sentence..........................

On Wed, 3 Dec 2003 17:47:58 -0600, "thinman"
wrote:

See this MS Knowledge Base article for RAM over 512MB,...........


http://support.microsoft.com/default...12&Product=w98

ray


Maybe I just misread the article but it seemed to say that you make
changes so that Windows only sees 512mb. So you have a gig but only
use 512. Very funny.

It can be if you don't cause the instabilities as a user. I still run
2 machines with 98SE and they are as stable as the 2 running XP.
I haven't seen a BSOD in years.

"JRS" wrote in message
.. .
I've got 2 sticks of Crucial 512 PC3200's. Im runnin' Windows 98 SE ... @
512, the computer is fine. @ 1024, the system is unstable. I've heard
that
Win 98 does get unstable w/ RAM 512.

Question: Is there anyway around this?

Easy. Open up your system.ini file, go to the section below (add it if it
isn't there) and add the command:

[vcache]
MaxFileCache=512000

Save the system.ini file, reboot, problem solved.

Although Win98SE won't necessarily use the extra memory, other programs on
your computer will.

I've been running 768mb SDRAM on a Win98SE system for about three years now.
It is extremely stable (it crashes almost as often as my XP system - LOL).
Keep the memory settings tweaked and the registry cleaned up, and it is a
very stable OS.

OTOH, if you're the type of person who uses AOL, XP would be a better OS for
you. I only use it on one of my systems for DVD work (Win98SE and FAT32
don't like those huge file sizes too well).

It can be if you don't cause the instabilities as a user. I still run
2 machines with 98SE and they are as stable as the 2 running XP.
I haven't seen a BSOD in years.


Instabilities are built into 98,you dont have to add it. If
you havn't seen BSOD in years,you havn't been using it in years,98 will lock up
all up it's own,which is just as bad as a BSOD. Having used both i would never
go back to 98. DOUG