IMAC memory problems?

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Author Message   mtierney Citizen Username: Mtierney Post Number: 842 Registered: 3-2001 Posted on Tuesday, June 28, 2005 - 3:51 pm:        Often when I am on the internet I get a message alerting me to "not enough memory" when I return to the Comcast homepage. I really don't miss seeing all the news bits and it doesn't hamper going to the message board for instance. However, an annoyance has turned to outrage! I have lots of great grandkid pixs which were downloaded to my computer via a disk. I can view all the pictures, but "insufficient memory" alerts stop me from printing any. I have had no trouble printing other pictures which I have received via email, etc. As a professional computer amateur, let me say that I use the Epsom Smart Panel program which came with my 9.0 IMac. Further stats: My disk cache size is 4096K Virtual memory is "on"; available for use 996M; available built-in memory is 128M. Ram disk is "off"; percent of available memory is 0%; disk size OK. Please advise if there is an easy solution - other than buying a new IMac! Thanks.   Tom Reingold Supporter Username: Noglider Post Number: 7953 Registered: 1-2003 Posted on Tuesday, June 28, 2005 - 3:54 pm:        Before I got to your last line, I was thinking, get a new computer. You're running MacOS 9.0? That's no longer supported. I realize it's frustrating that something that was so useful so recently is now called obsolete. But that's the way it goes. You might be OK just by adding RAM. And if you can increase the allocation for virtual memory -- and I don't know how -- that might be all you need, though things might get slow, but that might not matter.   AlleyGater Citizen Username: Alleygater Post Number: 527 Registered: 10-2004 Posted on Tuesday, June 28, 2005 - 4:29 pm:        OK, here is what you do. You have enough Built in memory to do what you want, but the more the merrier if you have the money to waste. I would actually reccomend putting the money in the bank that you would spend on more RAM and put it toward a new G5 Imac. First quit the application you want to use that is causing you problems. In the Finder click on the program that you are using just once to highlight the app. Then press Command + I (or Apple + I) to GET INFO. In the area that says PREFERRED MEMORY change the number to something a bit higher. Close the window and re-run the application. See if solves your problem. If not, then keep raising the memory allocation. Now keep in mind that you might want to RESTART your computer BEFORE you do this step, because otherwise you might have other programs using up the memory. You can click on the Apple Menu and choose About This Mac to see how much memory is being used by other applications. What you need to realize though, is if you open alot of applications and quit then later, that the memory can be fragmented. What this means in lay persons terms is, you gotta Restart your machine every once in awhile. But especially RIGHT BEFORE you start figuring out whether you need to allocate more memory to a program. Good luck.   mtierney Citizen Username: Mtierney Post Number: 843 Registered: 3-2001 Posted on Tuesday, June 28, 2005 - 9:27 pm:        I don't think I grasp just what it is you said, Allygator! I had trouble finding the finder! Did see a box that stated my built-in memory was at 129. I upped it to 135, restarted my Mac and then tried to print the pix again. No luck! I also read your posts on another thread and I do not think we are not on the same page, computer-literacy-wise.   monster Supporter Username: Monster Post Number: 914 Registered: 7-2002 Posted on Wednesday, June 29, 2005 - 3:19 am:        You know what happens when you double click on the hard drive icon, or a folder, or... well that window that pops up is a representation of the finder, now do what Alley said to up the amount of memory that the application (that you wish to use) makes use of. I also suggest to try turning off virtual memory, or at least lowering it considerably, sometimes having it turned on or set so high can cause problems. After doing this, a restart certainly doesn't hurt, as this will wipe the systems memory allocation, don't forget that the more apps you have open will decrease the amount of memory available for the next app, at least in an OS before X, and even then sometimes an app will hold on to it.