New Star Software Collection/NSS_Collection.iso/3-051 memory commander 314/1.ima/MCINFOP.MCD

Text File | 1992-04-15 | 5.1 KB | 101 lines

                     ┌───────────────────────────────┐
                     │  Performance Recommendations  │
                     └───────────────────────────────┘

    Video accelerator  Use Memory Commander's video accelerator.  During
        the first time installation, it is defaulted to ON.

    Windows  Normally do not use a RAM disk for Window's swap files.  As
        more memory is reserved for the RAM disk, it only causes Windows
        to use more swap files, reducing the advantages of the speedy
        RAM disk.  The RAM disk is also likely to run out of space during
        some Windows operations.  The RAM disk can still be used to store
        programs you use often for super fast loading.  It can also be
        used for work files, such as a database file, or a document to
        be edited, but you must remember to transfer the changed files
        back to the disk, or the information will be lost when the system
        is powered off.

        Refer to the "Optimizing for Windows" for further information.

    Video  For those programs which write directly to the screen,
        maximum screen performance occurs in modes A to E with
        applications that are RSIS compliant (Relocated Screen Interface
        Specification, originally defined by IBM).  For applications
        which are not RSIS compliant, modes A and B provide the best
        screen performance.

        Increasing DOS memory by the amounts possible in memory modes C,
        D, and E is a feature unique to Memory Commander.  Application
        programs requiring this extra DOS memory CANNOT be run with any
        other memory manager.  For non-RSIS compliant programs the screen
        update may be slower, but Memory Commander provides the only way
        to get the job done.

        V Communications provides copies of the RSIS specification as
        well as sample code, free of charge to any software publisher.
        If you use an application that needs more memory, and is not RSIS
        compliant, you may wish to contact the publisher.  Check if they
        have a newer RSIS compliant version of the application or if they
        are implementing RSIS in the next version.  The procedure for
        adding RSIS compliance to an application is usually very simple
        for the publisher and requires just a few bytes of code.

    RAM Adding additional 32-bit RAM to your system can increase the
        performance of many software packages.  If you use an 8 or 16 bit
        extended memory card, you may find this memory is very slow, and
        will affect both the system and application software.  This
        memory is usually much slower than 32-bit memory.  For example,
        to read four bytes from memory, the 8-bit wide memory card
        requires four reads on the slow 8Mhz bus, as compared with one
        32-bit read at full processor speed.  This can result in a speed
        reduction as much as 16 times on a 33Mhz system!  Use of this
        slow memory should be avoided if the best performance is desired.

    Disk Drive  If you are encountering degraded disk performance while
        using Memory Commander or Windows, refer to the manual for
        special solutions.  The following items can significantly improve
        disk performance beyond normal performance.

        RAM Disk  Use of a RAM disk speeds the time it takes for a
        program to load.  To activate Memory Commander's built-in RAM
        Disk, from the main menu, select Advanced Configuration, then
        Features and Options, and set the option RAM Disk to YES.

        Typical RAM Disk users load programs they use frequently into the
        RAM Disk from the AUTOEXEC.BAT, and set the first path item to
        search the RAM Disk.  For example, if Word Perfect is desired in
        the RAM disk for improved loading speed, a portion of the
        AUTOEXEC.BAT file is changed as shown highlighted:

                PATH=D:\;C:\DOS;C:\MC;C:\WP;
                COPY C:\WP\WP.EXE D:

        This example assumes the RAM disk appears on disk D, as will
        normally occur on single drive systems.  Once this is done,
        whenever Word Perfect is run, it will load more than ten times
        faster than from an ordinary hard disk drive.

        Keep in mind that the contents of a RAM disk are lost when the
        system is powered down, so important working files are not
        normally saved on a RAM disk.   If you create or modify any files
        on the RAM disk which you wish to keep, you must load them back
        to the hard disk before turning off the system.

        Disk Cache Software  A disk cache automatically saves the most
        recent disk reads and writes in RAM.  This has the effect of
        greatly speeding some operations accessing the same information.
        Programs such as Windows will particularly benefit from a disk
        cache.

        To use a third party disk cache program, just follow the disk
        cache publisher's directions for installation and use.  If the
        disk cache is loaded in the CONFIG.SYS file, it should be
        installed after Memory Commander.  If the disk cache has options
        for using XMS or EMS memory, select XMS, as it is faster than
        EMS memory.  You may also wish to load the disk cache into high
        memory.  Use Memory Commander's application database to indicate
        the disk cache TSR or device driver should be loaded high.