Cannot Start Windows or Programs in Windows

ID: Q132571

The information in this article applies to:

SYMPTOMS

When you try to start Windows or a program in Windows, you may receive an error message indicating that there is not enough memory to do so.


CAUSE

This behavior can occur if there is not enough real and virtual memory to start the Windows shell or the program.


RESOLUTION

Start your computer to a command prompt and free some space on the hard disk on which the swap file is located. Once you free space on your hard disk, restart Windows normally and try to run the program again. To start your computer to a command prompt, follow the steps in the appropriate section below:

Windows 95

Restart your computer. When you see the "Starting Windows 95" message, press the F8 key, and then choose Command Prompt Only.

Windows 98

Restart your computer, press and hold down the CTRL key after your computer completes the Power On Self Test (POST), and then choose Command Prompt Only from the Startup menu. For more information about Windows 98 startup, see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
ARTICLE-ID: Q178548
TITLE : No "Starting Windows 98" Message at Startup


MORE INFORMATION

If you try to start a program on a computer that has 4 megabytes (MB) of random access memory (RAM) and less than 8 MB of free space on the hard disk containing the swap file, you may be unable to shutdown and restart your computer normally. In this case, you must press CTRL+ALT+DEL to open the Close Program dialog box, and then click Shut Down to shut down Windows. 


Keywords          : kbenv win95 winmem win98 
Version           : 
Platform          : 
Issue type        : kbprb

Last Reviewed: January 20, 1999