Free System Resources Do Not Return to Previous Value

• Microsoft Windows 95
• Microsoft Windows 98

SYMPTOMS

When you start a program and then quit it, the Free System Resources value may not return to the same value as before you started the program.

CAUSE

There are two possible explanations for this behavior:

• System Initialization
  
  Windows defers much of system initialization until the first time a program asks for a particular service. For example, each font is initialized when a program first asks for it, rather than initializing all fonts at system startup (as in Windows 3.1).
  
  If a program requests a service that uses deferred initialization, the service remains initialized after the program has exited. The system resources associated with that service are not freed. The system keeps the service initialized so that the next program that requests the service does not have to wait for the service to be initialized.
  
  This behavior is by design.



• Compatibility
  
  For compatibility reasons, Windows does not free system resources abandoned by Windows 3.1-based programs until all Windows 3.1-based programs have been closed. Only when there are no Windows 3.1-based programs running can Windows safely release abandoned system resources.

RESOLUTION

• System Initialization
  
  The system is operating normally.



• Compatibility
  
  Quit all Windows 3.1-based programs to allow Windows to perform maximum system resource reclamation.

MORE INFORMATION

For additional information about system resources, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

ARTICLE-ID: Q117744
TITLE : Explanation of System Resources in Windows 95

Additional query words:

Keywords          : kbenv win95 win98 
Version           : WINDOWS:95
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbprb 

Last Reviewed: January 28, 1999