ID: Q108503
The information in this article applies to:
This information is available in Word for Windows format in the Microsoft Software Library:
~ WD1015.EXE (size: 38141 bytes)
ARTICLE-ID: Q119591
TITLE : How to Obtain Microsoft Support Files from Online Services
Word 6.0 is larger and more robust than earlier versions of the application, so your computer has to work harder to run it. As a result, the performance of Windows, and therefore Word 6.0, may be slower. This Document describes how you can increase the operating speed of Word 6.0 for Windows when it is running under Microsoft Windows version 3.1 or Windows for Workgroups version 3.1 or 3.11.
If you optimize the performance of Windows, you will also speed up Word's performance. Optimizing Windows involves both your software (for example, the operating system version, memory-resident programs, fonts, and device drivers) and hardware (for example, processor type and speed, amount of memory, and available hard disk space). You can use this Document as a checklist to optimize both your software and hardware configurations for Word and other Windows-based applications running under Windows 3.1 or Windows for Workgroups 3.1 or 3.11. For more information, see your MS-DOS or Windows documentation.
If you are unfamiliar with a term used in this Document, see the glossary.
HOW TO OPTIMIZE WORD ON A 386, 486, OR
To run Word 6.0, you must have at least 4 megabytes (MB) of RAM. As with most "minimum" requirements, 4 MB is not the optimal amount of memory to run Word. To optimally run Word 6.0, we suggest that you either add more RAM to your computer or optimize your existing RAM. Even with a 4-MB environment, however, you can almost always improve Word's performance by modifying your Windows and MS-DOS settings to free up additional memory.
If you regularly work with large documents (50 pages and larger) or use many graphics in your documents, adding RAM will give you the most dramatic improvement in Word's operating speed. If your computer has 8 MB of RAM, Word will run faster, and you can also run another large application (such as Microsoft Excel) at the same time and interact with it from Word. On the other hand, if you work primarily with average-sized documents (50 or fewer pages) and don't use many graphics, the suggestions that follow should help increase Word's speed on your 4- to 6-MB computer.
If you are running a version of MS-DOS earlier than version 6.0, you should upgrade to version 6.0 or later. Beginning with version 6.0, MS-DOS includes features (such as the MEMMAKER and the DOS=HIGH commands) that help your computer use its memory more efficiently. Version 6.0 and later also offer enhanced hard-disk-management utilities (such as SCANDISK and DEFRAG).
The key to making Word run faster on a computer with 4 MB of RAM is to free up memory currently used by other operations that have little or no effect on Word's performance. Use the following three recommendations to make sure the maximum amount of RAM is available for Word to use. The first two recommendations optimize Windows, while the third recommendation specifically optimizes Word.
IMPORTANT: We suggest that you implement all three of these recommendations, rather than trying only one or two. Of all the recommendations we subsequently make, these three will probably have the greatest impact on Word's performance. In fact, after you implement these three recommendations, Word may run fast enough that you won't want to further alter your configuration.
This section discusses how you can use the EMM386 memory manager
(EMM386.EXE) and SMARTDrive disk-caching program to increase
available memory in your AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files. The
EMM386 and SMARTDrive programs are supplied with both MS-DOS and
Windows 3.1. Even if you use a third-party memory manager or disk-
caching program, these instructions are still applicable, although
your results may be somewhat different.
NOTE: Because both the Windows and MS-DOS Setup programs install
EMM386 and SMARTDrive, be sure your AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS
files point to the latest versions. Use Windows File Manager or the
MS-DOS dir command to check the file dates of the EMM386.EXE and
SMARTDRV.EXE files, which are located both in your MS-DOS and
Windows program directories. Make sure your AUTOEXEC.BAT and
CONFIG.SYS files reference the newest version of each file. (Also
be sure you are using the newest version of HIMEM.SYS.)
CONFIG.SYS
----------
a. On a 4-MB computer, it is important to give Windows access to as
much RAM as possible. This means you should not configure any
RAM as expanded memory or create a RAM disk in extended memory
(using MS-DOS RAMDrive).
The EMM386.EXE memory manager should appear in your CONFIG.SYS
file. EMM386 optimizes the use of conventional memory (640K) on
your computer. Even Windows and Windows-based applications
(which usually use extended memory) may sometimes use
conventional memory, so you should maximize the available
conventional memory for best results. The versions of EMM386
supplied with MS-DOS 6.0 and later do not allocate expanded
memory until an operation needs it.
If you are running MS-DOS 6.0 or later, the EMM386.EXE command
line is probably already present in your CONFIG.SYS file, so you
may not need to add it. If you need to add it, use a command
line similar to the following (where C:\DOS is assumed for the
location of both your EMM386.EXE and HIMEM.SYS files):
device=c:\dos\emm386.exe
NOTE: Add the EMM386.EXE command line after the line that loads
HIMEM.SYS. Both EMM386.EXE and HIMEM.SYS should be located in
the same directory, and they should both be the most recent
versions of the files. After you install EMM386.EXE, you should
run the MS-DOS MemMaker program to correctly configure your
computer's memory. For information about how to use MemMaker,
see your MS-DOS documentation.
Special Note for MS-DOS Version 5.0
-----------------------------------
If you are running MS-DOS version 5.0, you may need to modify
the EMM386.EXE command line in your CONFIG.SYS file so it does
not create expanded memory. To do this, add the NOEMS switch in
place of the RAM switch or a specific numeric switch. For
example, replace RAM or 1024 in the two lines below
device=c:\dos\emm386.exe ram x=C000-C7FF
device=c:\dos\emm386.exe 1024 x=C000-C7FF
so they appear as follows (you should not alter the other
settings, such as the X=C0000-C7FF switch):
device = c:\dos\emm386.exe noems x=C000-C7FF
b. If the RAMDrive (RAMDRIVE.SYS) command line appears in your
CONFIG.SYS file, you should disable this command by typing the
REM command at the beginning of the line, as shown in the
following example:
rem device = c:\dos\ramdrive.sys
NOTE: On a computer with 16 MB or less of physical RAM, a RAM
disk is not an efficient use of memory when you are running
Windows.
AUTOEXEC.BAT
------------
The only line you need to check in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file is the
SMARTDrive (SMARTDRV.EXE) command line. SMARTDrive is an MS-DOS
and Windows utility that creates a cache in extended memory so
that it can store information it reads from your hard disk.
SMARTDrive improves your computer's performance because an
application can access information in memory faster than it can
access the same information on a hard disk.
Depending on which version of MS-DOS you are running, the
SMARTDRV.EXE command line includes one or two numbers. The first
number--the INITCACHESIZE parameter--specifies (in kilobytes)
the cache size when Windows is not running. The second number--
the WINCACHESIZE parameter--specifies how much of the cache
Windows can use when it is running.
On a 4-MB computer, for all versions of MS-DOS, you should set
the SMARTDRV.EXE WINCACHESIZE (or second) parameter to 320, as
shown in the following example:
c:\dos\smartdrv.exe 2048 320
NOTE: Windows for Workgroups may set the WinCacheSize parameter
to 128 instead of 320. If you are running Windows for
Workgroups, you should not change this number because Windows
for Workgroups uses a specialized disk-caching utility.
By default, when you are running MS-DOS 6.0 or later, the
SMARTDRV.EXE command line does not include any parameters. On a
4-MB computer, you should add the 2048 320 parameters, as shown
in the sample above.
Windows frees memory and speeds up performance by swapping
information from memory to a swap file on your hard disk. The swap
file, also known as virtual memory, acts like additional RAM on
your computer. You still need at least 4 MB of physical RAM to run
Word, but if you use virtual memory, you can open and edit files
that are too large to fit in 4 MB of RAM, and you can run more than
one application at a time. (For example, you may be able to run
Word and Microsoft Excel at the same time.)
In Windows, you can create two types of swap files. For more
information about swap files, see the glossary.
How to Create a Permanent Swap File in Windows
----------------------------------------------
At the end of this procedure, you will restart Windows or your
computer, so make sure you close any running applications now.
a. In Windows Control Panel (usually located in the Main group in
Windows Program Manager), choose the 386 Enhanced icon.
b. In the Enhanced dialog box, choose the Virtual Memory button.
c. Under Swapfile Settings, if the Type setting is Permanent,
choose the Cancel button and skip to recommendation 3, "Modify
the WINWORD6.INI File," section of this Document. If the
Type setting is None or Temporary, choose the Change button.
d. Under New Swapfile Settings, select Permanent in the Type list.
e. The Recommended Maximum Size setting, which also appears in the
New Size box, is usually the optimal setting. If the Recommended
Maximum Size is "12,000 KB" (12 MB) or larger, you can decrease
the New Size setting as low as 12,000.
f. If the Use 32-Bit Disk Access option is available at the bottom
of the Virtual Memory dialog box, you can select it to further
increase your Windows operating speed. This setting is not
required to create a permanent swap file.
NOTE: You should not select the Use 32-Bit Disk Access option if
power-management utilities are installed on your computer. Power-
management utilities are often included on laptop (portable)
computers and the new "green machines."
g. If you are running Windows for Workgroups 3.11 or later, select
the Use 32-Bit File Access option and select or type "320"
(without quotation marks) in the Cache Size box.
h. Choose OK. If Windows prompts you to restart your computer or
Windows, choose to restart.
To increase bitmap-redrawing speed and scrolling speed in Word, you
can use the instructions below to add BITMAPMEMORY and CACHESIZE
settings to the [Microsoft Word] section of your WINWORD6.INI file,
which is located in your Windows program directory (usually,
C:\WINDOWS). You should quit all sessions of Word before you begin
these procedures.
BitMapMemory
------------
If your documents often contain many graphics, you should skip this
section, as it could actually make Word run more slowly. Otherwise,
by modifying the BitMapMemory setting, you can free up some of the
memory (up to 512K) Word reserves to work with bitmapped graphics
so Word can use it for other operations. (For more information
about bitmaps, see the glossary.) The default BitMapMemory size is
1024K (1 MB).
Do the following to add the BitMapMemory setting to your
WINWORD6.INI file:
a. In Windows Program Manager, choose Run from the File menu.
b. In the Command Line box, type WINWORD6.INI and choose OK. This
opens your WINWORD6.INI file in Windows Notepad. The following
is a sample of the beginning of a typical WINWORD6.INI file:
[Microsoft Word]
wphelp=0
user-dot-path=c:\winword6\template
workgroup-dot-path=c:\winword6\template
picture-path=c:\winword6\clipart
c. On a new line, directly below the [Microsoft Word] line, type
BITMAPMEMORY=512, as shown in the following example:
[Microsoft Word]
bitmapmemory=512
wphelp=0
user-dot-path=c:\winword6\template
workgroup-dot-path=c:\winword6\template
picture-path=c:\winword6\clipart
d. Save the file and quit Notepad, then restart Word.
e. If Word does not seem to run faster, or if Word runs more
slowly, open your WINWORD6.INI file again using steps a and b
above and remove the BitMapMemory setting. After you save and
close your WINWORD6.INI file, you must quit and restart Word for
this change to take effect.
CacheSize
---------
The CacheSize setting defines the size of the internal Document
Text cache in Word. The default CacheSize setting is 64K, which is
also the minimum. If you frequently work with large documents, you
can increase the CACHESIZE setting to reduce the frequency with
which Word accesses your hard disk to retrieve parts of your
document--thereby improving Word's performance. Because of memory
constraints on a 4-MB computer, the maximum CacheSize setting you
should use is 128K.
Do the following to add the CacheSize setting to your WINWORD6.INI
file:
a. Repeat steps a and b in the "BitMapMemory" section of this
Document to open your WINWORD6.INI file.
b. On a new line, directly below the [Microsoft Word] line, type
CACHESIZE=128, as shown in the following example:
[Microsoft Word]
cachesize=128
bitmapmemory=512
WPHelp=0
c. Save the file and quit Notepad, then restart Word.
If you want to try to squeeze some extra speed out of Word or any other Windows-based application, take a look at the "Additional Tips for Improving Word for Windows Performance" section of this Document.
HOW TO OPTIMIZE WORD ON A 386, 486, OR
PENTIUM COMPUTER WITH AT LEAST 6 MB OF RAM
==========================================
With a permanent swap file, Windows manages the memory on your computer more quickly. Without a permanent swap file, Windows often spends extra time on memory organization. Even if you have a lot of RAM (16 MB or more), you should use a permanent swap file. If you have more than 16 MB of RAM, you can create a small (1024K, or 1 MB) permanent swap file. To create a permanent swap file, use the instructions in the "How to Create a Permanent Swap File in Windows" section of this Document.
You can increase the BitMapMemory or CacheSize settings in your WINWORD6.INI file if you have at least 8 MB of RAM. To modify these settings, use the procedures in the "Modify the WINWORD6.INI File" section of this Document. The "Modify the WINWORD6.INI File" section also contains a description of the BitMapMemory and CacheSize settings.
If your documents frequently contain many bitmapped graphics (such as scanned images and Windows screen captures), you can increase the redrawing and scrolling speed of bitmaps by increasing the amount of memory that Word reserves for these operations. On a computer with at least 8 MB of RAM, you can increase the BitMapMemory setting as high as 2048K (2 MB). The following sample WINWORD6.INI entry sets the BitMapMemory value at 2048K:
[Microsoft Word]
bitmapmemory=2048
If you primarily work with large documents, you can increase the CacheSize setting to enlarge Word's internal Document Text cache. With a larger cache, Word won't need to access the hard disk as frequently, which will speed up performance. Start by changing the CacheSize setting to 256K and then, if necessary, increase it to 1024K (1 MB). The following sample WINWORD6.INI entries set the CacheSize value at 256K and 1024K, respectively:
[Microsoft Word]
cachesize=256
[Microsoft Word]
cachesize=1024
NOTE: You may not need both the BitMapMemory and CacheSize
settings, depending on the type of documents you usually create. If
you change one of these settings and do not notice any improvement
in Word's performance, delete the setting so that Word, Windows,
and other applications can use the memory for other operations. You
might find that Word's default settings already provide optimal
performance.
If you use a compression utility to compress your hard disk, you may wonder whether the TEMP directory should be located on a compressed drive. There is no easy answer to this question. Generally, if you have a fast computer, you will not notice any difference in performance when the TEMP directory is on a compressed drive. In fact, on a computer with an older, slower hard drive, you can sometimes improve performance by placing your TEMP directory on a compressed drive.
The only way to know for sure if your computer runs faster or slower with the TEMP directory on a compressed drive is to try it. Change the SET TEMP command in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file, and see if you notice any performance difference (be sure to restart [reboot] your computer after you modify your AUTOEXEC.BAT file so that the changes can take effect).
IMPORTANT: You must consider the following if you place your TEMP directory on an uncompressed drive:
Most uncompressed drives are very small. Any drive that the set temp command points to should have 6 MB or more of free disk space. If too little space is free, you may have problems with printing, converting documents, or creating new documents.
Every program you run--including terminate-and-stay-resident programs (TSRs)--consumes memory and processor power. The more programs you run at the same time under Windows, the greater the possibility that your computer may run slower. If you are running programs that you do not need for the work at hand, close them one at a time to see if they affect Word's performance. Once you determine the effect on Word, you can choose which programs to close to improve Word's performance.
You may not need the highest resolution video driver and the up to 16 million colors your video driver supports. Additional color support in your video driver can dramatically decrease the speed of screen updates when you scroll or update graphics. If you are writing reports and working with spreadsheets, you may need only 16 to 256 colors, so you can switch to a video driver that supports a lower resolution and fewer colors. You can always switch back if there is no change in performance or if your work requires additional video capabilities. Use the table below, which lists the memory "cost" of additional colors, to balance your performance needs with your display needs.
Colors | Memory cost
-----------------------------------------------------------
16 | Base number (lowest cost)
256 | 2 times the memory/work of 16 colors
65K | 4 times the memory/work of 16 colors
16 million | 6 times the memory/work of 16 colors
NOTE: If you use one of the newest video cards that are designed to
accelerate Windows, you may find that Windows runs just as fast
with 16 million colors as with 256 colors.
The more fonts you install in Windows, the slower Windows and Word start because both programs read the entire font list at startup. Furthermore, fonts use memory and file resources that Word needs to perform some complex projects. If your work sometimes requires the use of a large selection of fonts, consider using a font-organizing utility, such as the Microsoft Font Assistant, which is supplied with the Microsoft Word Assistant package. Font Assistant and other similar utilities group fonts together so you can activate or deactivate them in Windows as you need them. With Font Assistant, you can have a large font library, but Word's performance is affected only when you actually need to use the fonts.
Sometimes, after long periods of use, Windows may run faster if you remove the existing permanent swap file and create a new one. If you notice that your Windows performance has degraded over time, use the following steps to regenerate your permanent swap file:
1. During this procedure, you will restart Windows or your computer,
so you should close any running applications now.
2. In Windows Control Panel (usually located in the Main group in
Windows Program Manager), choose the 386 Enhanced icon.
3. In the Enhanced dialog box, choose the Virtual Memory button.
4. Choose the Change button.
5. Under New Swapfile Settings, select None in the Type list, and
then choose OK. Choose Yes when Windows asks if you are sure you
want to make changes to virtual-memory settings.
6. In the dialog box that asks if you want to restart Windows or your
computer, choose the Restart Windows or Restart Computer button.
7. After Windows restarts, repeat steps 1 through 3 to open the
Virtual Memory dialog box.
8. Under New Swapfile Settings, select Permanent in the Type list.
9. If necessary, change the New Size setting, and then choose OK.
Choose Yes when Windows asks if you are sure you want to make
changes to virtual-memory settings.
the Restart Windows button.
Many factors affect printing speed. The following is a short checklist of steps you can take that may help increase printing speed:
Before you modify your AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files, it is important that you make backup copies of them. If something goes wrong, or if you want to restore your original settings, you can use your backup files to restart (reboot) your computer. Use the following steps to make backup copies:
1. Choose the MS-DOS Prompt icon in Windows Program Manager to open an
MS-DOS Prompt window.
c:
NOTE: In this procedure, it is assumed that drive C is the boot
drive for your computer.
end of each line:
cd \
copy config.sys config.xxx
copy autoexec.bat autoexec.xxx
exit
After you type EXIT and press ENTER, the MS-DOS Prompt window
closes and you return to Windows.
IMPORTANT: If you call Microsoft Product Support Services (PSS) for
assistance while you edit your AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files,
be sure to tell the support professional the names of your backup files
(that is, CONFIG.XXX and AUTOEXEC.XXX).
Windows supplies an editing tool called SysEdit (System Configuration Editor) that automatically opens the key files that control your computer (including the AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files). Use the following instructions to run SysEdit:
1. In Windows File Manager or Program Manager, choose Run from the
File menu.
3. Under Windows 3.1, SysEdit displays four files, including
AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS. Under Windows for Workgroups, SysEdit
displays several additional files.
menu and choose the filename from the numbered list at the bottom
of the menu.
choose Print from the File menu to print a copy of the file. If
necessary, you can use this printed copy to quickly restore any of
the original settings.
works like other word processors such as Word for Windows or
Windows Write.
TIP: Instead of deleting a line, type REM at the beginning of the
line to disable the command. This makes it easy to undo changes
later.
save the files, then choose Exit from the File menu to quit
SysEdit.
changes in your AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files can take effect.
NOTE: SysEdit always makes its own backup copy of any files you
change, using the filename extension .SYD (for example, SysEdit
saves CONFIG.SYS as CONFIG.SYD). However, SysEdit replaces existing
.SYD files each time you modify a file, so you still need to make
backup copies of your original system files using the method
described in the "Make Backup Copies!" section of this Application
Note.
If you need to undo the changes you made to your AUTOEXEC.BAT or CONFIG.SYS files, use the following instructions to restore the backup copies you made in the "Make Backup Copies!" section of this Document.
IMPORTANT: This procedure completely reverses all the changes you made to both your AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files. It leaves no record of any of the modifications you made to either file.
1. Choose the MS-DOS Prompt icon in Windows Program Manager to open an
MS-DOS Prompt window.
c:
NOTE: In this procedure, it is assumed that drive C is the boot
drive for your computer.
end of each line:
cd \
copy config.xxx config.sys
copy autoexec.xxx autoexec.bat
exit
After you type EXIT and press ENTER, the MS-DOS Prompt window
closes and you return to Windows.
your restored AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files can take effect.
The SET TEMP command in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file defines the directory where your programs store temporary (.TMP) and "scratch" files. If the SET TEMP command is not correct, you may have problems printing, converting, and even creating new Word documents. The following are two examples of valid SET TEMP commands:
set temp=c:\temp
set temp=c:\windows\temp
NOTE: If there is also a set tmp command in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file, that's okay--it can even point to the same directory as your TEMP directory. Some applications use the set tmp command to indicate where to store .TMP files.
NOTE: After you install the latest version of MS-DOS, you may find the following set temp command in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file:
set temp=c:\dos
This is a completely valid setting, but you may want to change this to a different directory so your .TMP files don't get mixed up with your MS-DOS files. It's easier to delete .TMP files periodically if you store them in their own directory.
A text file that contains a list of commands that your computer executes every time you start (boot) or restart (reboot) your computer.
A graphic made up of a collection of colored dots. The computer stores the graphic as one or more bits of information for each dot--hence the name bitmap. Some filename extensions for graphic files that are bitmaps include .PCX, .TIFF, .BMP, and .GIF.
A pool of memory set aside to store items from a slower device, such as a hard disk. By using a cache, your computer can retrieve often-used information much faster than if it were required to find it on the hard disk each time.
A drive that has had its data compressed to take up less space. Special software must be running in the system to read from and write to a drive that is set up this way.
A text file that contains a list of commands that MS-DOS executes every time you start (boot) or restart (reboot) your computer. The CONFIG.SYS file contains MS-DOS settings and drivers that run operations such as those pertaining to your network and devices such as your CD-ROM drive.
The base RAM on your computer, typically the first 640K. Conventional memory is the only kind of RAM that MS-DOS-based applications can use, unless you use an expanded memory manager (EMM). Compare expanded memory, extended memory.
Software that Windows loads at startup. Drivers give Windows specific instructions about your video card and printer that Windows and Windows- based applications use to display information on the screen and to print information on your printer.
A type of physical RAM, up to 8 MB, usually used by MS-DOS-based applications that support its use. Windows does not use expanded memory. In Windows, if you run an MS-DOS-based application (such as Microsoft Word 6.0 for MS-DOS) that requires expanded memory, Windows emulates expanded memory (if you are running in standard mode, Windows uses the EMM386.EXE device driver to emulate expanded memory). The use of expanded memory is defined by the Expanded Memory Specification (EMS). Compare conventional memory, extended memory.
Physical RAM beyond 1 MB, accessible when your computer is operating in protected mode (the mode that supports multitasking). Extended memory operates through a memory manager such as MS-DOS HIMEM.SYS. Windows uses extended memory. Extended memory is not typically available to MS-DOS- based applications except through a device driver such as EMM386.EXE. The use of extended memory is defined by the Extended Memory Specification (XMS). Compare expanded memory, conventional memory.
Acronym for random access memory. This is the memory on semiconductor chips in your computer, not on the hard disk. The more RAM you have, the more programs you can run at the same time and the faster your programs may run.
To restart a computer by reloading the operating system. You can reboot some computers by pressing the RESET button on the computer. On all computers, you can reboot by pressing CTRL+ALT+DEL on your keyboard (press all three keys at the same time). You should quit Windows before you reboot.
A file that an application creates to store work in progress. It is maintained by the application, usually without your knowledge. The application typically deletes the scratch file at the end of the session.
A command in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file that tells programs where temporary files should be stored. (For more information, see the Appendix B section of this Document.)
A file Windows creates on your hard disk that it uses to swap information into and out of memory. Windows uses the swap file to create virtual memory. There are two types of swap files--permanent and temporary.
permanent swap file
-------------------
Windows creates this type of swap file only once, and the space
it occupies on your hard disk is not available for any other purpose,
even when Windows is not running. This is the only drawback to a
permanent swap file; however, if you work primarily in Windows, the
cost in hard-disk space is well worth the benefit of enhanced Windows
performance. Unlike a temporary swap file, a permanent swap file does
not change size as the free disk space on your hard disk decreases.
You cannot place a permanent swap file on a drive that has been
compressed using a disk-compression utility.
temporary swap file
-------------------
Windows creates this type of swap file each time you start Windows
and deletes it each time you quit Windows. The advantage of a
temporary swap file is that you have more free disk space when
Windows is not running. The drawback is that a temporary swap file
is not as fast as a permanent swap file, and its size shrinks as
the free space on your hard disk decreases. A temporary swap file
is the only type you can place on a compressed drive.
NOTE: If you have sufficient disk space on an uncompressed drive,
you should create a permanent swap file. It is worth the effort to
reduce the size of your compressed drive to enlarge the
uncompressed drive to create sufficient space for an optimally
sized permanent swap file. Refer to your MS-DOS 6.0 or disk-
compression utility documentation for more information about
changing the size of a compressed drive.
Also called disk memory. Virtual memory is not in the RAM chips. It is space on the hard disk that your computer uses as if it were RAM. With virtual memory, your applications can edit files that would otherwise be too large to fit in physical RAM. Windows uses temporary or permanent swap files to create virtual memory.
The versions of Windows that include built-in networking capabilities. Additionally, Windows for Workgroups 3.11 is enhanced so that it runs faster than earlier versions of Windows.
Additional query words: 6.0 6.0a 6.0c winword speedup.doc slow word6 WD1015 appnote optimizing optomize optomizing
Keywords : kbappnote kbfile kbtshoot kbusage kbhowto
Version : WINDOWS:6.0,6.0a,6.0c
Platform : WINDOWSLast Reviewed: March 3, 1999