Hello! I have a system with 256 RAM running XP and all of a sudden, my system randomly freezes up. There is no rhyme or reason to it…it does it while the screen saver is running, while trying to run Norton Virus Scans, online, etc. When I check the system status, it says I have 224 RAM when I know 256 is installed. Any ideas on what's causing this?? This just recently starting happening.
Hello,
Normally you should post in the Windows forum, or hardware forum for help.
However this is so simple,
You show 224 MB of RAM because the video, and other system needs, is using the RAM. This is known as "shared RAM".
Norton (which is a resource hog) uses up a lot of memory, running XP with Norton and only 256 MB of RAM will cause the machine to freeze up.
Try adding, at least, 256MB more.
I would concur with HFCG but add that Windows XP needs at least 512MB RAM to run correctly. More RAM is by far the best bang for your buck so if possible install the most your system will take.
You may like to download and install Everest Home Edition, it is free and will tell you all about your machine including what type of RAM you have installed so you can make sure you have the correct details when buying more.
