From: sal8@po.cwru.edu (Steve Luzynski)
Newsgroups: comp.os.os2.misc
Subject: Re: Optimize OS/2 on 486 machine
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1992 06:21:37 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University
NNTP-Posting-Host: b61442.student.cwru.edu

In article <1992Sep28.053112.25350@news.Hawaii.Edu> lkan@uhunix.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu (Linus Kan) writes:
>From: lkan@uhunix.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu (Linus Kan)
>Subject: Optimize OS/2 on 486 machine 
>Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1992 05:31:12 GMT
>Hi there:
>
>I have a 486 machine with 16Meg RAM plus 2 hard drives (120Meg each)
>using FAT.
>

That's the first area you could improve. If you're willing to reformat, go 
to HPFS. I use it on both of my drives (105M and 130M) and it really is 
_fast_.

>Any advice on how I could optimize OS/2 on my system would be most
>appreciative.
>
>I get warnings that my SWAP file is full--what is the limit and could
>I extend the size?

According to the FAQ, your swap file should be on the main partition of the 
least used (as in least accessed as well as most free space) HD. 

>I really like OS/2 but weird things happen every now and then:
>
>*one of my objects on the desktop turned black--ie. from an image of
>a disk to a black square.

There's a fix for that - it's called blkico.zip on software.watson.ibm.com.

>
>*unable to delete .exe files because OS/2 apparently is accessing it
>--but I don't see the running process in the Task List.

Then they are probably system files the WPS is using. If you really want to 
try deleting them, boot off your install disks.

>
>*can't SCAN for viruses on OS/2--got to boot-up from DOS.
>
>*can't understand why OS/2 performs a warm-boot--anyone know when
>and why it does that?...not enough memory?

The only 'warm boot' thing I can think you may mean is that if somehow the 
WPS gets killed, a watchdog program will restart it.

>
>*I run downloaded utilities from ftp sites and it hangs the system
>completely--so what does 'protected mode' mean.  Yeah, I can't close
>the process...can't even bring up the Task List (keyboard and mouse).

Do you mean OS/2 protected mode or 386 protected mode? Which programs 
exactly are you having trouble with?

>
>*can anyone explain why my system takes more than a minute to shutdown.
>That's what OS/2 did when I selected the Shutdown menu.

Close a bunch of stuff and move everything nonessential off the Desktop. 
When you shut down OS/2 saves position, size, and status info about every 
open object and every object on the Desktop. This obviously takes some time.

>
>Again, let my emphasize that these doesn't happen repeatedly--but
>my view is that a 'revolutionary' OS such as OS/2 shouldn't 
>allow such events to occur.  Yeah, yeah--nothings perfect...not
>even OS/2.  I guess I've got to live with it--I've COMPROMISED
>with DOS' memory limits and Windows' UAE.
>
>AND why aren't there better video drivers for OS/2?!
>

What card are you using? The Trident has (I hear, I use a Tseng) excellent 
drivers available now. And now that the 32 bit graphics engine is close to 
general release there should be killer drivers available for it in a bit.
>
Anyway, thanks for your time ...and responce.  >
>linus@uhunix.uhcc.hawaii.edu
>           
> 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Steve Luzynski @ Case Western Reserve University in scenic Cleveland, OH
sal8@po.cwru.edu    |-------------------------------------------------------
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Don't believe any-  | Life is getting drunk, having wild sex, and waking
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seen naked.         | (Go do your homework. Life sucks.)
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Newsgroups: comp.os.os2.misc