Tech Tips - Maintenance

Free up memory

If you don't use your CD-ROM often, you can free up some of your computer's memory to do other tasks. The CD-ROM has something called cache memory that helps it run more efficiently if it's frequently in use. To free up some of this memory for other programs to be able to use, follow these instructions:

Right-click on My Computer
Choose Properties.
Choose the Performance tab.
Click the File System button.
Choose the CD-ROM tab.
Adjust the "Supplemental cache size" down as far as 244.
You'll have to restart your computer for the new setting to take effect.
If you find your CD-ROM runs poorly, just go back in and raise the cache memory until you find an acceptable level.

Do it yourself tech support

There is a high cost involved with tech support and repairs. Before you call us, do us a favor and save some money by following these simple steps.

To open the System Information tool, single-click the Start button, mouse over Programs, Accessories, and System Tools, and then single-click System Information. System Information is organized into three categories: Resources, Components, and Software Environment.

Resources displays hardware-specific settings, namely DMA, IRQs, I/O addresses, and memory addresses. The Conflicts/Sharing view identifies devices that are sharing resources or are in conflict. This can help identify problems with a device.
Components displays information about your Windows configuration. This category is used to determine the status of your device drivers, networking, and multimedia software. In addition, there is a comprehensive driver history, which shows changes made to your components over time.
Software Environment displays a snapshot of the software loaded in computer memory. This information can be used to see if a process is still running or to check version information.
Depending on the individual topic, you may be presented with a choice of basic, advanced, or historical system data. If you want to archive any entry, just press the printer button.