CONTACTS 

SUBJECTS
CPU #8, 586, Software, OS2, Installation
OS2 Crashed, White Desktop
White, Icons at top of screen
32115x,442 number assigned to 0387x,psh oa
Restoring After Crash
OS2 Crashed, Desktop Folders will not open
Memory Management, OS2 Desktop Fails
Why Operating Systems Fail
Memory Management, RAM Leaks
Memory Leaks

1412 -    ..
1413 - Summary/Objective
1414 -
141401 - Followed up work at ref SDS 11 line 32, ref SDS 10 line 30.
141402 -
141403 - Over the past week there have been several os2 desktop crashes which I
141404 - have been able to recover using the OS2 archive feature.  Found an
141405 - article in Nov 95 Byte on p. 137 that may explain the cause of the
141406 - problem.
141407 -
141408 -    [See follow up at ref SDS 12 line 170.]
141409 -
141410 -
1415 -
1416 -
1417 - Analysis
1418 -
141801 - Received ref OF 1 line 30 that seems to describe the cause of problems
141802 - running OS2 as a gradual consumption of system resources due to
141803 - repeatedly opening and closing applications. This problem is mainly
141804 - ascribed to Windows 3.x, ref OF 1 line 58; however, it seems to
141805 - correlate with experience using os2, because I am constantly opening
141806 - and closing DOS windows for various stuff.  Simple, ordinary use for
141807 - prolonged periods without shutting down, is identified as a cause of
141808 - program crashes, ref OF 1 line 62.
141809 -
141810 -
141811 - Memory Leaks
141812 -
141813 - The author calls this problem "memory leaks," ref OF 1 line 67.  This
141814 - seems to be occurring with os2.  It means releasing less memory back
141815 - to the system when an application is closed than it required when
141816 - opened.  It is similar to problems we have with Medit, which Morris
141817 - has improved at, ref SDS 2 line 93, earlier at ref SDS 1 line 133,
141818 - including explanation of fragmented memory at ref SDS 1 line 175.
141819 -
141820 -    [See follow up re OS2 at ref SDS 12 line 174.]
141821 -
141822 - Author reports that W95 reduces this problem, ref OF 1 line 103.
141823 -
141824 - I have noticed using os2 that the cursor movement across the screen
141825 - slows down after prolonged use, and that we get the initial symptoms
141826 - of the White desktop and relocated icons, which is that when os2 or
141827 - Windows app folders are opened, they close immediately.  These are not
141828 - cited in the article as manifestations of the problems for os2, ref OF
141829 - 1 line 143, but it may be that few users apply the program the way I
141830 - do, constantly opening and closing DOS apps all day.
141831 -
141832 -
141833 -     OS2 Swap File
141834 -
141835 -     I notice periodically there is a constant write process occurring
141836 -     with short chunks of stuff about every 2 or 3 seconds.  The
141837 -     swapper.dat file is current with about 2 MB of stuff.  This is
141838 -     disappointing because with 32 MB of RAM we should not need to be
141839 -     using the swap file.  It just indicates the system RAM is sensing
141840 -     it is full, so the thing is writing itself to the disk.
141841 -
141842 -
141843 -
141844 -
141845 - OS2 Memory Conflicts
141846 -
141847 - Os2 uses memory for the operating system that is also writeable by
141848 - other applications, ref OF 1 line 189.
141849 -
141850 - A possible example is using DOS CGA memory for extra application RAM.
141851 - The problem with this idea is that CGA memory is internal to the DOS
141852 - session, and so does not seem a likely candidate for the kind of
141853 - problem described in the article that causes the operating system to
141854 - crash.
141855 -
141856 -
141857 - Solution:  Shut Down, Start Over
141858 -
141859 - The article reports that Windows 3.x users have learned they can avoid
141860 - problems simply by shutting down the system and starting up again, ref
141861 - OF 1 line 93.
141862 -
141863 - I have been trying this and it seems to work.  When the cursor seems
141864 - to begin slowing down, if I shut down and start os2 again, we seem to
141865 - avoid problems.
141866 -
141867 -
141868 -
141869 -
141870 -
141871 -