WD: How to Optimize the Performance of Word 6.0 (WD1015)

• Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 6.0, 6.0a, 6.0c
• Microsoft Windows 3.1

SUMMARY

This information is available in Word for Windows format in the Microsoft Software Library:

~ WD1015.EXE

Q119591 How to Obtain Microsoft Support Files from Online Services

INTRODUCTION

HOW TO OPTIMIZE WORD ON A 386, 486, OR PENTIUM(TM) COMPUTER WITH 4 TO 6 MB OF RAM

ADD MORE MEMORY

UPGRADE TO MS-DOS VERSION 6.0 OR LATER

HOW TO MAKE 4 MB SEEM LIKE MORE RAM

1. Increase Available Memory in the AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS Files

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

1. 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




2. 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.

2. Create a Permanent Swap File

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.

1. In Windows Control Panel (usually located in the Main group in Windows Program Manager), choose the 386 Enhanced icon.



2. In the Enhanced dialog box, choose the Virtual Memory button.



3. 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.
4. 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.



5. 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."



6. If you are running Windows for Workgroups 3.11 or later, select the Use 32-Bit File Access option and select or type 320 in the Cache Size box.



7. Choose OK. If Windows prompts you to restart your computer or Windows, choose to restart.

3. Modify the WINWORD6.INI File

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:

1. In Windows Program Manager, choose Run from the File menu.



2. 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




3. 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




4. Save the file and quit Notepad, then restart Word.



5. 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:

1. Repeat steps a and b in the "BitMapMemory" section of this Document to open your WINWORD6.INI file.



2. 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




3. Save the file and quit Notepad, then restart Word.

What Else?

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

On a computer with at least 6 MB of RAM, Word 6.0 for Windows usually runs well, even if you make no changes to your Word or Windows configurations. If you have 6 MB or more of RAM, Word can make more use of memory and won't need to access the hard disk as frequently. Even so, you may still be able to improve Word's performance by making the following additional adjustments to your system.

PERMANENT SWAP FILE

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.

WINWORD6.INI FILE

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.

BitMapMemory

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

CacheSize

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.

ADDITIONAL TIPS FOR IMPROVING WORD FOR WINDOWS PERFORMANCE

GENERAL SPEED TIPS

Determine Whether Your TEMP Directory Should Be on a Compressed Drive

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.

Run Fewer Programs in the Background

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.

Use the Right Video Driver for Faster Screen Display

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.

Use Fewer Fonts

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.

Create a New Permanent Swap File

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.



10. In the dialog box that asks if you want to restart Windows, choose the Restart Windows button.

HOW TO PRINT FASTER

Many factors affect printing speed. The following is a short checklist of steps you can take that may help increase printing speed:

• Make sure your SET TEMP command in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file points to a valid location on a drive with at least 6 to 8 MB of available disk space.



• If you print large documents that take several minutes to finish printing, disable any screen savers during the print job, or switch to the Blank Screen saver. Animated screen savers use computer processor time that you can allocate to your print job.



• If you print over a network, consult your network documentation to make sure your print server is working optimally.



• If you don't need to continue working while Word is printing, turn off the Background Printing option in Word. This option allocates processor time to Word during a print job so you can continue working, but this means less processor time is available for printing. To turn off Background Printing, choose Options from the Tools menu, select the Print tab, clear the Background Printing option, and then choose OK.

APPENDIX A--HOW TO EDIT YOUR AUTOEXEC.BAT AND CONFIG.SYS FILES

MAKE BACKUP COPIES!

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.



2. At the command prompt, type the following and press ENTER:

   c:

   NOTE: In this procedure, it is assumed that drive C is the boot drive for your computer.



3. At the command prompt, type the following and press ENTER at the 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 engineer the names of your backup files (that is, CONFIG.XXX and AUTOEXEC.XXX).

SYSEDIT: THE BEST TOOL FOR EDITING AUTOEXEC.BAT AND CONFIG.SYS

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.



2. In the Command Line box, type SYSEDIT, and then choose OK.



3. Under Windows 3.1, SysEdit displays four files, including AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS. Under Windows for Workgroups, SysEdit displays several additional files.



4. To activate the AUTOEXEC.BAT or CONFIG.SYS window, open the Window menu and choose the filename from the numbered list at the bottom of the menu.



5. As a routine precautionary measure, before you modify each file, 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.



6. Edit your AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files as necessary. SysEdit 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.



7. When you finish editing your AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files, save the files, then choose Exit from the File menu to quit SysEdit.



8. You must quit Windows and restart (reboot) your computer so the 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.

USING BACKUP COPIES TO UNDO CHANGES

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.



2. At the command prompt, type the following and press ENTER:

   c:

   NOTE: In this procedure, it is assumed that drive C is the boot drive for your computer.



3. At the command prompt, type the following and press ENTER at the 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.



4. Exit Windows and restart (reboot) your computer so the settings in your restored AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files can take effect.

APPENDIX B--RULES FOR THE SET TEMP COMMAND

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

Use the following checklist to make sure your SET TEMP command is correct:

• There should be only one SET TEMP command in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. Delete all the "extras."
  
  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.



• There is only one space on the entire line, between the words SET and TEMP.



• The directory listed after the equal sign (=) must exist.



• The directory listed after the equal sign (=) must not be the root directory of a drive. For example, SET TEMP=C:\ is not a valid SET TEMP command.



• Do not use a RAM disk for your TEMP directory, regardless of how much RAM your computer has. While this practice may increase speed, it has also been shown to cause document corruption. In addition, the default location for AutoSave files is the TEMP directory, so if your computer crashes or you're forced to reboot, you will lose all your AutoSave files as well as your .TMP files.



• The directory listed after the equal sign (=) must be on a drive with at least 6 MB of free disk space to ensure good performance under normal circumstances. Your Word and Windows operations may function properly with less free disk space, but sooner or later you will probably have problems with printing, converting, or creating documents. You should periodically delete old .TMP files from your TEMP directory to ensure there is always sufficient disk space.
  
  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.

APPENDIX C--GLOSSARY

AUTOEXEC.BAT

A text file that contains a list of commands that your computer executes every time you start (boot) or restart (reboot) your computer.

bitmap

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.

cache

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.

compressed drive

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.

CONFIG.SYS

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.

conventional memory

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.

driver (Windows printer or video driver)

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.

expanded memory

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.

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.

RAM

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.

reboot

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.

"scratch" file

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.

set temp

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.)

swap file

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.

virtual memory

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.

Windows for Workgroups 3.1 and 3.11

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.

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