Isn't more memory "virtual" or not, faster?
So you're saying 1 Gig is faster than 5 Gigs.
Sorry, don't understand the math.

Virtual memory exists on the hard drive. Hard drives are much slower than RAM.

Virtual RAM uses your hard drive as memory. Your hard drive is CONSIDERABLY SLOWER than RAM. Which is why RAM is called primary storage. Using your page file on your hard drive as RAM should only be used as spill over and not to run applications. However, 1GB of RAM should be plenty to start up two instances of vegas in less than 2 minutes (I only have 512mb and it takes about 15 seconds to load). What else do you have running?

-Dan

EDIT: Chinenworks beat me. Stupid dial-up.

Echo chamber: Increasing virtual memory is a stupid idea. Whatever "shop" did that for you didn't know what they were doing. Set memory management back to Windows defaults. You'll be much better off.

Re-set virtual memory to Windows default, ....then....

Opened 1st instance of Vegas in 5 seconds
" " 2nd " " " " 8 seconds
Closed those instances
_____________________________________
Opened 1st instance of Vegas in 20 seconds
Opened 2nd " " " " " 40 seconds
Closed those instances
_____________________________________
Opened 1st instance of Vegas in 1 minute
Opened 2nd " " " " " " " " 1:15
_____________________________________

You guys think this pattern is normal?
If not what do you suspect may be wrong?

You guys think this pattern is normal?

Most definitely not normal. When you close, then re-open the same application, it should open almost instantly (because most of it is already in memory).

I just did a test. Vegas 6.0c, on my 2.8 GHz 3-year-old P4 computer, took eight seconds to load. I then opened a second instance. It took three seconds to load.

I then closed both instances and loaded Vegas again. As expected, this took three seconds. I then opened a second instance. This took a little under three seconds, probably closer to two.

My computer is much slower than yours.


If not what do you suspect may be wrong?

I have absolutely nothing running in the background. No anti-virus, no anti-spyware: nothing. The only thing in my system tray (the lower right corner where you clock resides) is the volume control.

I always suspect anti-virus software. It can make loading applications really slow. Also, given the nonsense done to your system, there may be other things going on. Click on Start -> Run and then type MSCONFIG and press enter. Go to the Startup tab and write down all the processes that are starting when you boot your computer. I have disabled ALL of these. You could try doing that, if you wish, and see if things get better. You can always go back to MSCONFIG and re-enable them, if you wish.

I suppose Media Manager may have something to do with this. I made sure to not even install this. If you have installed it (which you probably have), you can disable it (it is an option somewhere in Options -> Preferences on the General tab).

Thanks John!
You've been a big help.
I'll give your suggestion a try and let you know the results.
PC Cillin may be the culprit.

Tried all that John.
Makes no difference.
Stil loading like a turtle in reverse.
I'm stymied!

hey sherman...
after you do the "unchecking" in MSCONFIG you have to restart your system!
when it loads, it will notify you that system settings have changed, check the check mark so it will not keep reminding you everytime you start windows...

try unchecking everything in msconfig
make sure nothing is in START-->programs-->startup

if it is just you on the system.. no wife or kids.. i would do away with any virus protection... (this is just my opinion)
if you have a good firewall (i use Zone Alarm) (plus a router with built DOS etc..)

i have never had ONE virus...
i use ad-ware SE and spy bot search and destroy...

norton is notorious for slowing down a computer...

what is your CPU usage at? (right click taskbar, goto task manager.. its at the very bottom in the toolbar)
should be at 0-3% bouncing back and forth...

keep us posted...

pj

Sherman,

Virtual memory is only a problem if you're using it. Here are a couple of things to watch:

Open up TaskMan (ctrl+alt+delete in windows XP) and then look at the "Performance" tab. PF Usage is your windows swap file, which is on the hard disc. This shouldn't be rising because you don't want to be using it. This doesn't mean you shouldn't have swap space, just that you want to avoid using it.

Second, watch the hard disc activity light on the front of your computer. If it is blinking wildly then you're writing to disc. Probably another good sign that you're relying on the swap file too much.

Now, about Vegas. When you set your RAM Preview setting high Vegas will use that much memory. If you set it too high you'll force Vegas to start using the swap file almost immediately. If you open several instances of Vegas with this setting high then they may start forcing each other to use the swap file.

I find on my system that 500MB is a good safe number for one instance of Vegas. I have 1 GB of RAM installed.

Rob Mack

Also check your disk drive DMA settings. Sounds like you have no system/drive cache working.

Combination of too much stuff checked in startup and PC-Cillin running in the background.
Vegas opens with blazing rapidity now!
Thanks to the Sony Forum Fraternity.
When can I learn the secret handshake?
I know, when Sherman answers as many questions as he asks,---right!

Good that you got your issues resolved. I know a lot of my load time was being eaten up by media manager which is why I keep it turned off.

However, contrary to the popular opinion here, there are a lot of advantages to setting up a 4gig swap file - if it's done right. Granted, any swap file is slower than RAM but a properly set-up swap file is faster than letting windows manage one of ANY size.

DrLumen, the issue wasn't whether to have a swap file or how big it should be, it's that the original poster was using some software or tweak to trick Windows into thinking that 4 gigs of hard drive space was physical RAM. So rather than using the hard drive only for things that didn't need instant access, it was using it for everything.

Correct. Virtual memory <> swap space. Swap space is used only when absolutely necessary. Virtual memory is used as if it really is physical RAM. True, this was a good thing back when 1MB of RAM cost $104. Now however, most folks have more RAM than i had disk space only 6 years ago.

...back when 1MB of RAM cost $104...

Hmm, I remember when 1 MB of RAM cost $100,000.

Of course then it was handknitted (ferrite bead core memory).

:O)

RAM for my original Altair 8800 was $400 for 1024 bytes!

Ever heard of the expression "there are no free lunches"? It applies to your wonderous increase in memory. I do not think there is anything new here, you are simply using the hard drive for virtual RAM. It slower than hardware RAM and hardly worth the effort. My opinion. Suggest you get more RAM.

My own experience in attempting to open two Vegas occurrence is DON'T. You need lots of RAM and the fastest Hyperthreading processor you can get from Intel.

That's not my experience. I often have half a dozen or more Vegas instances open simultaneously on an 866MHz P3 with 256MB RAM. They all run smoothly.