minimise a window to save system resources

Wig

My work has had an instruction to say if we use another window open on our desktop (it happens to be internet) to save system resources (we have diabolical slow running machines which crash regularly) we should minimise the window...?

Surely whether the window is maximised or minimised makes no difference to the system resources? As far as the computer is concerned the window (internet page) is still open, whilst other programs we use are being used.

robmar0se

Wig wrote: »

My work has had an instruction to say if we use another window open on our desktop (it happens to be internet) to save system resources (we have diabolical slow running machines which crash regularly) we should minimise the window...?

Surely whether the window is maximised or minimised makes no difference to the system resources? As far as the computer is concerned the window (internet page) is still open, whilst other programs we use are being used.

Not sure if I understand this fully - however if your PC's are underpec'ed the system will "thrash" while it pages stuff in/out of virtual memory - hence in this case having less open simultaneously might save time in the end.

Seams strange though as RAM is quite cheap at the mo, although I do appreciate that in the current economic climate savings need to be made.

However if the problem is understood correctly, more RAM (as well as a system cleanup) would avoid this problem as well as making you more productive - catch 22?

waddler_8

Simple test.

Open Task Manager (TM).

Open Notepad.

View notepad memory usage in TM

Minimise notepad.

See any difference?

Wig

waddler_8 wrote: »

Simple test.

Open Task Manager (TM).

Open Notepad.

View notepad memory usage in TM

Minimise notepad.

See any difference?

I doubt we have access to the TM at work.

And I don't have TM on my own home machine, would you care to tell me if there is a difference? And I don't suppose the result is any different if it is an internet page instead of notepad...?

To the other poster,
This is the civil service, where they waste billions of pounds on maintenance contracts with Telereal Trillium - who will charge £1000 to remove (not install...remove!) a cupboard and IT contracts with god knows who.... all the computers are contract rented and for god knows what reason thought up by some idiot with a pen saying "push me" - they will not or cannot be upgraded to have sufficient RAM. The printers all are charged now at 2pence per printed A4 page. Because they don't want to (or cannot because of existing contracts) buy their own printers.

Mobeer

Windows 8 may support this idea.

At present you need to close applications and stop services not just minimise it applications.

Wig

Mobeer wrote: »

Windows 8 may support this idea.

At present you need to close applications and stop services not just minimise it applications.

That's is what I thought. We use XP at work

debitcardmayhem

Task manager is part of windows - press "alt+ctrl+del" then select Task Manager

Wig

Not my Windows it isn't.....

Could someone please answer the question as mentioned in #4?

waddler_8

Ctrl + Shift + Esc

closed

depends on the browser, firefox has a config.trim_on_minimize setting which if set to true free's ram up as you do it.

The pertinent question is what's the commit charge and installed ram on these machines? If they are short of ram, closing the browser completely will have more effect.

Wig

waddler_8 wrote: »

Ctrl + Shift + Esc

My computer doesn't have it, :wall:

Could you please tell me what your TM says the difference is?

Closed,
That's interesting, but anyway they use Explorer at work.
I don't know how much RAM they have or what chips they use, there will probably be admin lock outs to stop us from accessing that info.
P.S. I like your username and avatar