[Virtualacorn-list] Virtual Acorn Setup Problem

[Jeremy Nicoll - virtualacorn]

Steve Joyce <Steve at joyces.demon.co.uk> wrote:

> Since initiating this thread, I've been distracted by other problems -
> disappearing emails being one, but it is long past the time to reply to
> some of the suggestions proffered.
> 
> I'm running XP with service pack 3 (which has annoyingly interfered with
> directory permissions over the network), 1Gb memory with an Athlon 2400
> processor. I've already moved the swap file as the only file in a
> separate disk partition - its set to 1500Mb (which seems generous enough).
> 
> I use diskeeper 8 to keep the two other partitions low on fragmentation.
> 
> If I log in as normal windows user, allow the various processes to sort
> themselves out, VRPC starts reasonably well, but will periodically stall
> for several minutes for no obvious reason. Its almost impossible to find
> out what other processes might be hogging processor time because
> Alt/Return, Alt/Tab of Ctrl/Alt/Delete take forever to elicit a response
> - by which time VRPC becomes responsive again.

Is the machine connected to the internet?  If so, try disconnecting it, and
running it.  Then try with it still disconnected, without any software
firewall you might have turned on.  Then try with no antivirus and/or anti
spyware apps going.  Make certain that you do turn these things on later
when restarting internet use.


If you run VRPC non-full-screen(*) you should be able to have the tasks
manager display visible at the same time.  If you set it up (by clicking the
cpu column header twice) to show processes using most cpu time at the top of
the display, when vrpc next grinds to a halt you should be able to see
enough of the tasks display to see what's using so much cpu.


If Diskeeper is one of those 'on the fly' defraggers,, turn that off too.
It seems to me you're looking for some frequently running background task
that hogs cpu, to find out what it is.  You'll have to try turning them off
one by one to see which one causes this.



* on my laptop I used !Boot/Config -> Display -> Automode to define a
  virtual MDF for a 30Hz 1200x700 display.  The windows display runs at
  a slightly higher resolution.  As my VRPC system boots in a smaller
  window size, once it's 'up', I get it to issue a command:

  *WimpMode X1200 Y700 C16M EX1 EY1 F30

  to set that specific screensize, then I drag the maximised (to that
  size) window to the top left of the real screen so that it fills the
  whole real screen except for a very thin band at the bottom and a 
  wee bit at the rh side.  The F30 makes the laptop LCD display run
  at a slow refresh rate thus not wasting cpu driving it faster to
  no purpose (as it is a LCD screen).

  I have a set of Obey files each with similar WimpMode commands in
  them for forcing different maximum emulated window sizes.

  Anyway with 1200x700 in use here the VRPC window running non-fullscreen
  (in VRPC terms) is in practice occupying nearly all of the laptop's
  screen.  But I can still get the mouse pointer down to the very bottom
  rows to get to the XP task bar, and there's an area about 1/2 inch wide
  at the righthand side of the real screen that I park other windows
  apps windows in.  And as I say, one can have task manager just visible
  in that portion.
  


-- 
Jeremy C B Nicoll - my opinions are my own.