This is because Windows 98 is grabbing the ram to use for it's cache. The
ram is there and available it just doesn't appear because Windows has
reserved it. As applications load and ask for RAM windows will release it.
If you install another 64 megs of RAM for a total of 128 megs you will
probably show 50 free megs available after loading Windows 98. In reality
you will probably be using only 28 megs of the 128 megs of physical RAM.
But Windows has for the moment put a lock on the other 50 megs. Windows
will release it as needed.

NT is a different story. NT4 will grab almost all the RAM and allocate it
as it sees fit. You can load up NT4 or 2000 with 128 megs of RAM installed,
have only a few minor programs running,  and show only 20 to 25 megs of
physical ram available. This is because NT has grabbed it and will give it
out as needed.

As long as you aren't getting out of memory notices or slow performance I
would stop worrying about what Norton Utilities is telling you Demetri.

If you really want to increase your performance in Windows 98 then manually
set your vcache for the appropriate use. MemTurbo will help you do this for
different uses such as  < Burning CDs >  < Power User > etc. For a complete
explanation of VCache and how to use MemTurbo to help you do this check out
http://nospin.com/rode/rode117.html.

m


>additional RAM, but USER free remains 60-70 percent, with dips. Dips have
>been down to teens, even below, without apparent reason (many open
>Windows, for example).
>Demetri Kolokotronis

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