XP memory setup for Adobe and large files

[poolhound]

I know this is a WWing forum but as we all know you never know who is out there with specialist knowledge on other topics. this is a rather specialist problem and one I have played with for years but frustrates me every time.

Basically I am trying to figure out how to get the best from my Adobe setup on my XP PC. Get a MAC I hear you say, yes I know that would help with some issues but I dont have the cash to switch systems plus thousands of dollars worth of SW.

Anyway my PC has XP and 4GB of RAM, however many will know that XP itslef can not adress all of this but Adobe can. SOme might say that what would you need more than 2Gb. Well when working with large files you need as much as you can get, if only you could figure out the best setup to allow adobe to use it properly.

In my current project am am working with very large files most in the 100s of MBs and one that is 1.6GB on its own.

I use primarily illustrator, Pshop and Indesign in my workflow and trying to build layouts with these files usually causes me a crash of some description or things to run very SLOOOOOOOW!

I know I am doing things that would be tough on any system but am looking for some help from any others of you who do similar work or can shed any light on ideas I havent yet explored. BTW my system is a core 2 duo.

Thanks

[pelligrini]

Other than going to a 64 bit OS there isn't a whole lot you can do.

Make sure that you have the /3GB switch in your boot.ini
http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/system...AE/PAEmem.mspx

"The /3GB switch allocates 3 GB of virtual address space to an application that uses IMAGE_FILE_LARGE_ADDRESS_AWARE in the process header. This switch allows applications to address 1 GB of additional virtual address space above 2 GB.

The virtual address space of processes and applications is still limited to 2 GB, unless the /3GB switch is used in the Boot.ini file. The following example shows how to add the /3GB parameter in the Boot.ini file to enable application memory tuning:"

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="????" /3GB

We got a gal in our office a screaming rig to do some 3D modeling & rendering in 3DsMax a little while back. Dual quadcores, high end professional 3D vid card, 4GB ram. We ended up running XP-pro on it instead of Windows-64 because one of the CAD programs wouldn't work with 64. She was having some problems with some large files locking up and I found that only 2GB was being used by the program.

[Mr__Bill]

Make sure that you have the /3GB switch in your boot.ini
http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/system...AE/PAEmem.mspx

That addresses an issue I have been fighting with for several months. Thanks for for sharing with us and thanks to poolhound for asking the right question.

Bill, on the Sunny Oregon Coast

[bfrikken]

I would open up your task manager to verify that you don't have something open that isn't closing. Often times IE and yes, even Firefox doesn't actually close for me and I have to kill the process. I've seen the Mem Usage up as high as 300MB for them. And also, I've installed some tools for development that I have just forgotten about over time. For example, I had MySQL running on my DEV box for 3 months and it was using 128mb of memory all that time.... OOPS!

[jussi]

Can your Mobo support quad core?

[pbui3057]

If you can learn Gimp and Ubuntu, you can get a 64 bit os for free! They have a plugin I think that emulates photoshop. I have never really used it because I am Mac based for design and PC for games. I would think a faster processor would be your best bet if you already have 4 gigs of ram. What are your system specs currently?

[poolhound]

Other than going to a 64 bit OS there isn't a whole lot you can do.

Make sure that you have the /3GB switch in your boot.ini
http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/system...AE/PAEmem.mspx

"The /3GB switch allocates 3 GB of virtual address space to an application that uses IMAGE_FILE_LARGE_ADDRESS_AWARE in the process header. This switch allows applications to address 1 GB of additional virtual address space above 2 GB.

The virtual address space of processes and applications is still limited to 2 GB, unless the /3GB switch is used in the Boot.ini file. The following example shows how to add the /3GB parameter in the Boot.ini file to enable application memory tuning:"

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="????" /3GB

We got a gal in our office a screaming rig to do some 3D modeling & rendering in 3DsMax a little while back. Dual quadcores, high end professional 3D vid card, 4GB ram. We ended up running XP-pro on it instead of Windows-64 because one of the CAD programs wouldn't work with 64. She was having some problems with some large files locking up and I found that only 2GB was being used by the program.

I am pretty certain I have the /3GB switch enabled but I am puzzled as when I do the PS internal memory preferances it only allows me to allocate ~1.7GB. so it seems that maybe the /3GB isnt taking.

I know I could use another scratch disk and that would help as I am sure I have some contention issues between space used for scratch and general OS virtual memory.

XP is a real nightmare with memory management but Vista has many of its own problems!!! My laptop is vista but after using that there was no way I was going to switch my desktop even though I have the upgrade disk sitting here.

[pelligrini]

Another thing that can speed up Photoshop is where and what you assign the scratchdisks to. A secondary fast hard drive is good, striped RAID with a decent controller is better (if you want to get fancy). For heavy duty use I've always liked having a really fast dedicated drive or array set up for a Scratchdrive or ACADtemp files (windows swapfile too). Fragmentation will be kept at a minimum with one as well.

It won't make a world of difference, but every little bit helps throughout the course of a day.

*edit: hehe, I was writing the above post while you made yours.

[poolhound]

I would open up your task manager to verify that you don't have something open that isn't closing. Often times IE and yes, even Firefox doesn't actually close for me and I have to kill the process. I've seen the Mem Usage up as high as 300MB for them. And also, I've installed some tools for development that I have just forgotten about over time. For example, I had MySQL running on my DEV box for 3 months and it was using 128mb of memory all that time.... OOPS!

Good thoughts. When I know I am working on these crazy large files I always start with a fresh reboot and kill any of the autostart programs I dont need. I never start any browser or even my email so I can reserve every last bit/byte to adobe.

[poolhound]

If you can learn Gimp and Ubuntu, you can get a 64 bit os for free! They have a plugin I think that emulates photoshop. I have never really used it because I am Mac based for design and PC for games. I would think a faster processor would be your best bet if you already have 4 gigs of ram. What are your system specs currently?

Pbui & Jussi, I am already running Core 2 duo, not the fastest available but its up there. I am 99% certain this isa memory not a processor issue as I am monitoring the performance and I am nowhere near 100% cpu usuage but page file and memory allocation is approaching or sometimes over 3GB

[pbui3057]

I just found this.

http://kb.adobe.com/selfservice/view...ernalId=320005

I don't know how helpful it will be. Also here is another site

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/...d.php?t=236695

Just out of curiosity, why are your files sizes so large? What do you do with them?

[pierhogunn]

wonder if you can get ahold of one of those fusion-io flash-disk expansion card for your scratch disk, and your pagefile... this thing will take up almost all of the bandwidth on a 4X pci-e channel, so it freakin rocks on the IO. . .

[poolhound]

wonder if you can get ahold of one of those fusion-io flash-disk expansion card for your scratch disk, and your pagefile... this thing will take up almost all of the bandwidth on a 4X pci-e channel, so it freakin rocks on the IO. . .

I was thinking of something similar and also as I have 4gb and XP can only adress 3gb wether setting up a ram disk may be helpful.