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INTRODUCTION
Word 6.0 is larger and more robust than earlier versions of the
application, so your computer has to work harder to run it. As a result, the
performance of Windows, and therefore Word 6.0, may be slower. This Document
describes how you can increase the operating speed of Word 6.0 for Windows when
it is running under Microsoft Windows version 3.1 or Windows for Workgroups
version 3.1 or 3.11.
If you optimize the performance of Windows, you
will also speed up Word's performance. Optimizing Windows involves both your
software (for example, the operating system version, memory-resident programs,
fonts, and device drivers) and hardware (for example, processor type and speed,
amount of memory, and available hard disk space). You can use this Document as
a checklist to optimize both your software and hardware configurations for Word
and other Windows-based applications running under Windows 3.1 or Windows for
Workgroups 3.1 or 3.11. For more information, see your MS-DOS or Windows
documentation.
If you are unfamiliar with a term used in this
Document, see the glossary.
HOW TO OPTIMIZE WORD ON A 386, 486, OR
PENTIUM(TM) COMPUTER WITH 4 TO 6 MB OF RAM
To run Word 6.0, you must have at least 4 megabytes (MB) of RAM.
As with most "minimum" requirements, 4 MB is not the optimal amount of memory
to run Word. To optimally run Word 6.0, we suggest that you either add more RAM
to your computer or optimize your existing RAM. Even with a 4-MB environment,
however, you can almost always improve Word's performance by modifying your
Windows and MS-DOS settings to free up additional memory.
ADD MORE MEMORY
If you regularly work with large documents (50 pages and larger)
or use many graphics in your documents, adding RAM will give you the most
dramatic improvement in Word's operating speed. If your computer has 8 MB of
RAM, Word will run faster, and you can also run another large application (such
as Microsoft Excel) at the same time and interact with it from Word. On the
other hand, if you work primarily with average-sized documents (50 or fewer
pages) and don't use many graphics, the suggestions that follow should help
increase Word's speed on your 4- to 6-MB computer.
UPGRADE TO MS-DOS VERSION 6.0 OR LATER
If you are running a version of MS-DOS earlier than version 6.0,
you should upgrade to version 6.0 or later. Beginning with version 6.0, MS-DOS
includes features (such as the MEMMAKER and the DOS=HIGH commands) that help
your computer use its memory more efficiently. Version 6.0 and later also offer
enhanced hard-disk-management utilities (such as SCANDISK and DEFRAG).
HOW TO MAKE 4 MB SEEM LIKE MORE RAM
The key to making Word run faster on a computer with 4 MB of RAM
is to free up memory currently used by other operations that have little or no
effect on Word's performance. Use the following three recommendations to make
sure the maximum amount of RAM is available for Word to use. The first two
recommendations optimize Windows, while the third recommendation specifically
optimizes Word.
IMPORTANT: We suggest that you implement all three
of these recommendations, rather than trying only one or two. Of all the
recommendations we subsequently make, these three will probably have the
greatest impact on Word's performance. In fact, after you implement these three
recommendations, Word may run fast enough that you won't want to further alter
your configuration.
1. Increase Available Memory in the AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS Files
This section discusses how you can use the EMM386 memory manager
(EMM386.EXE) and SMARTDrive disk-caching program to increase
available memory in your AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files. The
EMM386 and SMARTDrive programs are supplied with both MS-DOS and
Windows 3.1. Even if you use a third-party memory manager or disk-
caching program, these instructions are still applicable, although
your results may be somewhat different.
NOTE: Because both the Windows and MS-DOS Setup programs install
EMM386 and SMARTDrive, be sure your AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS
files point to the latest versions. Use Windows File Manager or the
MS-DOS dir command to check the file dates of the EMM386.EXE and
SMARTDRV.EXE files, which are located both in your MS-DOS and
Windows program directories. Make sure your AUTOEXEC.BAT and
CONFIG.SYS files reference the newest version of each file. (Also
be sure you are using the newest version of HIMEM.SYS.)
CONFIG.SYS
- On a 4-MB computer, it is important to give Windows access
to as much RAM as possible. This means you should not configure any RAM as
expanded memory or create a RAM disk in extended memory (using MS-DOS
RAMDrive).
The EMM386.EXE memory manager should appear in your
CONFIG.SYS file. EMM386 optimizes the use of conventional memory (640K) on your
computer. Even Windows and Windows-based applications (which usually use
extended memory) may sometimes use conventional memory, so you should maximize
the available conventional memory for best results. The versions of EMM386
supplied with MS-DOS 6.0 and later do not allocate expanded memory until an
operation needs it.
If you are running MS-DOS 6.0 or later, the
EMM386.EXE command line is probably already present in your CONFIG.SYS file, so
you may not need to add it. If you need to add it, use a command line similar
to the following (where C:\DOS is assumed for the location of both your
EMM386.EXE and HIMEM.SYS files): NOTE: Add the EMM386.EXE command line after the line that loads
HIMEM.SYS. Both EMM386.EXE and HIMEM.SYS should be located in the same
directory, and they should both be the most recent versions of the files. After
you install EMM386.EXE, you should run the MS-DOS MemMaker program to correctly
configure your computer's memory. For information about how to use MemMaker,
see your MS-DOS documentation.
Special Note for MS-DOS Version 5.0
If you are running MS-DOS version 5.0, you may need to modify
the EMM386.EXE command line in your CONFIG.SYS file so it does
not create expanded memory. To do this, add the NOEMS switch in
place of the RAM switch or a specific numeric switch. For
example, replace RAM or 1024 in the two lines below
device=c:\dos\emm386.exe ram x=C000-C7FF
device=c:\dos\emm386.exe 1024 x=C000-C7FF
so they appear as follows (you should not alter the other
settings, such as the X=C0000-C7FF switch):
device = c:\dos\emm386.exe noems x=C000-C7FF
- If the RAMDrive (RAMDRIVE.SYS) command line appears in your
CONFIG.SYS file, you should disable this command by typing the REM command at
the beginning of the line, as shown in the following example:
rem device = c:\dos\ramdrive.sys
AUTOEXEC.BAT
The only line you need to check in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file is the
SMARTDrive (SMARTDRV.EXE) command line. SMARTDrive is an MS-DOS
and Windows utility that creates a cache in extended memory so
that it can store information it reads from your hard disk.
SMARTDrive improves your computer's performance because an
application can access information in memory faster than it can
access the same information on a hard disk.
Depending on which version of MS-DOS you are running, the
SMARTDRV.EXE command line includes one or two numbers. The first
number--the INITCACHESIZE parameter--specifies (in kilobytes)
the cache size when Windows is not running. The second number--
the WINCACHESIZE parameter--specifies how much of the cache
Windows can use when it is running.
On a 4-MB computer, for all versions of MS-DOS, you should set
the SMARTDRV.EXE WINCACHESIZE (or second) parameter to 320, as
shown in the following example:
c:\dos\smartdrv.exe 2048 320
NOTE: Windows for Workgroups may set the WinCacheSize parameter
to 128 instead of 320. If you are running Windows for Workgroups, you should
not change this number because Windows for Workgroups uses a specialized
disk-caching utility.
By default, when you are running MS-DOS 6.0 or
later, the SMARTDRV.EXE command line does not include any parameters. On a 4-MB
computer, you should add the 2048 320 parameters, as shown in the sample above.
2. Create a Permanent Swap File
Windows frees memory and speeds up performance by swapping
information from memory to a swap file on your hard disk. The swap
file, also known as virtual memory, acts like additional RAM on
your computer. You still need at least 4 MB of physical RAM to run
Word, but if you use virtual memory, you can open and edit files
that are too large to fit in 4 MB of RAM, and you can run more than
one application at a time. (For example, you may be able to run
Word and Microsoft Excel at the same time.)
In Windows, you can create two types of swap files. For more
information about swap files, see the glossary.
How to Create a Permanent Swap File in Windows
At the end of this procedure, you will restart Windows or your
computer, so make sure you close any running applications now.
- In Windows Control Panel (usually located in the Main group
in Windows Program Manager), choose the 386 Enhanced icon.
- In the Enhanced dialog box, choose the Virtual Memory
button.
- Under Swapfile Settings, if the Type setting is Permanent,
choose the Cancel button and skip to recommendation 3, "Modify the WINWORD6.INI
File," section of this Document. If the Type setting is None or Temporary,
choose the Change button.
- Under New Swapfile Settings, select Permanent in the Type
list.
- The Recommended Maximum Size setting, which also appears in
the New Size box, is usually the optimal setting. If the Recommended Maximum
Size is "12,000 KB" (12 MB) or larger, you can decrease the New Size setting as
low as 12,000.
- If the Use 32-Bit Disk Access option is available at the
bottom of the Virtual Memory dialog box, you can select it to further increase
your Windows operating speed. This setting is not required to create a
permanent swap file.
NOTE: You should not select the Use 32-Bit Disk
Access option if power-management utilities are installed on your computer.
Power- management utilities are often included on laptop (portable) computers
and the new "green machines." - If you are running Windows for Workgroups 3.11 or later,
select the Use 32-Bit File Access option and select or type
320 in the Cache Size box.
- Choose OK. If Windows prompts you to restart your computer
or Windows, choose to restart.
3. Modify the WINWORD6.INI File
To increase bitmap-redrawing speed and scrolling speed in Word,
you can use the instructions below to add BITMAPMEMORY and CACHESIZE settings
to the [Microsoft Word] section of your WINWORD6.INI file, which is located in
your Windows program directory (usually, C:\WINDOWS). You should quit all
sessions of Word before you begin these procedures.
BitMapMemory If your documents often contain many graphics, you
should skip this section, as it could actually make Word run more slowly.
Otherwise, by modifying the BitMapMemory setting, you can free up some of the
memory (up to 512K) Word reserves to work with bitmapped graphics so Word can
use it for other operations. (For more information about bitmaps, see the
glossary.) The default BitMapMemory size is 1024K (1 MB).
Do the
following to add the BitMapMemory setting to your WINWORD6.INI file:
- In Windows Program Manager, choose Run from the File menu.
- In the Command Line box, type WINWORD6.INI and choose OK.
This opens your WINWORD6.INI file in Windows Notepad. The following is a sample
of the beginning of a typical WINWORD6.INI file:
[Microsoft Word]
wphelp=0
user-dot-path=c:\winword6\template
workgroup-dot-path=c:\winword6\template
picture-path=c:\winword6\clipart
- On a new line, directly below the [Microsoft Word] line,
type
BITMAPMEMORY=512, as shown in the following example:
[Microsoft Word]
bitmapmemory=512
wphelp=0
user-dot-path=c:\winword6\template
workgroup-dot-path=c:\winword6\template
picture-path=c:\winword6\clipart
- Save the file and quit Notepad, then restart Word.
- If Word does not seem to run faster, or if Word runs more
slowly, open your WINWORD6.INI file again using steps a and b above and remove
the BitMapMemory setting. After you save and close your WINWORD6.INI file, you
must quit and restart Word for this change to take effect.
CacheSize
The CacheSize setting defines the size of the internal Document
Text cache in Word. The default CacheSize setting is 64K, which is also the
minimum. If you frequently work with large documents, you can increase the
CACHESIZE setting to reduce the frequency with which Word accesses your hard
disk to retrieve parts of your document--thereby improving Word's performance.
Because of memory constraints on a 4-MB computer, the maximum CacheSize setting
you should use is 128K.
Do the following to add the CacheSize
setting to your WINWORD6.INI file:
- Repeat steps a and b in the "BitMapMemory" section of this
Document to open your WINWORD6.INI file.
- On a new line, directly below the [Microsoft Word] line,
type
CACHESIZE=128, as shown in the following example:
[Microsoft Word]
cachesize=128
bitmapmemory=512
WPHelp=0
- Save the file and quit Notepad, then restart Word.
What Else?
If you want to try to squeeze
some extra speed out of Word or any other Windows-based application, take a
look at the "Additional Tips for Improving Word for Windows Performance"
section of this Document.
HOW TO OPTIMIZE WORD ON A 386, 486, OR
PENTIUM COMPUTER WITH AT LEAST 6 MB OF RAM
On a computer with at least 6 MB of RAM, Word 6.0 for Windows
usually runs well, even if you make no changes to your Word or Windows
configurations. If you have 6 MB or more of RAM, Word can make more use of
memory and won't need to access the hard disk as frequently. Even so, you may
still be able to improve Word's performance by making the following additional
adjustments to your system.
PERMANENT SWAP FILE
With a permanent swap file, Windows manages the memory on your
computer more quickly. Without a permanent swap file, Windows often spends
extra time on memory organization. Even if you have a lot of RAM (16 MB or
more), you should use a permanent swap file. If you have more than 16 MB of
RAM, you can create a small (1024K, or 1 MB) permanent swap file. To create a
permanent swap file, use the instructions in the "How to Create a Permanent
Swap File in Windows" section of this Document.
WINWORD6.INI FILE
You can increase the BitMapMemory or CacheSize settings in your
WINWORD6.INI file if you have at least 8 MB of RAM. To modify these settings,
use the procedures in the "Modify the WINWORD6.INI File" section of this
Document. The "Modify the WINWORD6.INI File" section also contains a
description of the BitMapMemory and CacheSize settings.
BitMapMemory
If your documents frequently contain many bitmapped graphics
(such as scanned images and Windows screen captures), you can increase the
redrawing and scrolling speed of bitmaps by increasing the amount of memory
that Word reserves for these operations. On a computer with at least 8 MB of
RAM, you can increase the BitMapMemory setting as high as 2048K (2 MB). The
following sample WINWORD6.INI entry sets the BitMapMemory value at 2048K:
[Microsoft Word]
bitmapmemory=2048
CacheSize
If you primarily work with large documents, you can increase the
CacheSize setting to enlarge Word's internal Document Text cache. With a larger
cache, Word won't need to access the hard disk as frequently, which will speed
up performance. Start by changing the CacheSize setting to 256K and then, if
necessary, increase it to 1024K (1 MB). The following sample WINWORD6.INI
entries set the CacheSize value at 256K and 1024K, respectively:
[Microsoft Word]
cachesize=256
[Microsoft Word]
cachesize=1024
NOTE: You may not need both the BitMapMemory and CacheSize
settings, depending on the type of documents you usually create. If you change
one of these settings and do not notice any improvement in Word's performance,
delete the setting so that Word, Windows, and other applications can use the
memory for other operations. You might find that Word's default settings
already provide optimal performance.
ADDITIONAL TIPS FOR IMPROVING WORD FOR WINDOWS PERFORMANCE
GENERAL SPEED TIPS
Determine Whether Your TEMP Directory Should Be on a Compressed Drive
If you use a compression utility to compress your hard disk, you
may wonder whether the TEMP directory should be located on a compressed drive.
There is no easy answer to this question. Generally, if you have a fast
computer, you will not notice any difference in performance when the TEMP
directory is on a compressed drive. In fact, on a computer with an older,
slower hard drive, you can sometimes improve performance by placing your TEMP
directory on a compressed drive.
The only way to know for sure if
your computer runs faster or slower with the TEMP directory on a compressed
drive is to try it. Change the SET TEMP command in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file, and
see if you notice any performance difference (be sure to restart [reboot] your
computer after you modify your AUTOEXEC.BAT file so that the changes can take
effect).
IMPORTANT: You must consider the following if you place
your TEMP directory on an uncompressed drive:
Most uncompressed
drives are very small. Any drive that the set temp command points to should
have 6 MB or more of free disk space. If too little space is free, you may have
problems with printing, converting documents, or creating new documents.
Run Fewer Programs in the Background
Every program you run--including terminate-and-stay-resident
programs (TSRs)--consumes memory and processor power. The more programs you run
at the same time under Windows, the greater the possibility that your computer
may run slower. If you are running programs that you do not need for the work
at hand, close them one at a time to see if they affect Word's performance.
Once you determine the effect on Word, you can choose which programs to close
to improve Word's performance.
Use the Right Video Driver for Faster Screen Display
You may not need the highest resolution video driver and the up
to 16 million colors your video driver supports. Additional color support in
your video driver can dramatically decrease the speed of screen updates when
you scroll or update graphics. If you are writing reports and working with
spreadsheets, you may need only 16 to 256 colors, so you can switch to a video
driver that supports a lower resolution and fewer colors. You can always switch
back if there is no change in performance or if your work requires additional
video capabilities. Use the table below, which lists the memory "cost" of
additional colors, to balance your performance needs with your display needs.
Colors | Memory cost
-----------------------------------------------------------
16 | Base number (lowest cost)
256 | 2 times the memory/work of 16 colors
65K | 4 times the memory/work of 16 colors
16 million | 6 times the memory/work of 16 colors
NOTE: If you use one of the newest video cards that are designed
to accelerate Windows, you may find that Windows runs just as fast with 16
million colors as with 256 colors.
Use Fewer Fonts
The more fonts you install in Windows, the slower Windows and
Word start because both programs read the entire font list at startup.
Furthermore, fonts use memory and file resources that Word needs to perform
some complex projects. If your work sometimes requires the use of a large
selection of fonts, consider using a font-organizing utility, such as the
Microsoft Font Assistant, which is supplied with the Microsoft Word Assistant
package. Font Assistant and other similar utilities group fonts together so you
can activate or deactivate them in Windows as you need them. With Font
Assistant, you can have a large font library, but Word's performance is
affected only when you actually need to use the fonts.
Create a New Permanent Swap File
Sometimes, after long periods of use, Windows may run faster if
you remove the existing permanent swap file and create a new one. If you notice
that your Windows performance has degraded over time, use the following steps
to regenerate your permanent swap file:
- During this procedure, you will restart Windows or your
computer, so you should close any running applications now.
- In Windows Control Panel (usually located in the Main group
in Windows Program Manager), choose the 386 Enhanced icon.
- In the Enhanced dialog box, choose the Virtual Memory
button.
- Choose the Change button.
- Under New Swapfile Settings, select None in the Type list,
and then choose OK. Choose Yes when Windows asks if you are sure you want to
make changes to virtual-memory settings.
- In the dialog box that asks if you want to restart Windows
or your computer, choose the Restart Windows or Restart Computer button.
- After Windows restarts, repeat steps 1 through 3 to open
the Virtual Memory dialog box.
- Under New Swapfile Settings, select Permanent in the Type
list.
- If necessary, change the New Size setting, and then choose
OK. Choose Yes when Windows asks if you are sure you want to make changes to
virtual-memory settings.
- In the dialog box that asks if you want to restart Windows,
choose the Restart Windows button.
HOW TO PRINT FASTER
Many factors affect printing speed. The following is a short
checklist of steps you can take that may help increase printing speed:
- Make sure your SET TEMP command in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file
points to a valid location on a drive with at least 6 to 8 MB of available disk
space.
- If you print large documents that take several minutes to
finish printing, disable any screen savers during the print job, or switch to
the Blank Screen saver. Animated screen savers use computer processor time that
you can allocate to your print job.
- If you print over a network, consult your network
documentation to make sure your print server is working optimally.
- If you don't need to continue working while Word is
printing, turn off the Background Printing option in Word. This option
allocates processor time to Word during a print job so you can continue
working, but this means less processor time is available for printing. To turn
off Background Printing, choose Options from the Tools menu, select the Print
tab, clear the Background Printing option, and then choose OK.
APPENDIX A--HOW TO EDIT YOUR AUTOEXEC.BAT AND CONFIG.SYS FILES
MAKE BACKUP COPIES!
Before you modify your AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files, it is
important that you make backup copies of them. If something goes wrong, or if
you want to restore your original settings, you can use your backup files to
restart (reboot) your computer. Use the following steps to make backup copies:
- Choose the MS-DOS Prompt icon in Windows Program Manager to
open an MS-DOS Prompt window.
- At the command prompt, type the following and press ENTER: NOTE: In this procedure, it is assumed that drive C is the boot
drive for your computer.
- At the command prompt, type the following and press ENTER
at the end of each line:
cd \
copy config.sys config.xxx
copy autoexec.bat autoexec.xxx
exit
IMPORTANT: If you call Microsoft
Product Support Services (PSS) for assistance while you edit your AUTOEXEC.BAT
and CONFIG.SYS files, be sure to tell the support engineer the names of your
backup files (that is, CONFIG.XXX and AUTOEXEC.XXX).
SYSEDIT: THE BEST TOOL FOR EDITING AUTOEXEC.BAT AND CONFIG.SYS
Windows supplies an editing tool called SysEdit (System
Configuration Editor) that automatically opens the key files that control your
computer (including the AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files). Use the following
instructions to run SysEdit:
- In Windows File Manager or Program Manager, choose Run from
the File menu.
- In the Command Line box, type SYSEDIT, and then choose OK.
- Under Windows 3.1, SysEdit displays four files, including
AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS. Under Windows for Workgroups, SysEdit displays
several additional files.
- To activate the AUTOEXEC.BAT or CONFIG.SYS window, open the
Window menu and choose the filename from the numbered list at the bottom of the
menu.
- As a routine precautionary measure, before you modify each
file, choose Print from the File menu to print a copy of the file. If
necessary, you can use this printed copy to quickly restore any of the original
settings.
- Edit your AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files as necessary.
SysEdit works like other word processors such as Word for Windows or Windows
Write.
TIP: Instead of deleting a line, type REM at the beginning of
the line to disable the command. This makes it easy to undo changes later.
- When you finish editing your AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS
files, save the files, then choose Exit from the File menu to quit SysEdit.
- You must quit Windows and restart (reboot) your computer so
the changes in your AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files can take effect.
NOTE: SysEdit always makes its own backup copy of any files you
change, using the filename extension .SYD (for example, SysEdit saves
CONFIG.SYS as CONFIG.SYD). However, SysEdit replaces existing .SYD files each
time you modify a file, so you still need to make backup copies of your
original system files using the method described in the "Make Backup Copies!"
section of this Application Note.
USING BACKUP COPIES TO UNDO CHANGES
If you need to undo the changes you made to your AUTOEXEC.BAT or
CONFIG.SYS files, use the following instructions to restore the backup copies
you made in the "Make Backup Copies!" section of this Document.
IMPORTANT: This procedure completely reverses all the changes you made to both
your AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files. It leaves no record of any of the
modifications you made to either file.
- Choose the MS-DOS Prompt icon in Windows Program Manager to
open an MS-DOS Prompt window.
- At the command prompt, type the following and press ENTER: NOTE: In this procedure, it is assumed that drive C is the boot
drive for your computer.
- At the command prompt, type the following and press ENTER
at the end of each line:
cd \
copy config.xxx config.sys
copy autoexec.xxx autoexec.bat
exit
- Exit Windows and restart (reboot) your computer so the
settings in your restored AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files can take effect.
APPENDIX B--RULES FOR THE SET TEMP COMMAND
The SET TEMP command in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file defines the
directory where your programs store temporary (.TMP) and "scratch" files. If
the SET TEMP command is not correct, you may have problems printing,
converting, and even creating new Word documents. The following are two
examples of valid SET TEMP commands:
set temp=c:\temp
set temp=c:\windows\temp
Use the following checklist to make sure your SET TEMP command is
correct:
- There should be only one SET TEMP command in your
AUTOEXEC.BAT file. Delete all the "extras."
NOTE: If there is also a
set tmp command in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file, that's okay--it can even point to
the same directory as your TEMP directory. Some applications use the set tmp
command to indicate where to store .TMP files. - There is only one space on the entire line, between the
words SET and TEMP.
- The directory listed after the equal sign (=) must exist.
- The directory listed after the equal sign (=) must not be
the root directory of a drive. For example, SET TEMP=C:\ is not a valid SET
TEMP command.
- Do not use a RAM disk for your TEMP directory, regardless
of how much RAM your computer has. While this practice may increase speed, it
has also been shown to cause document corruption. In addition, the default
location for AutoSave files is the TEMP directory, so if your computer crashes
or you're forced to reboot, you will lose all your AutoSave files as well as
your .TMP files.
- The directory listed after the equal sign (=) must be on a
drive with at least 6 MB of free disk space to ensure good performance under
normal circumstances. Your Word and Windows operations may function properly
with less free disk space, but sooner or later you will probably have problems
with printing, converting, or creating documents. You should periodically
delete old .TMP files from your TEMP directory to ensure there is always
sufficient disk space.
NOTE: After you install the latest version of
MS-DOS, you may find the following set temp command in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file: This is a completely valid setting, but you may want to change
this to a different directory so your .TMP files don't get mixed up with your
MS-DOS files. It's easier to delete .TMP files periodically if you store them
in their own directory.
APPENDIX C--GLOSSARY
AUTOEXEC.BAT
A text file that contains a list of commands that your computer
executes every time you start (boot) or restart (reboot) your computer.
bitmap
A graphic made up of a collection of colored dots. The computer
stores the graphic as one or more bits of information for each dot--hence the
name bitmap. Some filename extensions for graphic files that are bitmaps
include .PCX, .TIFF, .BMP, and .GIF.
cache
A pool of memory set aside to store items from a slower device,
such as a hard disk. By using a cache, your computer can retrieve often-used
information much faster than if it were required to find it on the hard disk
each time.
compressed drive
A drive that has had its data compressed to take up less space.
Special software must be running in the system to read from and write to a
drive that is set up this way.
CONFIG.SYS
A text file that contains a list of commands that MS-DOS executes
every time you start (boot) or restart (reboot) your computer. The CONFIG.SYS
file contains MS-DOS settings and drivers that run operations such as those
pertaining to your network and devices such as your CD-ROM drive.
conventional memory
The base RAM on your computer, typically the first 640K.
Conventional memory is the only kind of RAM that MS-DOS-based applications can
use, unless you use an expanded memory manager (EMM). Compare expanded memory,
extended memory.
driver (Windows printer or video driver)
Software that Windows loads at startup. Drivers give Windows
specific instructions about your video card and printer that Windows and
Windows- based applications use to display information on the screen and to
print information on your printer.
expanded memory
A type of physical RAM, up to 8 MB, usually used by MS-DOS-based
applications that support its use. Windows does not use expanded memory. In
Windows, if you run an MS-DOS-based application (such as Microsoft Word 6.0 for
MS-DOS) that requires expanded memory, Windows emulates expanded memory (if you
are running in standard mode, Windows uses the EMM386.EXE device driver to
emulate expanded memory). The use of expanded memory is defined by the Expanded
Memory Specification (EMS). Compare conventional memory, extended memory.
extended memory
Physical RAM beyond 1 MB, accessible when your computer is
operating in protected mode (the mode that supports multitasking). Extended
memory operates through a memory manager such as MS-DOS HIMEM.SYS. Windows uses
extended memory. Extended memory is not typically available to MS-DOS- based
applications except through a device driver such as EMM386.EXE. The use of
extended memory is defined by the Extended Memory Specification (XMS). Compare
expanded memory, conventional memory.
RAM
Acronym for random access memory. This is the memory on
semiconductor chips in your computer, not on the hard disk. The more RAM you
have, the more programs you can run at the same time and the faster your
programs may run.
reboot
To restart a computer by reloading the operating system. You can
reboot some computers by pressing the RESET button on the computer. On all
computers, you can reboot by pressing CTRL+ALT+DEL on your keyboard (press all
three keys at the same time). You should quit Windows before you reboot.
"scratch" file
A file that an application creates to store work in progress. It
is maintained by the application, usually without your knowledge. The
application typically deletes the scratch file at the end of the session.
set temp
A command in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file that tells programs where
temporary files should be stored. (For more information, see the Appendix B
section of this Document.)
swap file
A file Windows creates on your hard disk that it uses to swap
information into and out of memory. Windows uses the swap file to create
virtual memory. There are two types of swap files--permanent and temporary.
permanent swap file
Windows creates this type of swap file only once, and the space
it occupies on your hard disk is not available for any other purpose, even when
Windows is not running. This is the only drawback to a permanent swap file;
however, if you work primarily in Windows, the cost in hard-disk space is well
worth the benefit of enhanced Windows performance. Unlike a temporary swap
file, a permanent swap file does not change size as the free disk space on your
hard disk decreases. You cannot place a permanent swap file on a drive that has
been compressed using a disk-compression utility.
temporary swap file
Windows creates this type of swap file each time you start
Windows and deletes it each time you quit Windows. The advantage of a temporary
swap file is that you have more free disk space when Windows is not running.
The drawback is that a temporary swap file is not as fast as a permanent swap
file, and its size shrinks as the free space on your hard disk decreases. A
temporary swap file is the only type you can place on a compressed drive.
NOTE: If you have sufficient disk space on an uncompressed drive,
you should create a permanent swap file. It is worth the effort to reduce the
size of your compressed drive to enlarge the uncompressed drive to create
sufficient space for an optimally sized permanent swap file. Refer to your
MS-DOS 6.0 or disk- compression utility documentation for more information
about changing the size of a compressed drive.
virtual memory
Also called disk memory. Virtual memory is not in the RAM chips.
It is space on the hard disk that your computer uses as if it were RAM. With
virtual memory, your applications can edit files that would otherwise be too
large to fit in physical RAM. Windows uses temporary or permanent swap files to
create virtual memory.
Windows for Workgroups 3.1 and 3.11
The versions of Windows that include built-in networking
capabilities. Additionally, Windows for Workgroups 3.11 is enhanced so that it
runs faster than earlier versions of Windows.