20 Sep
2004
20 Sep
'04
4:28 p.m.
On Mon, 20 Sep 2004, Teo Zenios wrote:
CAUSE
The Windows 32-bit protected-mode cache driver (Vcache) determines the
maximum cache size based on the amount of RAM that is present when Windows
starts. Vcache then reserves enough memory addresses to permit it to access
a cache of the maximum size so that it can increase the cache to that size
if needed. These addresses are allocated in a range of virtual addresses
from 0xC0000000 through 0xFFFFFFFF (3 to 4 gigabytes) known as the system
arena.
On computers with large amounts of RAM, the maximum cache size can be
large enough that Vcache consumes all of the addresses in the system arena,
leaving no virtual memory addresses available for other functions such as
opening an MS-DOS prompt (creating a new virtual machine).
Bill Gates must've thought that, surely, no one will ever need more than
640MB of memory!
--
Sellam Ismail Vintage Computer Festival
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