XP mode memory question

aj169 · 09 Jan 2010

If I have 2 gigs of memory on my system and set XP mode memory allocation to 1 gig, how much memory will I have running in my Windows 7 environment when I'm not running XP mode. For example, 99% of the time, I won't be running XP mode and won't be wasting 1 gig of memory if the memory allocation is only applied to XP mode when opening the virtual machine. However, if XP mode sucks up 1 gig of memory even when it's not running, 1 gig may not be a good idea. Any thoughts?

mckillwashere · 09 Jan 2010

Only run xp mode when you need it running :)
and no, When xp mode is turned off it will not be allocated to it

Night Hawk · 09 Jan 2010

Welcome to the Se7en Forums! aj169

Once you have the XP Mode running you will see a good portion but not all 1gb taken from the 2gb total you have installed. If you plan to be running programs there then simply leave the host OS being 7 left idle without anything else going like a full screen app for sure that would deprive resources.

The same exactly applies to having twice as much memory on and opening up four successive virtual machines. Try running 3 instances of SUN's Virtual Box along side the XP Mode with 3 different OSs loaded on each. "OUT OF RESOURCES" will be the first thing to appear!

WindowsStar · 09 Jan 2010

Night Hawk said:

Welcome to the Se7en Forums! aj169

Once you have the XP Mode running you will see a good portion but not all 1gb taken from the 2gb total you have installed. If you plan to be running programs there then simply leave the host OS being 7 left idle without anything else going like a full screen app for sure that would deprive resources.

The same exactly applies to having twice as much memory on and opening up four successive virtual machines. Try running 3 instances of SUN's Virtual Box along side the XP Mode with 3 different OSs loaded on each. "OUT OF RESOURCES" will be the first thing to appear!

Nice Windows 98se....wow been awhile since I have seen that. :)

Night Hawk · 09 Jan 2010

I also tried the 32bit 7 on a vhd but I couldn't even connect online there. 98SE however took some effort to see the old Windows installed. You first have to load from a boot floppy which loaded on VBox and get some part of an installation on the virtual HD before the rest would install.

I was trying to get 3.1 to go on but ran into problems with the first of 6 original floppies once a Dos 6.0 formatted the vhd used by VB. For 98 and ubuntu seen there those were set to 448mb of memory while XP Home was a bit higher at 2gb.