Old PI version, new PC, insufficient memory?!!

[KeeperOfTheKitten]

Hello everyone,

I'm new here so be gentle!

I've been using an earlier version of PhotoImpact for many years now, it's 3.02, but since upgrading to a new PC it has exhibited a problem which I hadn't expected.

It seems to revolve around floating selections, every time I select an area of an image, it causes the processor to apparently struggle (the fans get very loud too!) and even results in messages of "insufficient memory" when working with even very small images. This wasn't happening with the old PC which is considerably inferior in performance terms.

The new PC is Pentium 4 H/T, 3.8 GHz, 1Gb RAM - the old PC was AMD (not Athlon) and just 550KHz, 128Mb RAM. So there is no comparison!

Images as small as 95Kb, 700x400 pixels, are every bit as much of a problem as larger images ...and I shoot pics with a 6MPixel DSLR camera, so it needs to work for me.

Floating selections when adding text first highlighted the problem to me, something that should have been very easy for the PC.

Is this purely a compatibility problem with an old version of PI on a newer PC?

Help!!!

Many thanks in advance -

__MDC__

[VT Photog]

Have you looked at the settings in File>Properties> (memory, I think)?
If, when you installed the program, you did not set this up, or used too small a setting, PI will only work with what you have told it. Older programs may not be able to take advantage of the amount of memory available, and reset to small value.
I have PI 10 and have problem setting virtual memory on second hard drive to anything less than the full capacity of the drive.

brian

[2log]

I don't have PhotoImpact 3 so I can't clearly help with your problem... Maybe it really has something to do with the compatibility of this version with the new OS and computer structure. In this case, if you have Windows XP, you can try using the Compatibility Wizard.

This is from Windows Help and Support Center:

Code: Select all

Getting older programs to run on Windows XP
Most programs run properly on Windows XP. The exceptions are some older games and other programs that were written specifically for an earlier version of Windows. To run your program on Windows XP, try the following:

Run the Program Compatibility Wizard. 
As an alternative, you can set the compatibility properties manually. 
Update your program, drivers, or hardware. 
These options are covered in detail below.

The Program Compatibility Wizard
This wizard prompts you to test your program in different modes (environments) and with various settings. For example, if the program was originally designed to run on Windows 95, set the compatibility mode to Windows 95 and try running your program again. If successful, the program will start in that mode each time. The wizard also allows you to try different settings, such as switching the display to 256 colors and the screen resolution to 640 x 480 pixels.

If compatibility problems prevent you from installing a program on Windows XP, run the Program Compatibility Wizard on the setup file for the program. The file might be called Setup.exe or something similar, and is probably located on the Installation disc for the program.

To run the Program Compatibility Wizard
Start the Program Compatibility Wizard. 
Follow the instructions in the wizard. 

Note
To start the Program Compatibility Wizard, click Start, click Help and Support, click Find compatible hardware and software for Windows XP, and then, under See Also in the navigation pane, click Program Compatibility Wizard. 

Set the compatibility properties manually
As an alternative to running the Program Compatibility Wizard, you can set the compatibility properties for a program manually. The settings are the same as the options in the Program Compatibility Wizard.

To set the compatibility properties for a program manually
Right-click the program icon on your desktop or the shortcut on the Start menu for the program you want to run, and then click Properties. 
Click the Compatibility tab, and change the compatibility settings for your program. 

Notes
The Compatibility tab is only available for programs installed on your hard drive. Although you can run the Program Compatibility Wizard on programs or setup files on a CD-ROM or floppy disk, your changes will not remain in effect after you close the program. 

Calling on anyone who still has version 3 of PhotoImpact...

[KeeperOfTheKitten]

Hi Brian,

Everything seemed to be set to maximum, though I didn't actually set it when I installed it. However, I have swapped to my vacant D:\ which might help.

2log, tried Compatibility Wizard without success a couple of days ago.

I will try the change made for virtual memory later and report back. I'm not convinced that this will be the answer but I'm willing to give it a go!

Many thanks for the advice so far, any other help will be greatly appreciated!

__MDC__

[KeeperOfTheKitten]

Well, the changes don't seem to have made much difference!

I've set paging file / virtual memory in the vacant D:\ at a minimum of 1536Mb and maximum of 3072Mb (which was the paging file size used in C:\ previously, having switched it to the empty drive).

PI itself says something a bit strange:

It claims that I have 2097Mb free in the C:\ for memory purposes, but only 749Mb free in D:\ - but my D:\ drive is empty and the same physical size as the C:\ - what's that all about?

I chose to set the memory in a folder just called D:\ which I assumed would use the drive as the memory area? Maybe this is wrong?

Does anyone have a recommendation on how to set the additional memory folders? I am beginning to feel a bit naive now!

__MDC__