The University of Pennsylvania's Online Computing Magazine
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November 1993 - Volume 10:3 [Printout | Contents | Search ]
By Joseph R. Harris, Jr
Understanding Windows 3.1 swap filesWhen Windows 3.1 (hereafter referred to simply as Windows) is running in 386 Enhanced mode, it uses a swap file to temporarily store information in random access memory (RAM) to the hard disk. This frees up RAM for other operations while maintaining easy access to recently used information; such information is swapped in and out of RAM as needed. The net effect is that your system acts as if it has more RAM than is physically installed--this is called virtual memory. Using virtual memory you can load and run more or larger applications in Windows. When you first set up Windows, the Setup program examines your hard disk and determines how much free, contiguous space you have available. If possible, Setup will create a permanent swap file on your hard disk; otherwise it will create a temporary swap file every time Windows is started in Enhanced mode. A permanent swap file gives you better performance because it uses contiguous disk space. You should, therefore, defragment and optimize your hard disk using a disk optimizing or defragmenting utility before installing Windows 3.1. This should increase the chances of Windows being able to set up a permanent swap file. If your system came with Windows already installed, it probably has a permanent swap file set up. You may view and/or change the settings for a Windows swap file by:
Windows also creates temporary application swap files when running in Standard mode (it doesn't need them in 386 Enhanced mode). A separate application swap file is created for each non-Windows application that you start up while in Standard mode. Windows uses this swap file to store portions of the application so that it can easily switch between running non-Windows and Windows applications. Application swap files are automatically deleted by Windows when you quit the non-Windows application.
Uninstalling a Macintosh applicationWhile most Mac applications now include an Installer program, they do not include an uninstaller. "No problem," you say. "I can just throw the application in the trash, can't I?" Not so fast! While you can simply throw away an application and perhaps a folder full of associated utilities and auxiliary files, you may actually be leaving quite a few pieces of the application behind. This is because many applications have portions that are installed in the System Folder during the initial installation. Also, quite a few applications create special files (most of which reside in the System Folder) while they are running, and these remain even after you've quit the application. Why is this a problem? Some of these files, such as dictionaries, can be quite large, and even the smaller ones may visually clutter up your System Folder for years to come.In order to get rid of all files associated with an unwanted application, first start up your Macintosh with Extensions turned off. (If you are using System 7.x, hold down the Shift key while starting up. If you are using System 6.0.x, start up from a floppy disk.) This prevents you from trying to delete an Extension which is in use at the time. Second, throw away the application and any program files that you know are associated with the application (e.g., utilities, templates, sample files, etc.). Third, locate other files on your drive that have the name of the application as part of their name by running File Find (Command-F) in System 7.x or Findfile from the System 6.0.x Apple Menu. Delete these files. Fourth, open the System Folder and choose View by Kind from the View menu. Inspect the "Kind" of each file in the System Folder, looking for the name of the application, and throw away any file that has the name of the application in its Kind label. If you are using System 7.x, you can usually find most of these files in the following folders within the System Folder: Extensions, Control Panels, Preferences, and Startup Items. If you follow these steps, you can be assured that you have removed 99 percent of the files associated with an unwanted application. Understanding swap files
JOE HARRIS is a Consultant at the Computing Resource Center.
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