Could someone explain this?

[Guest]

My FS2K2 runs under Windows XP on a 1.8 GHz Intel P4 Dell PC with 256 MB of memory, GeoForce 2 MX/MX graphics adapter with 64 MB of memory.When I start FS2K2, my frame rates are fantastic even at max settings and complex scenery. However, gradually during flight, FS2K2 slows its response as I try to switch between cockpit and spot view. By the time I do final approach at destination, FS2K2 struggles as if it is jammed up. Often, I have to restart FS2K2 to continue flying to another destination or change aircraft. Is this a memory setting problem or FS2K2 feature or what?Are there some settings to change to overcome this problem?Many ThanksRaad

[Guest seev_39]

Raad,Try two things:1. Set frame rate to max 24 (you don't need more - all this crazy run after 101 plus frames per second is useless). Setting frame rate to low level will make life for your memory easier.2. Get rid of all un-needed start-up programs. They swallow memory.Have funSeev

[kerosene31 349]

In addition to Seev's suggestions:1) check to see if your hard drive(s) need defragmenting. This is a simple thing, but often if ignored can seriously degrade performance. Use disk defragmenter (or better Norton Speedisk from Norton Systemworks). 2) Watch your hard drive light when slowdowns occur. If it is flashing a lot that means your virtual memory is getting hit quite a bit. You might want to try either setting a fixed size for the file or moving it to another drive (if you have one). Check out http://www.tweakxp.com/ for some more info on that. EDIT: one more think I thought of, did you do a full install of fs2002? If not, that might cause that problem.

[John_Cillis 2,406]

Let me expand on what was said.... Simply put, 256 Megs of memory is not enough when running XP with FS2002. Even running with 256 Megs under 98 is a challenge for me--I have to be careful what add-ons I use.As you go through the course of an FS session, and for instance switch views, you will use up more and more of your memory, although there seems to be a limit. If you use up enough that XP is using virtual RAM, you will get very slow performance.There's ways to mimimize this, but I don't know how well you can do with XP. Generally, I can keep FS running with about 50-80 megs of free RAM after all is said and done. I don't get any degraded performance even if I'm on it twelve hours, which is true almost every weekend. If you've applied any of the popular tweaks to the terrain settings in the FS2002.cfg, change it back to it's default. Those tweaks will steal an extra 30-40 megs of RAM away from FS....not enough to degrade performance on a 512 Meg system, but enough to hurt a 256 meg system running XP.And going back to the other reply--remove all non-essential applications. In your case, locking the framerate won't help the problem you have. Once that problem is gone, however, 24 fps is a very realistic level to lock FS at for your level system...