Apple 145 manual Managing memory, Checking memory use, Making the most of your memory

Managing memory

Occasionally you may need to make adjustments in how your Macintosh uses its random-access memory (RAM) in order to work efficiently with large programs or with several programs at once.

Checking memory use

You can find out how much memory your computer has, how much of it is available, and how much memory is being used by each program you have open. You find this information by making the Finder the active program and choosing About This Macintosh from the Apple menu.

Total memory available	The largest program
(including virtual memory)	you can open now

Open	Memory	The bar indicates how much memory a
programs	allocated for	program reserves for its own use. The dark
	each program	portion is the amount it is actually using.

Making the most of your memory

Remember the following tips on memory management:

mClosing a document window does not quit the program. The program remains open and uses memory until you choose Quit from the File menu. (The Application menu, at the right end of the menu bar, shows which programs are open.)

mIf you have opened and quit several programs, your computer’s memory may be fragmented and you may not be able to open a program that requires a lot of memory. To solve this problem, you can restart your computer.

mIf you’re not using network services (such as electronic mail or a shared printer), you can make more memory available by turning off AppleTalk in the Chooser and restarting your computer.

mIf you’re not sharing files over a network, you can make more memory available by turning off file sharing. (See the chapter on networking for more information.)

mRemoving system extensions you don’t need makes memory available (for example, you don’t need the AppleShare extension if your computer will never be on a network and you don't use AppleTalk Remote Access).

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Chapter 10: Adapting Your Computer to Your Own Use 155