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Protect Limited System Resources
It seems like every time I have a problem with Windows and there's no logical explanation, I'm told the culprit is system resources. I can launch the Resource Meter to see the status of my user, system, and Graphics Device Interface resources, but nothing explains what those are and what causes them to drop so low?
The resources are composed of two sections in memory called heaps, each of which is only 64KB. (Windows 95 has other heaps with no size limit, but a lot still happens in the old, smaller ones.) The closer either heap gets to being filled, the more unstable Windows becomes.
The two heaps are GDI, which stores images for on-screen display, and User, where programs keep windowing and other information. The Resource Meter simply shows whichever of the two is worse off at the moment.
Applications share resources like they share disk space--reluctantly. As you enter, use, exit, and reenter programs, the heaps fill up. You can reduce the problem by practicing bare-bones computing--don't run unnecessary programs or use themes--but the only way to clear a heap is to exit and reboot Windows.