Re: Off topic question...Tame related.

["Robert Holmgren" holmgren@xxxxxxxx]

** Reply to message from "M.W. Poirier"  on Sat, 15
Jul 2006 13:01:22 -0400 (EDT)


> If you are using a laptop and a desktop, what do your
>  two systems say about this NTVDM file? Are they the
>  same size on each machine?, and does the laptop have
>  three versions like mine does?, and which of the three
>  is the important, ...I suspect that it may be the one
>  in dir I386.

The operative copy is the one in ...\system32. (I mean, are any of those other
locations, like I386, even in the DOS Path? Seriously doubt it...) Check the
dates on all three copies -- which is most recent? What version of XP+SP# are
you running? The way to determine what app is running is to start
SysInternals' (free) Process Explorer application (laughably superior
replacement for M$ Taskman [Task Manager]), View ==> Select Columns ==> Process
Image ==> make sure "Command Line" is checked, then hover over the "Command
Line" column of any instance of NTVDM.EXE -- it will display the complete
command line + arguments.

> why is it that I am the only one to have the problem?

You've got a different computer! Even if you reboot and launch *nothing*,
you've already probably got 20-40 apps running under the radar, all sorts of M$
crap, dozens of drivers, all unique to you. Here's the deal: XP is a
general-purpose operating system, and M$ takes the position that rather than
trouble you the user with technical details, they're just going to run
everything under the kitchen sink in background, to handle all possible
contingencies. So you've got all manner of firewall and antiviral baggage
running, schedulers galore that check in like once a month to see if there are
updates, this and that -- it's all JUNK. And, the amount of this "stuff" is
directly proportional to the user's ignorance. Contrast that with Linux
distros, the majority of which are specific-purpose, with little or no excess
fat.

-----------------------------
Robert Holmgren
holmgren@xxxxxxxx
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