Progressive loss of RAM

[xlimey]

I move a lot of jpgs from the Internet to my SD card (512Mb). I have not yet, despite having bought the X50v last December, synced anyting. Over the last few weeks I noticed that viewing the jpgs was slowing down. I eventually started monitoring my Storage to Program memory via Home/Memory. I saw the Total main memory progressively reduce to almost zero as I checked it while viewing the jpgs, at which point the pda froze & I could only get it back to life by a soft reset. After the soft reset the RAM partition was back to normal! One example of many documented, I viewed the jpgs & the memory partition read 5.80 and 9.85 Mb. I did a soft reset and the memory partition immediately went up to 17.41 and 17.42 Mb. This phenomenon continues, with me having to periodically carry out a soft reset to "get back" memory so that the pda will function.
Thus....... does anyone recognize this as a virus, or some sort of 'inevitable' buildup of some kind of file fragments that originate at each jpeg viewing?
Would really appreciate any help folk can provide.
Thanks

[gjw]

What program are you using to view the JPGs?

Some programs save the actual pictures or a smaller thumbnail version in a cache for quicker call up next time.
This takes memory which is only released when you delete the cache or do a soft-reset.

Other programs are just written sloppily and they do not release all of their memory when you close them.

[axim_wannabe]

What program are you using to view the JPGs?

Some programs save the actual pictures or a smaller thumbnail version in a cache for quicker call up next time.
This takes memory which is only released when you delete the cache or do a soft-reset.

Other programs are just written sloppily and they do not release all of their memory when you close them.

yup - i think resco is one of those apps

So the man wants to find the most efficient way to view pr0n on his axim.

[drhal35]

why no syncing since december?

[Don't Panic!]

Use WIMR? To find out. It's freeware.

[xlimey]

I posted the question & haven't been able to return until now. Thanks to all who responded. I appreciate the info.
Specific to each response:

Gjw: I look at the jpgs using the axim 50v route of start/pictures/my pictures/SD card. [I'm not using any downloaded software, only that which came with the axim x50v.] This sequence brings up all the jpgs (since the default is 'All Folders') and does so as thumbnails. Now I soon realized that it was a good idea not just to back out of pictures (multiple taps on 'X') but also to go to start/home/memory. It was there I saw my memory appear smaller after each viewing. Note that it is the 'program' memory that progressively gets smaller, not the 'storage' memory. Tapping on 'Running programs' showed me that even though I'd backed out of 'pictures' it was still running, so I make a point of stopping all programs here. This action raises my available 'program' memory, but to a lower figure than it was when I started. Hence why I started this string!

Axim_wannabe: Thanks. Please see above.

PringleOrigin: not so! But I do want to store a lot more jpgs than I even have now – pretty much want to fill the 512Mb card I have.

Drhal35: have found jpg collecting and note usage has filled my time. (As opposed to when I had my Palm Platinum where I downloaded/synced 100s of freeware and a few purchased programs).

Don't Panic!: Thanks – will look into 'WIMR'

Regards to all

WIMR is probably your best bet. I bet you will find that your web cache is getting you. under \windows\guest i think but wimr will show it for sure.

[gjw]

Note that it is the 'program' memory that progressively gets smaller, not the 'storage' memory.

The two are linked.
Pocket PCs do not have harddrives for storage and RAM for program memory.
There is just the one pool of memory and if is dynamically adjusted by the operating system according to need.
If you have lots of files stored then there is less memory for running programs.
Likewise, if you have a program that needs a lot of memory then there will be less space for storing files.
This all happens behind the scenes.

Tapping on 'Running programs' showed me that even though I'd backed out of 'pictures' it was still running, so I make a point of stopping all programs here. This action raises my available 'program' memory, but to a lower figure than it was when I started.

This is also common to all Pocket PCs.
By default, the operating system does not "close" programs -- it only minimizes them.
Because the operating system adjusts memory dynamically (see above) it was thought that the convenience of faster task switching (from 'minimized' to 'restored' is of course faster than from 'closed' to 'running') was more valuable than true task closing.
Add-on task manager programs will override the operating system's "X" to actually close programs rather than minimize them.
Or, as you'd already discovered, you can also do this yourself via the Running Programs applet.

I can't remember whether Pictures or Internet Explorer is the default viewer for JPGs but if it is Internet Explorer then your pictures are definitely being stored in a cache which will reduce both 'program' and 'storage' memory (as explained above).

Best of luck.