> After I installed the software for an HP all-in-one type of printer
> yesterday, my VPC6 slowed down from its normal speed of tortoise to about
> the speed of molasses, or maybe grass growing.
>
> My response was to increase the "PC memory" for the VPC from 96 MB up to
> about 150 MB (with which VPC was still slow), and then up to 250 MB (with
> which VPC seems reasonably content, at least as far as I've pushed VPC
> then, this morning).
>
> For several years now, I've been running Win2000 in VPC6 in an iMac (with
> GB RAM in the iMac) fairly happily - at least within the constraints of
> VPC - with only 96 MB of "PC memory" for the virtual machine (as set in
> Window/Virtual PC List/Settings/PC Memory). The 96 MB was the
> recommendation of our Mac specialist (whom I respected technically) in the
> IT support team where I used to work.
>
> Also, I've become accustomed to using VPC6 as sparingly as practical -
> because (a) VPC is such a very "fragile" thing, and (b) so as not to
> change" the Apple side of my iMac in terms of memory. Perhaps my sparing
> use of VPC was the reason that only 96 MB has sufficed for VPC, at least
> until yesterday.
>
> Yesterday, I installed the software for an HP all-in-one type printer,
> number PSC 1410, from the CD that came with the printer.
> I thought the process would be similar to the relatively trivial processes
> that I've been through several times in recent years when adding previous
> printers. Oh, no! The installation of the software for the HP all-in-one
> printer took ages. The installer even recommended more PC memory - at
> 110 MB if I remember correctly.
>
> I'm thinking of uninstalling the software for the all-in-one printer.
> However, if I read a consensus (response to this posting) that giving so
> much PC memory to VPC will make VPC run better than before, and the
> associated reduction in memory available to the iMac will not practically
> affect simultaneous use of the iMac, then I'll probably leave things as
> are.
>
>

> HP software installations add a lot of overhead to Windows, such as
> automatic update monitors, printer monitoring, printer status
> monitoring, etc., etc.
>
> IMHO, that is probably the worst thing that you could do to VPC.
>
> I recommend that you uninstall the HP software and use an emulated
> printer driver. The kb article below describes how to do that.
>
> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/824366
>