The Power Pete program comes preset to request 5113K of Random Access Memory (RAM), an amount that may sometimes exceed the memory your computer has available for programs. If you have less than 5113K of available memory, you cannot launch Power Pete. You can check the available memory in the Largest Unused Block area of the About This Macintosh dialog box under the Apple menu. The amount of memory used by your system software varies depending on a number of factors.
Workarounds
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Restart your computer
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Simply restarting your computer clears the memory and resets the system software back to its original size. Check the Largest Unused Block area of the About This Macintosh dialog box under the Apple menu to make sure you have at least 5113K available.
Disable extensions
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Disabling some of your extensions using the Extensions Manager control panel also reduces the amount of memory used by your system software. Remove the check mark next to any extensions you do not need. Power Pete does not require any extensions to run, but some of your other programs may require certain extensions. Once you have turned off some extensions, you can save the set by selecting "Save set..." from the pop-up Sets menu in the Extensions Manager control panel. You may then choose the set you want to enable, and restart your computer. Check the About This Macintosh dialog box again to see if you have at least 5113K available.
Restart with all extensions off
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Since Power Pete requires no extensions, another option is to restart your computer with all extensions turned off. To do this, restart your computer and hold down the Shift key until you see the message "Extensions off" appear at the "Welcome to Macintosh" screen. Disabling all extensions greatly reduces the memory used by your system software, so you have much more RAM available for programs. Again, check the About This Macintosh dialog box to see if you have at least 5113K available.
Allocate less memory to Power Pete
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Another option is to allocate less memory to the Power Pete program. Decrease both the Preferred and Minimum memory requirements to 4500. You may see a message warning you that the program may crash. Keep in mind that not all the game's features may work correctly when configured in this manner. For example, the game may not be able to play all of its sounds. While this is not necessarily the best solution, it will at least allow you to play the game.
Install more RAM
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The best solution is to install more memory.
This article provides information about a non-Apple product. Apple Computer, Inc. is not responsible for its content. Please contact the vendor for additional information.
Article Change History:
15 Sep 1995 - Made minor corrections.
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