Windows XP has excellent memory management and for the most part you don't need a third party memory management product. I've tried a few free memory managers but none has impressed me enough to allow recommendation. Until now that is.
FreeRAM XP is a memory manager that not only works but also doesn't seem to cause problems; a rare combination. It ticks away in the background consumes few resources and does genuinely free up a bit of memory when you ask it to. It can also be configured to automatically free up memory.
Does freeing up memory improve performance? On both my test system and personal laptop it certainly did release some more memory but in truth it didn't make much difference to actual performance. Still, all my systems are XP and have 1GB plus. Maybe on older PCs with less memory or when using applications like PhotoShop that eat up a lot of memory it may make a difference, I can't say. What I can say is that FreeRAM XP caused no problems other than a 10-30 second freeze of my PC when FreeRAM is in the actual process of releasing memory.
Is it worth it the effort? Clearly the answer depends on your system so try it and see if it helps. Note: The vendor's website was down when I tried but you can get it from the download link shown below:
Two other alternatives I'll mention because they were recommended by individuals who wrote me include: MZ Ram booster (http://mztweak.bravehost.com/) and RAMBooster 2 (http://www.sci.fi/~borg/rambooster/). There are actually 2 videos on CNET TV ( http://www.cnettv.com/) featuring RAMBooster 2 that speak highly of the program. If you are interested, just follow the link and do a search for RAMBooster.
[1] FreeRAM XP Pro
Website: http://www.yourwaresolutions.com/
Download link: http://www.download.com/FreeRAM-XP-Pro/3000-2086_4-10070530.html
Author: YourWare Solutions
Current version: 1.52
Version date: March 22 2006
License: Freeware
Download File size: 605KB
Operating Systems Supported: Windows 95/98/Me/2000/XP/2003 Server
Additional Software Required: None
64 Bit Capable: No
Portable Version Available: No
Additional Software Required: None
Non-English languages supported: None
Other relevant information: None