Memory Leakage

1. "APM keeps decreasing, as for example, to 25MB, then 18MB, and 160KB."

Your use of the acronym APM eludes me here. http://www.google.com/search?&q=WHAT+IS+APM agrees with what I think it is, which is "Advanced Power Management."

2. My short answers are at this point is to:
a. Review the Memory and Optimizing Windows notes at http://www.aumha.org.org/articles.htm
b. Don't run Zonealarm or similar. Just don't share a network drive and don't run servers or services and this OS has no exploit. ZA has been spotted to grow and this OS is not robust enough.
c. Eject all PESTS. Tools noted at http://reviews.cnet.com/5208-6132-0.html?forumID=32&threadID=1313&start=0

Bob

1. The Help and Support feature on the HP refers to available physical memory when describing each part of the system as in:
Total Physical Memory 190.45MB
Available " " 37.16MB
Total Virtual Memory 2.00GB
Available " " 1.77GB

It's the APM that keeps decreasing. The only program it actually Closes is Quicken, but it does exhibit the same decreasing tendency with TurboTax. TurboTax does not close. Maybe it's a corrupt data file and I'm addressing this problem from that direction also.
2.I read article on runaway Vcache and am following up there. (There's an extra org in the link}
3.I use Norton Personal Firewall and even when I disable it and terminate my connection to the ISP, the problem doesn't go away.
Really appreciate your help.

There are numerous dialogues about such in Virtual Memory (VM) based OSes. But at the end of the day, you want all RAM used before going virtual. The article covered this discussion and more.

Sorry if I flubbed on the link:

http://www.aumha.org/articles.htm

Bob