diff --git a/build.xml b/build.xml
index 1de828c63..2523f24fc 100644
--- a/build.xml
+++ b/build.xml
@@ -404,7 +404,8 @@
       <fileset dir=".">
         <include name="startYACY.bat"/>
         <include name="startYACY_debug.bat"/>
-        <include name="stopYACY.bat"/>
+        <include name="stopYACY.bat"/>
+      	<include name="getWin32MaxHeap.bat"/>
       	<!--
         <include name="startYACY_Win9x.bat"/>
         <include name="startYACY_noconsole_Win9x.bat"/>
@@ -579,7 +580,8 @@
       <fileset dir=".">
         <include name="startYACY.bat"/>
         <include name="startYACY_noconsole.bat"/>
-        <include name="stopYACY.bat"/>
+        <include name="stopYACY.bat"/>
+      	<include name="getWin32MaxHeap.bat"/>
       	<!--
         <include name="startYACY_Win9x.bat"/>
         <include name="startYACY_noconsole_Win9x.bat"/>
diff --git a/getWin32MaxHeap.bat b/getWin32MaxHeap.bat
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..841ab490a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/getWin32MaxHeap.bat
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+@echo off
+echo This can cause high system load.
+echo To abort press CTRL+C.
+echo ***
+pause  
+java -cp classes de.anomic.server.serverSystem -m
+pause
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/source/de/anomic/server/serverSystem.java b/source/de/anomic/server/serverSystem.java
index 29dc7bafe..961868884 100644
--- a/source/de/anomic/server/serverSystem.java
+++ b/source/de/anomic/server/serverSystem.java
@@ -27,12 +27,15 @@ import java.io.IOException;
 import java.io.InputStreamReader;
 import java.lang.reflect.Constructor;
 import java.lang.reflect.Method;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Hashtable;
+import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Properties;
 import java.util.Vector;
 
 import de.anomic.kelondro.util.Log;
 import de.anomic.kelondro.util.FileUtils;
+import de.anomic.tools.consoleInterface;
 
 public final class serverSystem {
 
@@ -109,10 +112,6 @@ public final class serverSystem {
 		if (isWindows) maxPathLength = 255; else maxPathLength = 65535;
 	}
 
-	/*    public static boolean isWindows() {
-        return systemOS == systemWindows;
-    }*/
-
 	public static Object getMacOSTS(final String s) {
 		if ((isMacArchitecture) && (macMRJFileUtils != null)) try {
 			if ((s == null) || (s.equals(blankTypeString))) return macMRJOSNullObj;
@@ -214,6 +213,38 @@ public final class serverSystem {
 		setMacFSCreator(f, creator);
 		return getMacFSCreator(f).equals(creator); // this is not always true! I guess it's caused by deprecation of the interface in 1.4er Apple Extensions
 	}
+	
+	/**
+	 * finds the maximum possible heap (may cause high system load)
+	 * @return heap in -Xmx<i>[heap]</i>m
+	 * @author [DW], 07.02.2009
+	 */
+	public static int getWin32MaxHeap() {
+		int maxmem = 1000;
+		while(checkWin32Heap(maxmem)) maxmem += 100;
+		while(!checkWin32Heap(maxmem)) maxmem -= 10;
+		return maxmem;
+	}
+	
+	/**
+	 * checks heap (may cause high system load)
+	 * @param mem heap to check in -Xmx<i>[heap]</i>m
+	 * @return true if possible
+	 * @author [DW], 07.02.2009
+	 */
+	public static boolean checkWin32Heap(int mem){
+		String line = "";
+        final List<String> processArgs = new ArrayList<String>();
+        processArgs.add("java");
+        processArgs.add("-Xms4m");
+        processArgs.add("-Xmx" + Integer.toString(mem) + "m");
+        try {
+    		line = consoleInterface.getLastLineConsoleOutput(processArgs, new Log("MEMCHECK"));
+		} catch (final IOException e) {
+			return false;
+		}
+		return (line.indexOf("space for object heap") > -1) ? false : true;
+	}
 
 	public static String infoString() {
 		String s = "System=";
@@ -383,6 +414,9 @@ public final class serverSystem {
 		if (args[0].equals("-u")) {
 			openBrowser(args[1]);
 		}
+		if (args[0].equals("-m")) {
+			System.out.println("Maximum possible memory: " + Integer.toString(getWin32MaxHeap()) + "m");
+		}
 	}
 
 }
diff --git a/source/de/anomic/tools/consoleInterface.java b/source/de/anomic/tools/consoleInterface.java
index 50e7a3636..92ba6ca24 100755
--- a/source/de/anomic/tools/consoleInterface.java
+++ b/source/de/anomic/tools/consoleInterface.java
@@ -92,4 +92,53 @@ public class consoleInterface extends Thread
         dataIsRead.release();
         return output;
     }
+    
+    /**
+     * simple interface
+     * @return console output
+     * @throws IOException
+     */
+	public static List<String> getConsoleOutput(final List<String> processArgs, Log log) throws IOException {
+	    final ProcessBuilder processBuilder = new ProcessBuilder(processArgs);
+	    Process process = null;
+	    consoleInterface inputStream = null;
+	    consoleInterface errorStream = null;
+	
+	    try {
+	        process = processBuilder.start();
+	
+	        inputStream = new consoleInterface(process.getInputStream(), log);
+	        errorStream = new consoleInterface(process.getErrorStream(), log);
+	
+	        inputStream.start();
+	        errorStream.start();
+	
+	        /*int retval =*/ process.waitFor();
+	
+	    } catch (final IOException iox) {
+	        log.logWarning("logpoint 0 " + iox.getMessage());
+	        throw new IOException(iox.getMessage());
+	    } catch (final InterruptedException ix) {
+	        log.logWarning("logpoint 1 " + ix.getMessage());
+	        throw new IOException(ix.getMessage());
+	    }
+	    final List<String> list = inputStream.getOutput();
+	    if (list.isEmpty()) {
+	        final String error = errorStream.getOutput().toString();
+	        log.logWarning("logpoint 2: "+ error);
+	        throw new IOException("empty list: " + error);
+	    }
+	    return list;
+	}
+	
+	public static String getLastLineConsoleOutput(final List<String> processArgs, Log log) throws IOException {
+		List<String> lines = getConsoleOutput(processArgs, log);
+        String line = "";
+        for (int l = lines.size() - 1; l >= 0; l--) {
+            line = lines.get(l).trim();
+            if (line.length() > 0) break;
+        }
+        return line;
+	}
+
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/source/de/anomic/tools/diskUsage.java b/source/de/anomic/tools/diskUsage.java
index 2ed7e71ae..cf1996f4d 100644
--- a/source/de/anomic/tools/diskUsage.java
+++ b/source/de/anomic/tools/diskUsage.java
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ public class diskUsage {
         if (usedOS != TRU64 && usedOS != HAIKU)
             processArgs.add("-l");
 
-        final List<String> lines = getConsoleOutput(processArgs);
+        final List<String> lines = consoleInterface.getConsoleOutput(processArgs, log);
         return lines;
     }
 
@@ -306,7 +306,7 @@ public class diskUsage {
         yacyUsedVolumes.add(path.substring(0, 1));
     }
 
-    public static HashMap<String, long[]> dfWindows() {
+    private static HashMap<String, long[]> dfWindows() {
         final HashMap<String, long[]> diskUsages = new HashMap<String, long[]>();
         for (int i = 0; i < yacyUsedVolumes.size(); i++){
             final List<String> processArgs = new ArrayList<String>();
@@ -316,7 +316,7 @@ public class diskUsage {
             processArgs.add(yacyUsedVolumes.get(i) + ":\\");
 
             try {
-                final List<String> lines = getConsoleOutput(processArgs);
+                final List<String> lines = consoleInterface.getConsoleOutput(processArgs, log);
 
                 String line = "";
                 for (int l = lines.size() - 1; l >= 0; l--) {
@@ -388,38 +388,5 @@ public class diskUsage {
             yacyUsedVolumes.add(sub);
     }
 
-    private static List<String> getConsoleOutput(final List<String> processArgs) throws IOException {
-        final ProcessBuilder processBuilder = new ProcessBuilder(processArgs);
-        Process process = null;
-        consoleInterface inputStream = null;
-        consoleInterface errorStream = null;
-
-        try {
-            process = processBuilder.start();
-
-            inputStream = new consoleInterface(process.getInputStream(), log);
-            errorStream = new consoleInterface(process.getErrorStream(), log);
-
-            inputStream.start();
-            errorStream.start();
-
-            /*int retval =*/ process.waitFor();
-
-        } catch (final IOException iox) {
-            log.logWarning("logpoint 0 " + iox.getMessage());
-            throw new IOException(iox.getMessage());
-        } catch (final InterruptedException ix) {
-            log.logWarning("logpoint 1 " + ix.getMessage());
-            throw new IOException(ix.getMessage());
-        }
-        final List<String> list = inputStream.getOutput();
-        if (list.isEmpty()) {
-            final String error = errorStream.getOutput().toString();
-            log.logWarning("logpoint 2: "+ error);
-            throw new IOException("empty list: " + error);
-        }
-        return list;
-    }
-
 }