Hi all,

I am new to this forum, so bare with me if this has already been
discussed...

When I first start my computer (Vista Ultimate x64), on 4GB of RAM, the
system uses about ~36%. This gradually increases to ~40% later on. The
problem is, when I leave the computer on for extended periods of time (a
few days), this "idle" RAM usage goes up dramatically, to 60+ and
sometimes 70+ %, with VERY few programs, if any, running. Looking at
task manager or process explorer (with admin rights enabled) shows
absolutely no culprit to this extreme RAM usage. Unlike what Superfetch
(if it were the problem) would do, when memory intensive programs (like
firefox and google earth, each easily taking up 300~500MB) are running,
the RAM is not given up, and results in total RAM usage of 80%+.
Sometimes this causes firefox to crash, and occasionally (haven't had it
happen in months), the system would crash.

The page file has been set to 32MB (left on so the virtual memory
addresses are open), but it clearly doesn't explain why Vista chews up
so much memory by itself.

Attached is a picture of Vista chewing up 81% RAM idling, with nothing
running except MSN and WMP. Just before this screenshot was taken, RAM
jumped up to 97% (nothing crashed, surprisingly), and soon afterwards,
it dropped to 66% (after being at ~80% for quite a while).

I've also noticed that around 2:30AM-3:00AM, something likes to start
eating RAM and CPU cycles (with no indication whatsoever in process
explorer), and eventually stop for no reason. This happens often.

Any idea where I should start? All help is greatly appreciated!

Edit: in the screenshot I forgot to enable all processes, but process
explorer (with admin rights) didn't show anything else except 2
svchost.exe's taking up ~280MB in total.


+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
|Filename: vista ram.jpg |
|Download: http://www.vistax64.com/attachment.p...achmentid=5680 |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+

--
Anfy

Your page filing/virtual memory is usually set to 1 and a 1/2 times the RAM
by default.
Why have you got it set to 32MBs?
--
Mick Murphy - Qld - Australia


"Anfy" wrote:


Hi all,

I am new to this forum, so bare with me if this has already been
discussed...

When I first start my computer (Vista Ultimate x64), on 4GB of RAM, the
system uses about ~36%. This gradually increases to ~40% later on. The
problem is, when I leave the computer on for extended periods of time (a
few days), this "idle" RAM usage goes up dramatically, to 60+ and
sometimes 70+ %, with VERY few programs, if any, running. Looking at
task manager or process explorer (with admin rights enabled) shows
absolutely no culprit to this extreme RAM usage. Unlike what Superfetch
(if it were the problem) would do, when memory intensive programs (like
firefox and google earth, each easily taking up 300~500MB) are running,
the RAM is not given up, and results in total RAM usage of 80%+.
Sometimes this causes firefox to crash, and occasionally (haven't had it
happen in months), the system would crash.

The page file has been set to 32MB (left on so the virtual memory
addresses are open), but it clearly doesn't explain why Vista chews up
so much memory by itself.

Attached is a picture of Vista chewing up 81% RAM idling, with nothing
running except MSN and WMP. Just before this screenshot was taken, RAM
jumped up to 97% (nothing crashed, surprisingly), and soon afterwards,
it dropped to 66% (after being at ~80% for quite a while).

I've also noticed that around 2:30AM-3:00AM, something likes to start
eating RAM and CPU cycles (with no indication whatsoever in process
explorer), and eventually stop for no reason. This happens often.

Any idea where I should start? All help is greatly appreciated!

Edit: in the screenshot I forgot to enable all processes, but process
explorer (with admin rights) didn't show anything else except 2
svchost.exe's taking up ~280MB in total.


+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
|Filename: vista ram.jpg |
|Download: http://www.vistax64.com/attachment.p...achmentid=5680 |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+

--
Anfy

Setting the page file to 32MB prevents RAM from being written to the HD
in the form of page files, which makes the system slower. Since I don't
run any memory intensive programs, it isn't a problem normally, and
makes my computer a lot more responsive.


--
Anfy

I was re-reading your 1st post about the time 2.30-3.00am
Auto Updates is set for about that time.
I think Defrag was scheduled for about then as well, but only one night a
week.
--
Mick Murphy - Qld - Australia


"Anfy" wrote:


Setting the page file to 32MB prevents RAM from being written to the HD
in the form of page files, which makes the system slower. Since I don't
run any memory intensive programs, it isn't a problem normally, and
makes my computer a lot more responsive.


--
Anfy

That makes sense, but the high "idling" (not running anything else) RAM
usage is independent of real-world time, rather on system up-time. :S


--
Anfy

Unlike what Superfetch
(if it were the problem) would do, when memory intensive programs (like
firefox and google earth, each easily taking up 300~500MB) are running,
the RAM is not given up, and results in total RAM usage of 80%+.

So what?
With those "memory intensive" programs running, you still have about
20% of free RAM. Why would Superfecth free up any RAM if there's still
plenty of RAM available?

--



Met vriendelijke groet,
Mark Veldhuis.

Maybe I'm missreading your post, but if you have 4 GB of memory, your
pagefile should be in the territory of 6 GB, not 32 MB, which is extremely
small for that amount of memory you have. Probably just a typo, eh?


"Anfy" wrote in message
...

Hi all,

I am new to this forum, so bare with me if this has already been
discussed...

When I first start my computer (Vista Ultimate x64), on 4GB of RAM, the
system uses about ~36%. This gradually increases to ~40% later on. The
problem is, when I leave the computer on for extended periods of time (a
few days), this "idle" RAM usage goes up dramatically, to 60+ and
sometimes 70+ %, with VERY few programs, if any, running. Looking at
task manager or process explorer (with admin rights enabled) shows
absolutely no culprit to this extreme RAM usage. Unlike what Superfetch
(if it were the problem) would do, when memory intensive programs (like
firefox and google earth, each easily taking up 300~500MB) are running,
the RAM is not given up, and results in total RAM usage of 80%+.
Sometimes this causes firefox to crash, and occasionally (haven't had it
happen in months), the system would crash.

The page file has been set to 32MB (left on so the virtual memory
addresses are open), but it clearly doesn't explain why Vista chews up
so much memory by itself.

Attached is a picture of Vista chewing up 81% RAM idling, with nothing
running except MSN and WMP. Just before this screenshot was taken, RAM
jumped up to 97% (nothing crashed, surprisingly), and soon afterwards,
it dropped to 66% (after being at ~80% for quite a while).

I've also noticed that around 2:30AM-3:00AM, something likes to start
eating RAM and CPU cycles (with no indication whatsoever in process
explorer), and eventually stop for no reason. This happens often.

Any idea where I should start? All help is greatly appreciated!

Edit: in the screenshot I forgot to enable all processes, but process
explorer (with admin rights) didn't show anything else except 2
svchost.exe's taking up ~280MB in total.


+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
|Filename: vista ram.jpg |
|Download: http://www.vistax64.com/attachment.p...achmentid=5680 |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+

--
Anfy

Mark Veldhuis;798720 Wrote:
Unlike what Superfetch
(if it were the problem) would do, when memory intensive programs
(like
firefox and google earth, each easily taking up 300~500MB) are
running,
the RAM is not given up, and results in total RAM usage of 80%+. So what?
With those "memory intensive" programs running, you still have about
20% of free RAM. Why would Superfecth free up any RAM if there's
still
plenty of RAM available?

--



Met vriendelijke groet,
Mark Veldhuis.

At that point Vista is giving me frequent memory low warnings, and
Firefox crashed a couple of times. Shouldn't Superfetch free up RAM
then?


*@Mark H:*
With a very limited hard drive space on my laptop, I can't afford a 6GB
page file that would make my system slower from all the paging. It also
doesn't explain why the system can boot up and run fine on 30~40% of RAM
for a few hours, then decide it wants 30% more for no reason, and
doesn't give any indication of where the RAM went. That is what I'm
really asking. If you think my page file is not enough, please explain
how it is related to the problem.


--
Anfy

At that point Vista is giving me frequent memory low warnings, and
Firefox crashed a couple of times. Shouldn't Superfetch free up RAM
then?

Are you 100% sure you're seeing "memory low" warnings, not "virtual
memory low" warnings?

--



Met vriendelijke groet,
Mark Veldhuis.

As an experiment set your page file to "System managed size" and see if your
problem goes away. I'm pretty sure your page file size is the problem.

--
Kerry Brown
MS-MVP - Windows Desktop Experience: Systems Administration
http://www.vistahelp.ca/phpBB2/
http://vistahelpca.blogspot.com/


"Anfy" wrote in message
...

Hi all,

I am new to this forum, so bare with me if this has already been
discussed...

When I first start my computer (Vista Ultimate x64), on 4GB of RAM, the
system uses about ~36%. This gradually increases to ~40% later on. The
problem is, when I leave the computer on for extended periods of time (a
few days), this "idle" RAM usage goes up dramatically, to 60+ and
sometimes 70+ %, with VERY few programs, if any, running. Looking at
task manager or process explorer (with admin rights enabled) shows
absolutely no culprit to this extreme RAM usage. Unlike what Superfetch
(if it were the problem) would do, when memory intensive programs (like
firefox and google earth, each easily taking up 300~500MB) are running,
the RAM is not given up, and results in total RAM usage of 80%+.
Sometimes this causes firefox to crash, and occasionally (haven't had it
happen in months), the system would crash.

The page file has been set to 32MB (left on so the virtual memory
addresses are open), but it clearly doesn't explain why Vista chews up
so much memory by itself.

Attached is a picture of Vista chewing up 81% RAM idling, with nothing
running except MSN and WMP. Just before this screenshot was taken, RAM
jumped up to 97% (nothing crashed, surprisingly), and soon afterwards,
it dropped to 66% (after being at ~80% for quite a while).

I've also noticed that around 2:30AM-3:00AM, something likes to start
eating RAM and CPU cycles (with no indication whatsoever in process
explorer), and eventually stop for no reason. This happens often.

Any idea where I should start? All help is greatly appreciated!

Edit: in the screenshot I forgot to enable all processes, but process
explorer (with admin rights) didn't show anything else except 2
svchost.exe's taking up ~280MB in total.


+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
|Filename: vista ram.jpg |
|Download: http://www.vistax64.com/attachment.p...achmentid=5680 |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+

--
Anfy