Windows 7: Memory Leak

I don't have a good start time on this. I noticed it last weekend.



I am running Windows 7 x64, release version from MSDN. If I leave my machine on for 8+ hours, when I log back in it is using 5GB of memory. I have 6GB installed.

I have confirmed no spyware or viruses. I checked processes using Task Manager and Processes Explorer and nothing is using over 150MB and total was just less than 2GB when adding them all up.

It isn't making a whole lot of sense. What could be using RAM but not reporting its usage other then the OS?

Just in case it matters the machine is a 2008 Mac Pro, dual Xeon, 6GB RAM. Antivirus is AVG (which I have removed while I am not using the machine to see if that is the memory hog).

Any thoughts?

i pretty much have the same issue, except mine doesnt use that muchof my RAM. I have 4 gigs installed and i notice the longer i leave my machine running the more ram it eats up. It can go up to 2 gigs with nothing running even though when i boot up it only uses about half that.

What version are u running? Im on RC 7100

I assume you're talking about "cached" memory? If so, that is entirely normal and it's called superfetch. The OS uses currently-unassigned memory to load things which may become useful in the near future. For each correct OS prediction, your experience as a user is that little bit faster. Otherwise, if it gets it wrong, no big deal at all, memory is never "empty" anyway and it gets repurposed at the same speed irrespective of what irrelevant data was in it.

Don't get too hung up on trying to account for memory utilisation. Modern OSs are complex beasts. "Free+Used=Total" is no longer true

[quote=H2SO4;293176]I guess I should have been more specific. I am a Computer Engineer with 10 years of Microsoft experience. So while I appreciate your advice, I am fairly sure this isn't an issue of prefetching.

*This is not meant to be a smart retort, just trying to give some background*

My machine becomes nearly unresponsive. Apps can load, but they take 2-3x longer. After a reboot, everything is just fine. I am also pretty sure superfetch/prefetched RAM doesn't show as used, but not 100% sure on that. I wouldn't be concerned or have noticed except for the fact peformance took a dive. Which I should have mentioned first

OK, if you're not talking about the "cached memory" field (in task manager), where are you looking to see the leak?

If the box is in the "bad" state now, or getting there, can you please run this from a CMD prompt and paste back the results:

systeminfo |find "emory"

Looks like AVG was the problem.

I removed AVG, and performed normal activities. (Playing games the night before. Closing those games. Letting it sit for 10 hours. Log back in to check memory) and the memory was normal 1.5-2GB used. Did this for 2 days with no issue.

I have since installed Microsoft Security Essentials and everything is working fine.

I could have told you it was AVG, it's been causing memory leaks on a bunch of machines for awhile now. Quite a few complaints about it already so it's well documented in other threads.

I had same problem ( 4 gigs ) booting the system used mem. was .992 to 1.25 gigs . Just exploring folders on HD`s used mem. built up to 2.4 gigs and even more w. out running any program . Some 1 to 1.5 gigs of mem. could not be identified not in Task Manager nor in Resource Monitor or in Procexe .

I am almost sure the problem was SOLVED after DEFRAG the System disk ( c: ) with Defragler from Piriform . !!! There were some 12% of fragmented files with more then 15,000 fragments , I suspect the fragments inflated the Kernel Memory .

Would Someone check that solution to be sure that`s the problem .

Now My System is working nice for the last few days the Used Memory is going up and back down as running or closing Programs .

AVG just released version 9.
Maybe it solved the experienced problems.

cool, i'll try it and report back