736mb memory used up with no programs open

Any ideas why this would be happening? No windows open and only Avast and "Intel(R) Graphics Media Accelerator Driver For Mobile" in the tray.

swr1986 said:

Any ideas why this would be happening? No windows open and only Avast and "Intel(R) Graphics Media Accelerator Driver For Mobile" in the tray.

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That isn't very bad for 64 bit Windows 7. It uses up more ram than 32 bit. Try decreasing the amount of startup programs by going to start, type in msconfig, and press enter. Then, go to the startup tab and disable everything except the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator and Avast.

The graph shows your CPU is being used so something is going on.

I can't remember what all the CPU peaks were. First ones will be me opening task man I imagine. Maybe the later ones were me closing a couple of programs. It stuck around about 1% and 736MB after that though.

All I had on startup was the Java AutoUpdater, Avast and 3 X "Intel(R) Common User Interface".

swr1986 said:

I can't remember what all the CPU peaks were. First ones will be me opening task man I imagine. Maybe the later ones were me closing a couple of programs. It stuck around about 1% and 736MB after that though.

All I had on startup was the Java AutoUpdater, Avast and 3 X "Intel(R) Common User Interface".

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Keep the Java AutoUpdater enabled. Unless you tweak graphics card settings, you can disable the Intel(R) Common User Interface which shouldn't hurt anything. If you do need it, you can go back into msconfig and check its checkbox again. Honestly, your ram usage isn't too bad for 64 bit Windows. If you need more ram, you could switch to 32 bit Windows 7 which uses less ram.

Thanks for the advice. Disappointing that this is just how it is, relieving that there isn't anything wrong with the laptop/install.

I see nothing wrong with the screen shot posted. So what if its is using 736MBs or RAM. RAM is meant to be used! I've ran Windows 7 on 2GBs (50% memory usage on average) for years without a single issue, and I was heavy on it.

I'm on Windows 7 x64 with 2GB of RAM and here is my working load with Chrome open (33 Processes, 39%, 781MB). Note that I have slimmed down my machine to be very lean and mean. I see nothing out of line regarding your load.

You are fine. There is nothing wrong. No need to save RAM for a rainy day. The more the system uses, the better it is. My system currently uses 3.4GB and I am not doing a lot.

I remember all that tweaking of winxp down to like 130 MB at idle then having to wait for anything to open

I agree, memory usage looks normal. You have to understand that the memory usage of the system and startup processes is highly dynamic and is by no means a fixed quantity. The memory manager will always try to assign memory where it will do the most good to maintain good overall system performance. When memory demand is light, as it will be at startup, the memory manager will let startup process use pretty much whatever memory they want. Memory is meant to be used and it isn't needed for anything else. Unused memory is wasted memory. But when a large application is loaded the memory usage of inactive processes will be trimmed back, drastically if necessary. If a process is really doing nothing it's usage can be trimmed back to almost nothing. If that trimmed process starts to do something it will be given more memory. You can see this happen by watching memory usage of processes with Task Manager.

This dynamic usage of memory is why adding memory to a system improves performance.

my msi laptop uses about 2 gb with no apps running. I have an older toshiba a205 and I put w7 on it and completely stripped it down to nothing and it ony has 1 gb ddr2 and the best I can do is 400-500mb idle. so you are right there. I use clean mem mini monitor and you can clean the memory by double clicking and itll lower the usage to the minium. I can get it to 450+-mb using the mini monitor, you can also flush the cache using it too. it usually takes it from about 700-800mb used down to 500-550mb area. and ram is pretty cheap nowadays so upgrading isn't as crazy as it once was

chrisl2366 said:

....I use clean mem mini monitor and you can clean the memory by double clicking and itll lower the usage to the minium. I can get it to 450+-mb using the mini monitor, you can also flush the cache using it too. it usually takes it from about 700-800mb used down to 500-550mb area. and ram is pretty cheap nowadays so upgrading isn't as crazy as it once was

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It takes an app a bit longer to load the first time it is started after booting a computer. Subsequent loadings of that same app might not take as long to load because the of the way that the memory management works. It sounds like your mini monitor tool is forcing the OS memory management system to clear stuff out that it normally would keep - thus making apps start up as slow as they did when you first booted.

I could be wrong about that - but some benchmarking might be in order before you decide that you are really helping your system's performance by using that mini monitor tool.

Im not saying mini monitor will help performance. Im just telling him the mini monitor will help him get his memory usage down a little more by its cleaning ability. that's all, no performance adjustment at all. thanks

As I mentioned previously, there is nothing wrong with the memory usage as it is. Windows 7 has excellent memory management and there is no need or benefit in any add-on memory cleaners, optimizers, boosters, etc. They will not benefit performance and will almost always impair it.

Modern operating systems are fully capable of managing memory on their own without the need of any help. The problem is that most computer users have a hopelessly outdated (1980's and older) concept of how memory is managed in a modern OS. Modern operating systems are designed with the concept that memory should be used to the fullest possible extent and free memory is evil. The basic concepts have been in use on large computers since the 1960's and have been fully validated. They were introduced to smaller systems in the 1990's when the hardware became capable.

I will say only one more thing regarding this: In the Microsoft publication "Windows Internals", 5th edition, the authors mentioned these memory cleaners and described how they worked. The comments were not very complimentary, quite the contrary. One of the authors is Mark Russinovich who holds a PHD in computer science and is a well known Windows expert.

swr1986 said:

Thanks for the advice. Disappointing that this is just how it is, relieving that there isn't anything wrong with the laptop/install.

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Why would you be disappointed? Your ram is working as designed. As many have already stated. I would think that would be good news. Forget the old XP tricks and thoughts because Windows 7 handles ram better than XP ever could even with a the little tricks we use to do.
If you ever use your computer in such a fashion that you need more ram, just add more ram if possible and let Windows 7 take care of it for you.

logicearth said:

I see nothing wrong with the screen shot posted. So what if its is using 736MBs or RAM. RAM is meant to be used! I've ran Windows 7 on 2GBs (50% memory usage on average) for years without a single issue, and I was heavy on it.

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Running on 1 GB RAM here LOL, she runs very smoothly too

the thread starter wants to know how to use less memory. he doesn't want your opinion about what he should and shouldn't do with his memory. if he wants to use the bare minimum of ram that's his right to do so. if you do not agree that's your right. start a thread about how people should use their ram. and if he wants free ram that's not used then let him. do you want to go to his house and use his computer? if not then lets just answer his question. not name drop a phd to prove your right about memory cleaners. you might be right but so what? you feel good? good day and to the thread starter do what you want with your ram. and you don't have to explain why you want free ram. I have 16gb and im always wanting to use the least amount as possible at idle.

Chris I'm not understanding you post #18.
Most post were explaining to the OP that the ram was not a problem so therefor their is nothing to fix. Just enjoy the computer.
I really don't understand all the anger.

Please note that swr1986 at no time in this thread asked for how to reduce memory consumption. He asked only for an explanation for what he was seeing in Task Manager. I provided it.