Think i have a memory leak, cant find it though

[Thornton]

when i start my computer it stays at around 26% ram usage (2.6gb in my case) for about 3-5 hours, then it starts increasing, by the next morning i will sometimes find it at 4gb or sometimes even 5gb. i tried running a filter on my RAM usage, but nothing was popping out at me. i estimated the total amount ram being used that it is actually showing me is often allot less, my list only has a little over 120-150 processes running, and they dont seem to add up to 4gb, EVER. i ran anti virus multiple times... nothing. im runing out of options. is it possible that there are applications or services that are not appearing in the list, but are still there?

 

[zigzag3143]

when i start my computer it stays at around 26% ram usage (2.6gb in my case) for about 3-5 hours, then it starts increasing, by the next morning i will sometimes find it at 4gb or sometimes even 5gb. i tried running a filter on my RAM usage, but nothing was popping out at me. i estimated the total amount ram being used that it is actually showing me is often allot less, my list only has a little over 120-150 processes running, and they dont seem to add up to 4gb, EVER. i ran anti virus multiple times... nothing. im runing out of options. is it possible that there are applications or services that are not appearing in the list, but are still there?

First are you lloking in task manager? If so, do you have show processes from all users ?

120-150 processes is really, really high. Right now I have two browsers open, team view, astra, skype, am downloading a video, email, etc and I have 62 processes (64 bit)

I suspect something is wrong. Can you upload a snapshot of the performance tab sorted by ram?

 

[fseal]

Instead of using the processes tab of the task manager to check for ram usage. Click the resource monitor button on the performance tab. Then click on the memory tab and then sort by the "working set". The working set is the actual physical ram in use at the moment by the program. There are more things that will show up here than the task manager, for example VM Ware's virtual disk allocation does not show up in task manager but does show up here. (And that is almost 2 gigs on my VMs!)

If that still fails to show the culprit, a more verbose but less pretty version of the resource monitor is the Process Explorer from Microsoft:

Process Explorer

[Edit] posted at same time as zigzag and I concur with his statement, 120-150 processes is a LOT. I have 72 running and a ton of stuff open atm... Use the resource monitor or process explorer to try to track some of them down. When you see a dll or exe name listed that you don;t recognise. Type it into google. 99% of the time a site called "What is this process" or something will come up in the list and tell you what it is. [/edit]

 

[Thornton]

Instead of using the processes tab of the task manager to check for ram usage. Click the resource monitor button on the performance tab. Then click on the memory tab and then sort by the "working set". The working set is the actual physical ram in use at the moment by the program. There are more things that will show up here than the task manager, for example VM Ware's virtual disk allocation does not show up in task manager but does show up here. (And that is almost 2 gigs on my VMs!)

If that still fails to show the culprit, a more verbose but less pretty version of the resource monitor is the Process Explorer from Microsoft:

Process Explorer

[Edit] posted at same time as zigzag and I concur with his statement, 120-150 processes is a LOT. I have 72 running and a ton of stuff open atm... Use the resource monitor or process explorer to try to track some of them down. When you see a dll or exe name listed that you don;t recognise. Type it into google. 99% of the time a site called "What is this process" or something will come up in the list and tell you what it is. [/edit]

thank you for the information, i will look into trying that later and will post my findings

 

[Thornton]

when i start my computer it stays at around 26% ram usage (2.6gb in my case) for about 3-5 hours, then it starts increasing, by the next morning i will sometimes find it at 4gb or sometimes even 5gb. i tried running a filter on my RAM usage, but nothing was popping out at me. i estimated the total amount ram being used that it is actually showing me is often allot less, my list only has a little over 120-150 processes running, and they dont seem to add up to 4gb, EVER. i ran anti virus multiple times... nothing. im runing out of options. is it possible that there are applications or services that are not appearing in the list, but are still there?

First are you lloking in task manager? If so, do you have show processes from all users ?

120-150 processes is really, really high. Right now I have two browsers open, team view, astra, skype, am downloading a video, email, etc and I have 62 processes (64 bit)

I suspect something is wrong. Can you upload a snapshot of the performance tab sorted by ram?

i just restarted my computer so the physical memory is down to 25% (thank god). its running 100 processes as i write this. and i will post a snap shot.

they look rather identical but the second image i scrolled down so you could see the rest of the list

not sure what happend but it lost allot of quality it looks like on upload

i used blogger to upload and i guess the file was too big for them, sry, not sure what to say bout that

 

[zigzag3143]

Images are too small even full size to read

 

[Thornton]

Images are too small even full size to read

im sry? full size is 5760x1080! thats not small at all leme see if i can do somthing bout it


nope, still not likein it full size

 

[Layback Bear]

I can't read them even when using the magnifier.
Let start at the beginning. Start/search and type in msconfig/open it up and go to start up and let us know how many things are starting up. I only have my security and mouse/keyboard. Then while you are in msconfig go to services and check Hide all Microsoft Services. I only have my security checked. You may be running a gazillion thing that don't need to run until you tell them to. Please don't mess with Microsoft Services.

 

[Thornton]

I can't read them even when using the magnifier.
Let start at the beginning. Start/search and type in msconfig/open it up and go to start up and let us know how many things are starting up. I only have my security and mouse/keyboard. Then while you are in msconfig go to services and check Hide all Microsoft Services. I only have my security checked. You may be running a gazillion thing that don't need to run until you tell them to. Please don't mess with Microsoft Services.

my startup apps...
keyboard drivers
mouse driver software
mouse driver configuration software
trend micro
DW6 (???)
MS windows OS
Origin
akamai net session
AMD Hydravision MD
Vision Control Center
trend micro safe sync
Object Dock



and thats it

 

[Layback Bear]

If it was my computer I would keep trend mirco security, mouse and keyboard.
Some of those things can use up a lot of computer. Heck DW6 is a game starting up on boot. What do you have for non Microsoft services.

 

[Thornton]

If it was my computer I would keep trend mirco security, mouse and keyboard.
Some of those things can use up a lot of computer. Heck DW6 is a game starting up on boot. What do you have for non Microsoft services.

DW6 should be dynasty warriors 6 (dont have it)

VCC has to stay, thats my graphics drivers, if that gos, my 3d monitor goes.
as for object doc, i often use that inplace of my start bar, so that needs to stay (its also using only 20 some od Kb).
i could turn hydravision off, but its part of my graphics driver so ill loose the abillity of multiple desk tops until i turn it back on.
IDK what akami net session is, but i have no clue what it is, if its tied with logmein than i need it, if not, ill toss it off the list.

origin is already off the startup list so thats not a problem

 

[fseal]

Well more than likely it's only a single program that is causing the runaway memory usage.

I would use the Resource Monitor or Process Explorer if necessary to try to find out which one first. Otherwise you'll have to disable them one by one to find out who the culprit is. (Which it may come to in the end anyway, but why not start with the easy way first? )

 

[Thornton]

Well more than likely it's only a single program that is causing the runaway memory usage.

I would use the Resource Monitor or Process Explorer if necessary to try to find out which one first. Otherwise you'll have to disable them one by one to find out who the culprit is. (Which it may come to in the end anyway, but why not start with the easy way first? )

ok, so i have resource monitor up, but have to say, im really not sure how you want me to go about searching for the culprit in this application if you wouldn't mind walking me through what you had planned for me to do. i have it open and am in the memory tab // whats next

 

[fseal]

I spelled it out earlier in this thread.

Bring up the Memory tab and sort on "Working Set" which is the actual physical memory being used. It'll bring the highest memory users to the top, if you have a single program leaking gigs of ram it will likely show up pretty clearly.

However there is still the possibility it may not show up there if it's actually a driver causing the problem A program called RamMap may then actually show the leaked memory it but tracking down exactly what driver it is could be tricky.

 

[oreo27]

Well more than likely it's only a single program that is causing the runaway memory usage.

I would use the Resource Monitor or Process Explorer if necessary to try to find out which one first. Otherwise you'll have to disable them one by one to find out who the culprit is. (Which it may come to in the end anyway, but why not start with the easy way first? )

ok, so i have resource monitor up, but have to say, im really not sure how you want me to go about searching for the culprit in this application if you wouldn't mind walking me through what you had planned for me to do. i have it open and am in the memory tab // whats next

Basically, this is what it should look like

You achieve this result when left clicking the column header labeled "Working Set"

It should be in the descending order. I usually have these types of memory leaks when leaving browser windows open for a long time.

 

[Thornton]

Well more than likely it's only a single program that is causing the runaway memory usage.

I would use the Resource Monitor or Process Explorer if necessary to try to find out which one first. Otherwise you'll have to disable them one by one to find out who the culprit is. (Which it may come to in the end anyway, but why not start with the easy way first? )

ok, so i have resource monitor up, but have to say, im really not sure how you want me to go about searching for the culprit in this application if you wouldn't mind walking me through what you had planned for me to do. i have it open and am in the memory tab // whats next

Basically, this is what it should look like

You achieve this result when left clicking the column header labeled "Working Set"

It should be in the descending order. I usually have these types of memory leaks when leaving browser windows open for a long time.

i did that originally and had to ask the question for sure, few conclusive results come from guessing, however i guess it might have in my case

 

[oreo27]

Can you post the screenshot here?

 

[Thornton]

I spelled it out earlier in this thread.

Bring up the Memory tab and sort on "Working Set" which is the actual physical memory being used. It'll bring the highest memory users to the top, if you have a single program leaking gigs of ram it will likely show up pretty clearly.

However there is still the possibility it may not show up there if it's actually a driver causing the problem A program called RamMap may then actually show the leaked memory it but tracking down exactly what driver it is could be tricky.

so, heres what it loos like BEFORE i start having problems (understandably not like the day i built it/bought it, but when i first installed windows it ran with a smooth 16%- 20% on start up... now its 24 to 36 on start up)

 

[Thornton]

Can you post the screenshot here?

ya, was bout to

 

[fseal]

Ok your looking ok so far... Now I guess you have to wait for the problem to get bad and take a look again.