Solved Hardware is using up most of my RAM HP Probook 4530s

[m0stlyharmless]

I have a HP Probook 4530s that is double booted with Windows 7 and OSX and has 8 GB of RAM. It is running the version of Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit that came with the computer. None of the original software has been removed. I have been having some issues with my hardware consuming most of the RAM in Windows 7 to the point where I only have 2.9 GB of usable RAM (I had the same amount of usable RAM when the computer had 4 GB of installed RAM). Windows detects that I have 8 GB of RAM installed so I don't think it is an issue with how the RAM is installed. (Additionally, I can use all of the RAM in OSX). How can I fix this issue?

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Hello and welcome mostly I reckon you should look at what is being used at boot up > Start > type msconfig > right click run as admin and go to the tab Start you will see what is being loaded at boot up you can then work through some of the bloatware which sounds like lot of your problem too and untick them see my on boot pic.

Another helpful thing is this Autoruns for Windows to see what you have running and this for a bit of tuning up-
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/11728-optimize-windows-7-a.html?filter[2]=Performance Maintenance

 

[vaidas3]

Hardware uses to much RAM? you mean hardware reserved memory? Or software uses to much RAM?
Press START and type resource. resource monitor should come out. open it and open memory tab. can you post screen shot?

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Hum vaidas thats why I asked re the running processes

 

[AddRAM]

That`s just the way it is with some motherboards and the way they and windows handles your memory. Just open up task manager>resource monitor>memory. Add up the total and you will see it`s all there. This is a shot of my 64 Bit Compaq with 6 Gigs installed and only 3.5 usable but as you can see it`s all there and hardware reserved.

 

[Layback Bear]

I'm note sure what to look for in running process for Hardware Reserve.
What does it look like.
Now AddRam picture shows me something.

 

[AddRAM]

It wouldn`t be there, it`s memory that`s used for your video card.

Open up your WEI then click on view and print detailed performance. Then go down and look at your total available graphics memory, it should be way higher then the physical memory you have on the card. That`s hardware reserved memory. On this machine my BFG 9600 GT has 512 MB on the card, but it`s total available graphics memory is 2047 MB it`s using 1535 MB from the hardware reserved stock pile.

 

[Layback Bear]

This would be helpful.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/180324-system-info-see-your-system-specs.html

http://www.piriform.com/speccy/download

 

[AddRAM]

Ya speccy shows you what you have and in each slot. But when you look at Physical memory it may show it wrong.

Speccy does not tell you what`s using your memory either. Good tool though, I`ve always used it for temps also.

 

[lehnerus2000]

Aye Carumba!

Whoa!
Is all of that memory being used by the graphics card?

Here's my RM.

​

 

[AddRAM]

No, you don`t have but 1 MB towards hardware reserved, your good to go. That`s how my XFX board shows with 8 GBs, almost all free.

It`s all about the motherboard.

Are you people new at this or something :sarc:

How many times are we gonna go over this stuff

 

[lehnerus2000]

My comment was in response to your picture.

 

[AddRAM]

Oh ok , Gotcha.

On this board yes it`s reserved, but who knows exactly where all of it`s going, most towards graphics.

This particular ASUS board is only suppossed to support 4 Gigs, but it works just fine with 6.

The BFG 9600 GT connects to a Dell 1440 x 900 and to my Sony Bravia 40" and works flawlessly.

 

[Layback Bear]

No two system are the same. I have found that if the wrong memory or installed incorrectly will raise the Hardware Reserve. Check using your motherboard manual that the ram is installed correctly. Also double check if the ram is proper. Because my system is different than others this is what I have.



lehnerus2000 I looked in your post #10. at the top.
Do you have a utorrent going at the time?

 

[vaidas3]

Oh ok , Gotcha.

On this board yes it`s reserved, but who knows exactly where all of it`s going, most towards graphics.

This particular ASUS board is only suppossed to support 4 Gigs, but it works just fine with 6.

The BFG 9600 GT connects to a Dell 1440 x 900 and to my Sony Bravia 40" and works flawlessly.

hmm maybe that is problem with so much hardware reserved memory because more than 2GB memory for VGA is crazy .. for example when i use 32bit windows and add more ram that its supported ~3.5GB all the unsupported memory goes to system reserved. It may be same deal with not supported RAM by the motherboard.. it may be waste of ram try with 4GB (max supported ram on your board) will you get same insane amout of reserved memory?

 

[m0stlyharmless]

Hello and welcome mostly I reckon you should look at what is being used at boot up > Start > type msconfig > right click run as admin and go to the tab Start you will see what is being loaded at boot up you can then work through some of the bloatware which sounds like lot of your problem too and untick them see my on boot pic.

Another helpful thing is this Autoruns for Windows to see what you have running and this for a bit of tuning up-
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/11728-optimize-windows-7-a.html?filter[2]=Performance Maintenance

I took your advice on disabling some of the bloatware but I am still having issues with having lots of my ram being used up by the hardware. Here is a screenshot of resource monitor that shows exactly how much RAM is being used up by the hardware:

How can I fix this?

 

[m0stlyharmless]

Oh ok , Gotcha.

On this board yes it`s reserved, but who knows exactly where all of it`s going, most towards graphics.

This particular ASUS board is only suppossed to support 4 Gigs, but it works just fine with 6.

The BFG 9600 GT connects to a Dell 1440 x 900 and to my Sony Bravia 40" and works flawlessly.

hmm maybe that is problem with so much hardware reserved memory because more than 2GB memory for VGA is crazy .. for example when i use 32bit windows and add more ram that its supported ~3.5GB all the unsupported memory goes to system reserved. It may be same deal with not supported RAM by the motherboard.. it may be waste of ram try with 4GB (max supported ram on your board) will you get same insane amout of reserved memory?

The max amount of RAM that is officially supported on my laptop is 8 GB so I don't think that is the issue. Additionally, I was having the issue with having only 2.9 GB of RAM usable when my computer had 4 GB of RAM.

 

[AddRAM]

This particular board has no problem, like I siad it only supports 4 gigs and I have 3.50 usable so there is nothing wrong with having 2562 MBs hardware reserved as I actually have 6 gigs installed and windows sees it fine. It`s just a resurrected Compaq Presario

m0stlyharmless Welcome to the Forums

I have no idea why you have so much memory being hardware reserved, are you using on board video or do you have a graphics card installed ?
That sux, it`s like you have bacically no free memory.

Put a desktop gadget on your desktop that shows how much memory is being used.

http://www.thoosje.com/desktop-gadgets-gallery.html

 

[lehnerus2000]

I'm curious ...

lehnerus2000 I looked in your post #10. at the top.
Do you have a utorrent going at the time?

No. (I don't even have utorrent).
If I want to use a torrent, I use my Linux Mint install (or my Ubuntu VM).

I'm curious, what did you see in the picture that prompted you to ask that?

 

[whs]

Remove OSX and you get your RAM back. You are anyhow in violation of the OSX EULA. Legally, OSX can only be installed on Apple systems.