Memory Creep

[dgebow]

Last week, I had an issue where I had 8GB of RAM, but only 3 was being used. We fixed that with a setting in MSCONFIG.

Now, my RAM use starts low (2GB) and over a 4 yr period, it creeps up to 7GB, even at idle. Its more than superfetch, becuase the whole computer slows to a snails pace.

I've tried turning off different known memory hogs (McAfee, CHROME), still no use. I've run all the AV scans...no luck.

I presume it must be a setting for x64? Any suggestions of a checklist I should look into?

 

[logicearth]

It is one of your applications you have installed. Antivirus software is one of the common occurrences.
Uninstall Mcafee completely. (I would recommend even if it wasn't causing a problem.)

 

[cluberti]

Agreed. Take a look at resmon (memory tab) to get an indication of which applications are consuming resources. That's an awful lot of CPU activity too, although if you're swapping data in and out of the paging file that's more likely the cause of the slowdowns than a pegged CPU.

 

[Mellon Head]

It is one of your applications you have installed. Antivirus software is one of the common occurrences.
Uninstall Mcafee completely. (I would recommend even if it wasn't causing a problem.)

+1 Agree completely.

I would go with MSE for anti virus, but make sure that you download it from the official Microsoft website.

 

[Wishmaster]

136 running processes. Seems quite excessive to be at idle.

What all do you have running ATM?

 

[richc46]

Have you given thought to a full anti virus scan and a full scan with malwarebytes?
When using Malwarebytes, be sure to update first.

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there
I can't offer a technical explanation but over time you get bits of temporary folders, unused clusters, application update data and all sorts of other garbage left on your system as well as some system programs databases themselves becoming larger.

It might be time to do an early "Spring clean" of your system -- Fresh install with latest updates and only re-install applications you are actually using.

Backup any USER DATA before doing this of course.

I really doubt that this particular issue is caused by an infected system --you'd probably have discovered that a long while ago if you'd had one.

I don't on the whole recommend re-installing the OS unless you really have to but in this case it might be a good idea as you can re-format your disks too to ensure there's no wasted partition space either.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[cluberti]

That may be, but it might be useful to figure out what is causing this before the OP reinstalls everything. What are the odds the OP has done something to cause this, and would reinstall everything and use the PC the same way, and end up in the same boat in <insert time here>? That wouldn't be good...

 

[Maxxwire]

136 running processes. Seems quite excessive to be at idle.

What all do you have running ATM?

Excellent question! I wonder if Services has been purged for unneeded processes that are running like this at startup? And what about the 10,192 MB that the kernel has paged out at less than 5 minutes uptime?

~Maxx~
.

 

[pparks1]

It seems to me that you have some malware on your box? Are you certain your copy of the OS is legit?

 

[skai123]

what settings did you change in MSCONFIG?