Need help getting WIN 7 to use more memory

[Kerrigan]

I have an eMachine cpu to which I added 4 more gig of memory and now have a total of 8 gig of main memory. Is there a setting I can change which will make the 64-bit WIN7 use more of the available memory, which would hopefully speed it up a little?

Thank you.

 

[Brink]

Hello Kerrigan, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Windows will automatically make use of all available memory as needed by default. If Windows shows all 8 GBs available, then there's nothing else that needs to be done.

If you like, you might see if going through and doing the listed items you want in the tutorial below may be able to help improve the performance of your Windows.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/11728-optimize-windows-7-a.html

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[Kerrigan]

Is there a parameter to set within Windows, or some way I can check Windows to see how much it thinks it actually has to use?

 

[LMiller7]

Open Task Manager - Performance tab. In the "Physical Memory" section see the "Total" value. This is the memory available to Windows. There is nothing to set or change.

 

[Kerrigan]

It says a total of 7935 MB physical memory is available ... isn't there any way to increase the amount available to WIN 7 by setting some parameter in the OS? That isn't much out of 8GB installed ...

 

[Brink]

That would be about right then. Some RAM will be reserved for hardware.

 

[Layback Bear]

Kerrigan please understand the Windows 7 will only use ram as it is needed.
If it needs more ram and their is more ram it will use it. If not needed it will not use it. It's simple.

Lets see one of these from your computer.

 

[LMiller7]

8 GB RAM is 8192 MB and of that 7935 MB is available to Windows. The difference is 257 MB and I would assume that most of that is in use by the video system. Even so almost 97% of the total is available to Windows.

 

[Kerrigan]

Okay. I don't find that report; mine look like the "old task manager" format ...

Is my version of WIN7 "out of date" or "broken" that I have a different format?

Kerrigan please understand the Windows 7 will only use ram as it is needed.
If it needs more ram and their is more ram it will use it. If not needed it will not use it. It's simple.

Lets see one of these from your computer.

View attachment 311810

 

[AddRAM]

As stated Windows uses memory when it needs it, you can`t force it to use more.

If you open task manager, it doesn`t look like this ?

 

[ignatzatsonic]

If you start Task Manager, do you see a large button for "Resource Monitor" in the lower right?

 

[AddRAM]

If you start Task Manager, do you see a large button for "Resource Monitor" in the lower right?

It has to be on the performance tab. Then click Resource Monitor, then click the memory tab near the top.

 

[Kerrigan]

Is this showing correct?

 

[Brink]

Kerrigan,

Yes, that would be correct for the amount of RAM you have installed.

Installed = 8192 MB = That's correct.

(Your image)

 

[LMiller7]

The screenshot by Layback Bear is not of Task Manager but of Resource Monitor, accessible from the button of that name on Task Manager. But exactly what is it you are concerned about? The original post was somewhat vague and is being variously interpreted. The screenshot above is very good and is close to ideal, except for there being more free memory than I would like. But with 8 GB memory there is little can be done about that.

 

[Kerrigan]

I added the additional 4gb hoping it would speed up response; my PC response is very VERY slow. Running FireFox that surprised me; I though with the additional memory it would help. I get the message the CPU is maxed out often when I have two sessions open ...

It seems like it's telling me I need to allocate more memory to the process ... but there doesn't seem to be any way to accomplish that task.

Maybe I need to purchase one of those "clean up your computer" pieces of software ... do they really work for this type of response problem: "out of resources" ...?

The screenshot by Layback Bear is not of Task Manager but of Resource Monitor, accessible from the button of that name on Task Manager. But exactly what is it you are concerned about? The original post was somewhat vague and is being variously interpreted. The screenshot above is very good and is close to ideal, except for there being more free memory than I would like. But with 8 GB memory there is little can be done about that.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Maybe I need to purchase one of those "clean up your computer" pieces of software ... do they really work for this type of response problem: "out of resources" ...?

Don't bother with those types of software.

You have something else going on that is causing slow response.

I'd check stuff such as number and type of processes running, what non-Microsoft services are running, what is automatically loaded on startup, etc.

You have over 6 GB of unused memory, so that isn't the issue.

 

[LMiller7]

It seems like it's telling me I need to allocate more memory to the process ... but there doesn't seem to be any way to accomplish that task.

The screenshot seems to indicate that memory is not an issue. It is the memory manager that assigns memory where it will be the most beneficial and there is no provision for the user to override this. In this situation it seem clear that throwing more memory at the processes involved would make no perceptible improvement in performance. The reason being that memory is not a problem. All of the signs that would indicate a memory problem are absent.

Maybe I need to purchase one of those "clean up your computer" pieces of software ... do they really work for this type of response problem: "out of resources" ...?

That is unlikely to solve anything and is more likely to cause further problems.

 

[Layback Bear]

If I may make another suggestion that might help us help Kerrigan.

Filling your system specs would be very helpful.
Two tutorials that will help you.

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


By Kari:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/311593-speccy-publish-snapshot-your-system-specs.html

 

[AddRAM]

It would be nice if you told us what cpu you have.