Vista Major Memory Problem!

[yorkie16]

This has maybe been asked before, sorry if it has.

My system is a Asus P5W DH Deluxe Mobo

Intel Core2 Duo 6400 Processor

2 x 512mb DDR2 6400 Memory

Gainward 6800 256Mb PCi Express Graphics

Running Vista Ultimate

My main problem is my memory always runs above 68%, sometimes up to 92%, thus stopping me running certain programs.

I have just put in a 2Gb USB pen, but this has made matters worse, so before I pull my hair out can someone please tell me if I am doing something wrong?

Maybe I have missed something, or just have my settings wrong, or maybe Microsoft have got into bed with the main memory manufacturers ?!?

Any help would be great, many thanks Yorkie

[cluberti]

Sounds like you're either running too many apps, or have a driver causing a memory leak (if you've installed any, using non-Vista drivers are notorious for this, especially Audio drivers). Could you perhaps run a perfmon, gathering all of the "Process" counter objects for everything on the box? Even just a screenshot of the Processes tab from Task Manager when you're really high would help, assuming you've added the "Memory - Working Set" and "Memory - Private Working Set" columns to the display (sort by the working set column, snapshot, then sort by the private working set column and snapshot).

[yorkie16]

I am in Task Manager, but I cannot seem to be able to do a snapshot using my print screen button?

Also what do you mean regarding the Memory - Working Set and the Memory - Private Set?

Thanks for this help

[cluberti]

1. Use the snipping tool to take screenshots - it's pretty nifty, and you can find it by typing in "snip' in the search box under the "start" button

2. In Task Manager, with the "Processes" tab selected, you can click View > Select Columns and add those two colunm headers (which you can then sort by just by clicking on the column in Task Manager).

[yorkie16]

Here are the 4 files I have snipped, see if you can help picking the bones out of them, cheers

It will only let me load under 200k, so if you want to PM me I will email the others, many thanks Mark

[Biohead]

I'm currently running at 67% used out of 1Gb. There not much running - IE7, WLM, OneCare, Sidebar, Outloook 2007.

I have noticed though, that the power options also affect RAM usage. In full power mode (Which I'm in at the moment), my usual is the high 60's. If I change to "Power Saver", the RAM usage is usually in the low 40's.

[Aero]

This is not that big of a deal guys. Vista handles memory in a much different way than any previous windows OS. It tries to make the best use of your available memory by keeping apps loaded in memory based on your usage. If a program needs more memory, vista will release things from memory to accommodate. Trust me, this is perfectly normal. Right now, I have 4GB memory, and vista is using 1.5GB of memory (all I have open is 1 firefox window with 2 tabs).

[TheTOM_SK]

yorkie16 I would try to close Windows Sidebar to see, if it helps, because it uses quite much RAM. I have 1 GB and when I use it, my RAM usage gets to 800 MB and up, 950 MB is not a suprise. Without it, my RAM usage is about 300 MB. As for the rest, it is exactly as Aero said, so unless everything works, do not worry about it, Vista is smart enough to handle it. But there are also other things, which could do it, like creating a hibernation file, volume shadow copy and etc.

[Woomera]

well yeah its normal for vista to use so much ram.thats why i can still see windows real-time snapshots when i pause mouse over them even i have 56 process's in my memory and windows works pretty smooth.i have 2GB ram and only have 800MB ram left but i can still play WOW.so yeah i guess it use too much ram but it knows how to handle process's no need to worry indeed.

[kartel]

Symantec

You also need a set 3000mb swapfile asap

[fizban2]

hard setting a swap file is not a good idea, this doesn't allow the manage the memory as effectivelly.

yorkie,

what situation are you having where vista tells you that you are running out of memory? or what are you trying to open that won't run? can you give specific situations with as many details to see if we can help you with this

[darkwish]

Yorkie,

Can you take another snapshot of your taskmanager, but make sure you click on "Show processes from all users" at the bottom.