Windows 7 - Massive RAM loss

Serenityxo · 27 Nov 2009 at 01:09

Hey, well ever since I installed Windows 7 x64, downloading anything big e.g. Linux distros in RAR format using either IDM (Internet Download Manager) OR jDownloader via RapidShare very large amounts of RAM gets used up and doesn't ever get freed. It was fine when I had Vista x64.

Below is a screenshot of the Resource Monitor within windows 7, as you can see there's tons of RAM gone but no actual visible process using it. (You may have to view the pic via the link due to the dimension rules and whatnot)

http://i721.photobucket.com/albums/ww218/Sereniiity/Untitled-3.png

V4NT0M · 27 Nov 2009 at 01:35

There's nothing to worry about.

I rarely have "free" memory in vista or 7, it's not a problem I don't think, windows is just using your memory for useful things.

You may notice that if you run a game for example that takes up 1.5GB of RAM it will not tell you there is no ram, and it will not page the entire thing off disk, it will just pop up there in your task manager using up that "used" ram.

N.B. Free ram is wasted ram.

Serenityxo · 27 Nov 2009 at 01:42

I see what you're saying but if I leave it downloading the RAM just keeps getting used up and it bluescreens. It can't be good if it's doing that, I don't mind it using the RAM but in this case it doesn't stop, it just keeps eating more and more until it dies.

V4NT0M · 27 Nov 2009 at 01:49

I assume it only bluescreens when you use these downloading programs? It sounds like the problem is with the program rather than windows itself. I don't have any experience with those programs though =/

And sorry thought the problem was memory utilization after the program was shut

Serenityxo · 27 Nov 2009 at 01:51

That's the thing, whether the program is shut AFTER the downloading the RAM stays where it is in the screenie the IDMan.exe is the IDM process, and that's using barely anything. Also javaw.exe is the jDownlaoder process, that's also using no where near the current RAM usage. It's annoying because if I wanna do anything with the RAM this high I need to reboot, which is annoying as you may know, no-one likes a reboot

ShakenNstirred · 27 Nov 2009 at 05:52

Serenityxo said:
Hey, well ever since I installed Windows 7 x64, downloading anything big e.g. Linux distros in RAR format using either IDM (Internet Download Manager) OR jDownloader via RapidShare very large amounts of RAM gets used up and doesn't ever get freed. It was fine when I had Vista x64.

Below is a screenshot of the Resource Monitor within windows 7, as you can see there's tons of RAM gone but no actual visible process using it. (You may have to view the pic via the link due to the dimension rules and whatnot)

http://i721.photobucket.com/albums/ww218/Sereniiity/Untitled-3.png

why do you have so many things running
like itunes,winamp,vlc,wmplayer, surely you dont need all them running together and steam, if you not playing a game why have it running

uv · 27 Nov 2009 at 07:47

ShakenNstirred said:
why do you have so many things running
like itunes,winamp,vlc,wmplayer, surely you dont need all them running together and steam, if you not playing a game why have it running

I understand what you're saying about having 4 different media players open, but Steam is a background process - no harm in having it running all the time. It uses ~9MB on my machine.

It sounds like one of your apps has a memory leak. Make sure every app is the latest version, and then run one app at a time until you find the culprit. That much ram usage isn't just the Win7 prefetch.

NathanE · 27 Nov 2009 at 09:20

Bluescreens can't be directly caused by a user mode application.

You have a faulty kernel driver on there.

Post up the Minidump file from the crash and it should be possible to tell you exactly which driver is causing it.

Alternatively, upgrade all your drivers.

SiriusB · 27 Nov 2009 at 09:36

The cause should also come up in the Event Viewer. Anything crash-worthy will be under System Logs and have a red ! next to it.

Macro · 27 Nov 2009 at 10:42

If you're downloading Linux distros and Windows 7 is misbehaving why not just download them whilst running Linux? Job done. :confused:

SiriusB · 27 Nov 2009 at 11:13

He shouldn't have to change to Linux just to download something. He has a problem with his OS and wants to know what it is.

Hiding in Linux wont fix anything.

Though that is debatable if you dislike Windows, I suppose

Lanz · 27 Nov 2009 at 11:23

Sounds like those downloader programs are screwed up and not releasing memory, maybe update your java, or run then as Administrator, or use XP compatibilty mode.

Or just down use those apps....

Serenityxo · 27 Nov 2009 at 18:06

ShakenNstirred said:
why do you have so many things running
like itunes,winamp,vlc,wmplayer, surely you dont need all them running together and steam, if you not playing a game why have it running

Having that many processes open doesn't cause problems, it's when I'm downloading RAR files.

uv said:
It sounds like one of your apps has a memory leak. Make sure every app is the latest version, and then run one app at a time until you find the culprit. That much ram usage isn't just the Win7 prefetch.

As I say even with ALL the process running it idles at ~40-60% RAM, it's ONLY when I download RAR files the RAM gets used up.

NathanE said:
Bluescreens can't be directly caused by a user mode application.

You have a faulty kernel driver on there.

Post up the Minidump file from the crash and it should be possible to tell you exactly which driver is causing it.

Alternatively, upgrade all your drivers.

SiriusB said:
The cause should also come up in the Event Viewer. Anything crash-worthy will be under System Logs and have a red ! next to it.

I'll take a look at both carefully when I get the chance, thanks for suggesting it, slipped my mind, as things do when you're annoyed

Athanor said:
If you're downloading Linux distros and Windows 7 is misbehaving why not just download them whilst running Linux? Job done.

This was an example. But in all cases of downloading RAR files the RAM gets used up.

Lanz said:
Sounds like those downloader programs are screwed up and not releasing memory, maybe update your java, or run then as Administrator, or use XP compatibilty mode.

Or just down use those apps....

They're both at the latest version, and yes what you said about them not releasing RAM may be true, but wouldn't it show in the process? It seems as though the program or when it recompiles the RAR parts it downloads is using the RAM and not freeing it.

Thanks for all the replies, I'll let you know if I find anything.

DragonQ · 27 Nov 2009 at 18:21

I use JDownloader sometimes on Windows 7 x64 and I never have this problem. Sorry I can't help more. :/

ShakenNstirred · 27 Nov 2009 at 18:36

Serenityxo said:
Having that many processes open doesn't cause problems, it's when I'm downloading RAR files..

im not saying it would, i just cant understand why you have so many different players all running when u only need one at a time

i use JDownloader all the time on Windows 7 x64 for my rar files and havent had this problem

SiriusB · 27 Nov 2009 at 20:20

Is it just me or does the "FREE" software want me to pay to download it? :confused:

I am curious to see if it does anything to my computer. I know if I leave Usenet running all night I can come back to my PC and it will completely lock up. I only considered it to be the same issue when you mentioned lots of rar files. Usenet by its nature forces you to download large files in many small .rar files.

iviv · 27 Nov 2009 at 21:06

If the problems revolving around you downloading rar files, could the problem be your AV program attempting to scan the rar files as you download them? Try disabling your AV and leave your program downloading, see if it happens again.

Raumarik · 27 Nov 2009 at 21:24

iviv - exactly what I was going to say, disable scanning compressed/passworded files and see how it gets on if your AV has that option.

Serenityxo · 27 Nov 2009 at 22:15

iviv said:
If the problems revolving around you downloading rar files, could the problem be your AV program attempting to scan the rar files as you download them? Try disabling your AV and leave your program downloading, see if it happens again.

I totally disabled NOD32, it still managed to use the RAM so it's not that I'm afraid, me and a friend went through everything we could think of that could be scanning the RAR files upon download. Saying this disabling the RTP (Real Time Protection) on NOD32 DID slow down the RAM usage being eaten up via downloading RAR files but didn't stop it completely