How to determine memory usage?

[Guest]

I have 512 MB of memory and want to know if there are built-in tools in WinXP
Home to tell the memory usage. I am concerned that my PC is running slowly
when I have too many applications open due to this, and may need to add more
memory. Thanks for any information.

 

[Guest]

you could add more
memory, but it may
not improve the
performance.

a simple test is to boot
into safemode and see
if windows runs faster
than in normal mode.

it is highly likely that
windows will be faster
in safemode, because
the majority of time it
is third party software
loading in normal mode
bogs down windows


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[Guest]

Thanks for that suggestion, but I would still like to know if there is a way
to determine the percentage of memory usage when I have different
applications running. Is there a command I can enter in the 'Start', 'Run'
window to measure this? Then how high a percentage of memory usage would be
likely to cause slow throughput of the system?

 

[Guest]

Right-click an empty space on the Task bar, the (usually) blue bar at the
bottom of your screen.
Left-click "Task Manager" on the "menu" that pops up.
Click the "Performance" tab. CPU usage is shown at the top, Physical Memory
"available" a little below that.
This page explains about "Commit Charge", but near the middle shows a little
about Mem usage:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commit_charge

hth

 

[Daave]

I have 512 MB of memory and want to know if there are built-in tools
in WinXP Home to tell the memory usage. I am concerned that my PC is
running slowly when I have too many applications open due to this,
and may need to add more memory. Thanks for any information.

512 MB of RAM is generally enough, but there are some exceptions. Image
and video editing can use up lots of memory. So can Virtual PC. And
running many apps at the same time could be problematic. Finally, memory
leaks can occur, so rebooting every 24 hours (assuming your PC is always
on) can address that issue.

It's possible that you do need to add more RAM. This will lessen your
reliance on your page file, which resides on your hard disk and is
considerably slower than RAM.

But before you purchase more RAM, a little bit of diagnostics is
necessary. First, open Task Manager (ctrl+alt+del). Select Performance
tab. Under Commit Charge, what are the values for Total, Limit, and
Peak? By the way, Total represents your total virtual memory (that is,
RAM plus pagefile) being used currently. Limit is the total virtual
memory available. And Peak is the most you have used since your last
reboot.

(Note: some people define virtual memory as the pagefile only. Again,
I'm defining it as RAM *plus* pagefile.)

Also click on the Processes tab. Click on the Mem Usage heading twice.
Now you can see the biggest memory users at the top. Do you see any
particular memory hogs?

There are other causes of a slow PC. The most common ones are malware,
too many unneeded processes running in the background, and too many temp
files. See www3.telus.net/dandemar/slowcom.htm for methods to speed up
your PC. For starters, concentrate on Steps 1, 3, 5, 7, and 10.

 

[Guest]

Thank you for the information. With a typical application load, I see CPU
Usage average ~4%; Physical Memory:458M Total, 172M Available, 234M System
Cache; Commit Charge: 500M Total, 1081M Limit, 560M Peak. Does that sound
like my 512M of RAM is sufficient?

 

[Guest]

Thank you for the information. With a typical application load, I see CPU
Usage average ~4%; Physical Memory:458M Total, 172M Available, 234M System
Cache; Commit Charge: 500M Total, 1081M Limit, 560M Peak. Looking at
Processes, Internet Explorer is the largest at 49M, there are two at 14M, and
the rest are 6M or less. I run Ad-Aware and Spybot scans monthly and
occasionally delete the temp files. I will look at the article you referred
me to tomorrow, but from what I describe, does that sound to you like my 512M
of RAM is sufficient?

 

[Daave]

For how you are currently using your system, you could use more RAM. The
reason is that 54 MB of your RAM seems to be used right off the bat by
your onboard graphics card. So you really only have 458 MB of RAM
available, which again is normally fine (at work, I only have 256 MB,
but since I don't multitask or use RAM-hungry apps, I'm fine), but your
Commit Charge and Peak values reveal you're relying on your pagefile,
which slows things down.

Sure, more RAM will definitely help. I suggest going to crucial.com to
determine the *exact* type you need.

However, it's also possible to run more lean, which might eliminate the
need for more RAM. Visit that link I gave you in the other post. Since
you already scan with AdAware and Spybot S&D (they are both updated,
no?), you've got Step 3 covered. So, concentrate on Steps 1 and 10 (5
and 7 are important, too, but they don't address your RAM usage).
Assuming you have no viruses, trojans, etc., Step 10 will be most
helpful. When you run msconfig, which processes do you have in the
Startup tab?

Also, back in Task Manager, Processes, click View and select Columns.
Check the Virtual Memory Size box click OK. Now you have a Virtual
Memory column next to your Mem Usage column. Click on the heading twice
so the largest VM uses are at the top. What are the values for the top
five (or ten)? Reboot and run the same combo of apps. Look at the values
again. Are they lower?

 

[Guest]

in the task manager
there is a column that shows
memory usage for each process
on the processes tab.

be sure to enable the columns
via the menu view option.

then you can calculate the percentage
yourself by using the "total physical
memory" on the performance tab.

for example:

+ 42.5 (explorer process size)
/ 425 (megs of used physical memory)
-----------------------------
= 0.10 (percent)

there might be third party
software that does this
calculation, but i would
be reluctant to use them
since it would be constantly
calculating as the processes
and memory fluctuate continuously.

however, you might want to
print the task manager processes and
use excel to calculate your percentage.

also, keep in mind that some
processes for software that
you have closed are still
lingering into memory.

so a memory defragger is
helpful in clearing the
unneeded processes out
of memory.

here is the one i use:
http://www.amsn.ro/

if you choose to use it
as well, then here are a
couple of tips:

set the slider to 75% &
run and close the program
as needed, instead of letting
it run continuously in memory.

it can also print the processes
as well.

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[Guest]

Thanks.

--
J150

in the task manager
there is a column that shows
memory usage for each process
on the processes tab.

be sure to enable the columns
via the menu view option.

then you can calculate the percentage
yourself by using the "total physical
memory" on the performance tab.

for example:

+ 42.5 (explorer process size)
/ 425 (megs of used physical memory)
-----------------------------
= 0.10 (percent)

there might be third party
software that does this
calculation, but i would
be reluctant to use them
since it would be constantly
calculating as the processes
and memory fluctuate continuously.

however, you might want to
print the task manager processes and
use excel to calculate your percentage.

also, keep in mind that some
processes for software that
you have closed are still
lingering into memory.

so a memory defragger is
helpful in clearing the
unneeded processes out
of memory.

here is the one i use:
http://www.amsn.ro/

if you choose to use it
as well, then here are a
couple of tips:

set the slider to 75% &
run and close the program
as needed, instead of letting
it run continuously in memory.

it can also print the processes
as well.

--




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[Guest]

Thanks for the extensive information. I will gather data and reply when I
can, sometime later today probably.

 

[John John]

also, keep in mind that some
processes for software that
you have closed are still
lingering into memory.

so a memory defragger is
helpful in clearing the
unneeded processes out
of memory.

An absolutely patently bogus claim! So called "Memory Defraggers" or
Memory Optimizers" cannot reclaim memory from errant programs that do
not properly release RAM or from applications that leak memory. These
programs are nothing more than snake oil, they do no good whatsoever,
quite to the contrary they actually create havoc and cause memory
problems where none previously existed!

John

 

[Guest]

you're welcome.

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Thanks.

 

[Guest]

Thanks again. It took a while to get to do all this. By the way, I always
search for updates to the malware programs and to Norton Internet Security. I
also periodically delete the index.dat files that I am able to. I ran the
uSoft Malicious SW Removal Tool and found no threats. I removed as many of
the .tmp files as I could. Many gave a message: "Cannot delete file: Cannot
read from the source file or disk." I do the other steps in 5 & 7 monthly.
After rebooting and opening the same applications as yesterday, most of the
readings in Task Manager are about the same. In msconfig, Startup, there are
30 selected startup items. The top VM sizes are: iexplore: 66M, ccSvcHst:
32M, sqlservr: 28M, explorer: 23M, svchost: 13M. I don't have time now to
reboot and compare the VM sizes, but I will do that as soon as possible.
Regards.

 

[Daave]

By the way, I always search for updates to the malware programs
and to Norton Internet Security.

Good that you search for updates. However, Norton Internet Security is a
notorious RAM hog. I'd recommend running Avast or AVG (both free) in its
place. For a firewall, Comodo is decent and light on resources. And
AdAware and Spybot S&D (which you already run) are good at detecting
spyware and adware. You might also want to run SpywareBlaster to prevent
spyware from coming in.

In msconfig, Startup, there are 30 selected startup items.

Something tells me a good many of these you don't need whatsoever. And
in cases of QuickTime and Adobe, a startup item is not needed at all;
just run the program whenever you need to.

The following sites have good information as to what are keepers and
what to jettison ASAP:

http://www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_content.php#THE_PROGRAMS

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/startups/

This one is good to have bookmarked, too:

http://www.answersthatwork.com/Tasklist_pages/tasklist.htm

Links to apps mentioned above:

Avast:
http://www.avast.com/eng/avast_4_home.html

AVG:
http://free.grisoft.com/

Comodo:
http://www.personalfirewall.comodo.com/

SpywareBlaster:
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html

Finally, Ccleaner is an excellent program to easily clean up unneeded
temp files:
http://www.ccleaner.com

 

[Daave]

An absolutely patently bogus claim! So called "Memory Defraggers" or
Memory Optimizers" cannot reclaim memory from errant programs that do
not properly release RAM or from applications that leak memory. These
programs are nothing more than snake oil, they do no good whatsoever,
quite to the contrary they actually create havoc and cause memory
problems where none previously existed!

Agreed.

 

[=?iso-8859-1?Q?_db_=B4=AF`=B7.._=3E=3C=29=29=29=BA]

unfortunately, you
guys are unable to
understand or validate
the algorithms of
your operating systems, i.e.,
facts/numbers that windows
provides.

i could show/teach you
how, but it is funny to
see the degree and the
adjectives in your contradictions.

please try to improve on
your knowledge
and refrain from spreading
your manure if you cannot
provide your own solutions
or methodology to help the
o.p with their question.

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<)))º>·´¯`·.¸. , . .·´¯`·.. ><)))º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·...¸><)))º>

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[Guest]

I've been working on this much of the day, and I want to give you an update.
Regarding the VM, after reboot, the top 5 processes were still the same, and
VM usage only dropped slightly (10% at the most). The VM size on these is
quite a bit larger than the Mem Usage size. Also, I looked in Task Manager
for any processes connected with Norton Internet Security 2007, and I only
see one, ccApp.exe, with about 1.4M Mem Usage, and 5.8M VM Size. Is it
possible that my NIS2007 is not using that much memory, or am I just not
seeing the usage? I have gone to the Pacman's Portal link which you gave me,
and searched for and copied the information on all 30 of the selected startup
items I mentioned. I removed two that I don't use (msmsgs.exe and
msnmsgr.exe), and will continue going through the rest. As I said before, I
really appreciate the information you have given. (P.S. I've been amused by
the comments by John John and db.) Regards.

 

[Daave]

Thanks for keeping us updated.

I neglected to mention before that msconfig is more of a diagnostic.
While it is possible to uncheck startup entries, often it's better to
use the options of the actual application to prevent it from running
automatically at startup. A prime example is the totally unnecessary
qttask.exe (QuickTime), which enables you to start QuickTime from the
System Tray (big deal!). Unchecking it may not work; that is, QT might
put itself back in your startup entries. It's best to follow the
instructions at
http://www.answersthatwork.com/Tasklist_pages/tasklist_q.htm (about 3/4
of the way down).

Regarding MSN Messenger (msmsgs.exe and msnmsgr.exe), it's best to
remove them from the program itself. See
http://www.answersthatwork.com/Tasklist_pages/tasklist_m.htm and scroll
down about four fifths of the way down for instructions.

An alternative to using msconfig is to run the highly regarded AutoRuns:

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/Utilities/AutoRuns.mspx

This is much more thorough than msconfig -- an excellent utility.

A little more scratching below the service and you'll find several NIS
processes, and I predict they're using up a good deal of RAM. Again, I
think you'd be better off uninstalling it (in case Add/Remove doesn't do
the trick, there is a utility to remove it -- available from Norton) and
going with a lighter AV program (and firewall).

 

[John John]

It is you who doesn't understand how these snake oil programs work.
Your BS about algorithms that you understand even less is laughable.

You say you could "teach" us about these programs and how they work and
improve memory usage and management, please do! Please tell us how
these things work and how they improve memory management on Windows XP.
I, and I am sure many others, would like just for once to get real
answers and explanations from you instead of your usual evasive answers
crafted out like ridiculous poetry verses.

I suspect that you don't give any solid answers because you don't have a
clue of how memory is managed on NT systems, your previous claim that
"...some processes for software that you have closed are still lingering
into memory..." is nothing short of a joke! The only thing that can
stay in memory when an application is terminated is "shared memory" that
is memory that is being used by files or dlls or components that are
used by more than one application. The Memory Manager knows at all
times what memory is being used by what process and when the process is
terminated the RAM allocated to the process is freed. Terminated
application do not continue using RAM, no more than dead people keep on
breathing! If a buggy application spawns processes that it cannot or
that it does not properly end when the application is closed the memory
allocated to the spawned process will be trimmed by the Memory Manager.
When memory is in short supply the Memory Manager plays a sort of cat
and mouse game with the applications, every second it "steals" a few
memory pages from the working sets, if the application doesn't complain
the pages are freed and made available to other applications and the
size of the process' working set is trimmed, with this cat and mouse
game an errant process will have all of its memory returned to the
available memory lists.

Memory management is one of the most important task that the operating
system does. Over the year Microsoft has put hundreds of thousands of
man hours of work into the development, coding and testing of the NT
Memory Manager, it is a part of the operating system that has received a
lot of attention and that keeps getting lots of attention. Two bit
outfits that come out with their snake oil programs have put nowheres
near to even one percent of that amount of work into their products or
into research, they have put more time into refining their smoke show
than they have put into the useless trash that they sell.

One thing that you fail to understand is that not one of those memory
optimizers can actually manage memory, memory management is
*exclusively* a Windows task, no program whatsoever has rule over the
memory management, the NT Memory Manager will *never* cede it's duties
to crapware like the one that you recommend. There is not one of these
memory defraggers that can supersede or supplant the NT Memory Manager.
All that these programs do is rapidly ramp up demand for memory, they
ask the Memory Manager for large amounts of memory for their use, the
Memory Manager complies, as it does for all active processes that demand
or require more memory, it gives the program all the memory that it asks
for. Once the program has acquired a large amount of memory it quickly
and all at once releases all of it, thus giving the impression that it
found and freed unused memory that the operating system's Memory Manager
couldn't find or free on its own.

What you apparently can't understand is that the only way that the
Memory Manager can comply with the bogus demand for more memory from the
program is by paging out code and data that was allocated to other
processes, it moves everything that it can to the pagefile! These
memory optimizers create absolute havoc with all the working sets, to
the point where it may actually cripple the applications or processes
that fell victim to the crapware. You also fail to understand that if
memory is in short supply the Memory Manager will trim working sets in a
more orderly fashion, instead of being forced to indiscriminately page
everything out.

The only way to cure memory shortage problems is to put more RAM in the
machine or close down unnecessary programs and processes. The crap that
you recommend does nothing to help alleviate any memory problems that
users may have and it does even less to help effectively manage
available memory, quite to the contrary they cause more problems than
they purport to fix or even worse they actually cause problems where
none previously existed. They truly are useless crap!

John