Release of unused RAM memory

P

Per Nermo

I'm running Vista Home Premium 6.0.6000 Build 6000
on a DELL Inspiron 9400 LapTop with 1 GB of RAM.

And "as usual" with Windows, I'm axperiencing that the OS
and applications "consume" RAM memory in huge amounts
and apparently tend to not "giving it back" when the task
terminates.

Firstly, I'can't fathom why Microsoft still hasn't wanted to
to anything with this problem.

Secondly: Is there an "authorized", secure and recommendable
method or program available which releases unused memory
and returns it to the "pool"(automatically or manually initiated) ?

(I'm of course aware of programs like SpeedUpMyPC and
others, but I fear these are not "authorized" by MS all of them,
and that they might be liable to cause problemes and inconsitancies).

I'd by very grateful for any advice on this matter.

best regards,
Per Nermo,
Oslo, Norway
 
P

Per Nermo

Per Nermo said:
I'm running Vista Home Premium 6.0.6000 Build 6000
on a DELL Inspiron 9400 LapTop with 1 GB of RAM.

And "as usual" with Windows, I'm axperiencing that the OS
and applications "consume" RAM memory in huge amounts
and apparently tend to not "giving it back" when the task
terminates.
Firstly, I'can't fathom why Microsoft still hasn't wanted to
to anything with this problem.

Secondly: Is there an "authorized", secure and recommendable
method or program available which releases unused memory
and returns it to the "pool"(automatically or manually initiated) ?

(I'm of course aware of programs like SpeedUpMyPC and others, but I fear
these are not "authorized" by MS all of them,
and that they might be liable to cause problemes and inconsitancies).

I'd by very grateful for any advice on this matter.

best regards,
Per Nermo,
Oslo, Norway
Click to expand...
 
R

Rick Rogers

Memory is not released until another program needs it. This is intentional.
Programs and the memory they use are cached in case the user wants to reopen
the program. Having a bunch of free memory is pointless as it's not being
used for anything. When it does need to be used, it is simply overwritten
with new data. It's not like it gets erased, and then data gets written to
the blanked out stick. Forcing it to be released is an unnecessary step.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com
 
P

Per Nermo

Thanks, Rick !

But is it just imaginay, then, that computer performance
seems to slow down as the amount of used memory
increases towards the limit of total RAM installed ?

regards,
Per
 
R

Rick Rogers

Performance may slow, but probably not because of ram usage (by the way,
Windows tries to find uses for all of the installed ram, after all, that's
what it is there for). Performance hits come from excess use of system
resources by programs (sometimes too many programs). Things like grabbing
cpu time, lots of i/o, all can affect the way a system responds.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com
 
P

Per Nermo

Thanks, Richard, and, well, these articles are all certainly
very thorough and impressive, but hardly suitable to comfort
a "dummy" like myself, experiencing that my 1,6 GHz, 1 GB RAM
DELL LapTop running Vista Home Premium 6.0.6000 in fact
seems to perform slower than my previous 700 MHz, 512 kB RAM
machine running XP.

Is there really nothing I can do to "help" Vista improve it's performance ?
No point in installing an external "tidy up" / "booster" software ?

Should I just try to relax, then, and accept that newer software from MS
require more resources and thus MUST perform slower than the
version it replaces ? (Doesn't seem right, does it ?)

Can I hope that a soon-coming Vist "fix" will make it perform at least
on the same "speed level" as XP did ?
(Or should I just install XP on my new LapTop instead ?)

regards,
Per
 
R

Richard Urban

Usually on an identical system, with the identical hardware installed and
software installed, with the correct drivers installed - Windows XP will be
faster. It's a fact of life that Vista needs more resources. That is why
*competent* computers you purchase in the stores these days came with at
least 2 gig of RAM and a huge hard drive.

--

Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)
 
F

f/fgeorge

Thanks, Richard, and, well, these articles are all certainly
very thorough and impressive, but hardly suitable to comfort
a "dummy" like myself, experiencing that my 1,6 GHz, 1 GB RAM
DELL LapTop running Vista Home Premium 6.0.6000 in fact
seems to perform slower than my previous 700 MHz, 512 kB RAM
machine running XP.

Is there really nothing I can do to "help" Vista improve it's performance ?
No point in installing an external "tidy up" / "booster" software ?

Should I just try to relax, then, and accept that newer software from MS
require more resources and thus MUST perform slower than the
version it replaces ? (Doesn't seem right, does it ?)

Can I hope that a soon-coming Vist "fix" will make it perform at least
on the same "speed level" as XP did ?
(Or should I just install XP on my new LapTop instead ?)

regards,
Per
Click to expand...
If you were to upgrade to 2 gig of memory your machien would speed up
a bunch! MS says Vista will run in 512 meg of memory and it will, but
horribly slowly. 1gig IS better, but 2 gig is MUCH better.
MS thinks that memory that is not being used is wasted money!
Therefore they are using it to pretend it is L2 cache memory. Not
EXACTLY but similar. L2 cache memory is used to cache files or
programs on the harddrive so they can be known and therefore launched
without having to find them. Vista trys to do that with 'unused'
regular ram. Vista then releases that same meory when you load a
program or file that needs more memory than is free. Vista does leave
a small amount of memory free, for those small programs or files that
we all load and unload constantly.
No MS is not going to change its mind on how things are done, yes
things will get better. MS Office now loads tons of stuff into memory
when it loads, 1 gig of memory will soon be an afterthought, like 64
meg of ram used to be. Isn't the cutting edge of technology FUN!!!
 
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