Vista uses all 4GB of RAM when Installing software

[Darkvette]

I have a unique issue. Whenever I install software such as games or various
programs, Vista will take up all 4 Gigs of my RAM, but in Task Manager - it
won't show anything taking up anywhere near that much memory. When the
install is finished, I usually have to reboot my PC to get it to free up the
RAM.

I tried using a RAM Defrag program called Memory Zipper Pro the last time it
happened, and it saved me from having to reboot. I think this may be a
memory leak in Vista or Windows Installer. I had made a post on this issue
on Overclock.net, but no one has experienced a similar issue on those forums.
Also, the issue was happening way before Service Pack 1 was installed. It
started sometime last year after Windows Update made an update one time, but
I have no clue which update might have caused the issue, especially since I
don't know exactly where the Issue is coming from within Windows.

I know my PC can more than handle Vista. Here are the specs.

CPU: AMD Athlon64 X2 6400+
MB: ASUS M3A32-MVP Deluxe Wi-fi Edition
RAM: 4x1GB GeIL DDR2-800
HDD: 2x250GB WD Caviar in RAID 0, 1x500GB WD Caviar
GC: ATI Radeon HD3870 512MB by ASUS
OS: Windows Vista Ultimate x64 Service Pack 1

I did a fresh install of Windows and SP1 the issue still happened when I
installed software. Even without any other software installed. That's how I
pinpointed that it's a Windows issue, possibly a memory leak. Any help or
suggestions would be much appreciated.

 

[Mark]

How do you know the install process is taking up all 4GB of RAM?
Is this causing a problem?

Vista is designed to make use of RAM not in use by any other processes. What
is the point of having 4GB of RAM if you are only going to use 1GB? It is
this use that speeds up most other processes. When an application, such as
installation, needs more RAM windows relinquishes the RAM to the
application.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I have a unique issue. Whenever I install software such as games or various
programs, Vista will take up all 4 Gigs of my RAM, but in Task Manager - it
won't show anything taking up anywhere near that much memory. When the
install is finished, I usually have to reboot my PC to get it to free up the
RAM.

Why are you trying to get it to free up the RAM?

Wanting to minimize the amount of memory Windows uses is a
counterproductive desire. Windows is designed to use all, or nearly
all, of your memory, all the time, and that's good not bad. Free
memory is wasted memory. You paid for it all and shouldn't want to see
any of it wasted.

Windows works hard to find a use for all the memory you have all the
time. For example if your apps don't need some of it, it will use that
part for caching, then give it back when your apps later need it. In
this way Windows keeps all your memory working for you all the time.

Are you experiencing a problem? If so, please describe it. Its cause
is *not* that you have no free RAM.

 

[JW]

After making use of all available memory during the installs. The memory
shows full since in still holds the last buffers written out in available
disk cache and this memory will be made available to any new processes
started when they need to be loaded into memory.

 

[Darkvette]

I see what everyone is saying, but perhaps I didn't explain the issue
correctly. I understand that the PC will use more RAM when installing
software or gaming or certain other things, that it will find the best use
for it, and also that it will free it up when it's not using it.

When my PC is idle, it uses around 25-35%(1-1.2GB) of my RAM. When Gaming,
it'll use about 50-75%(2-3GB, depending on the game). When installing
programs that don't max out my RAM, it'll take up about 45-50%(1.8-2GB).

The issue comes when I go to install certain software programs, the software
will start installing as usual, with no more than 50% of RAM being used.
Then, part way into the install, the RAM usage will climb - 55%, 65%, 75%,
and keep going up until it reaches 100%.

Once it reaches 100%, the system performance will start to lag until the RAM
frees up. The problem with that is, it never goes back below 95% usage until
I restart my PC - even after the install is done. I can't game or even use
simple programs like IE or Word because they'll lock up my PC with the RAM
usage at 100%.

I know that I have the 4GB for a reason, and I do want to see all of it
used, but clearly there is an issue with Windows and how it's caching the RAM
- especially if it's not freeing it up for other programs once it's done with
it.

Basically what's happening is that something is allocating all my free RAM
when I install certain software, and it's not freeing up the RAM for other
uses once the install is completed.

So, yes there is a "real" issue, and I apologize that I didn't explain it
correctly. The issue is, whatever is allocating the RAM is not deallocating
it for other uses within Windows or other programs - it's not deallocating it
AT ALL, unless I defrag the RAM which forces a deallocation.

Being that it forces a deallocation that goes from 100% used RAM down to
about 30% used RAM, that says to me that it's a Memory Leak of some sort.
Wouldn't you agree?

 

[Darkvette]

I know that all 4GB are being taken up by the Memory Meter on my sidebar.
The problem as I wrote to Mr. Blake below, is this. The RAM is being
allocated during the install to the point where it gets to 100% usage and
starts to lag my system. When the install completes, the usage drops to
around 95%. I can't use IE, Word, or anything else because the RAM is
already allocated and there isn't enough free RAM for anything else to run.
The issue is in the RAM not being deallocated or freed up after the install -
unless I defrag it, then it drops from 95% usage to about 30% and Windows
functions normally again. That says to me that it's a Memory Leak of some
sort. Wouldn't you agree?

 

[Guest]

Do these install programs look similar? Is your swap file set to anything
specific? Is there anything in the event log?

 

[JW]

Do you have the problem with all software you install or only with some? If
only some then the problem is probably with that software and not with the
OS. I have never had a similiar problem with any software I have installed.

 

[Darkvette]

To tell you the honest truth, I never really thought that they could be
similar. I'll have to keep an eye out and watch to see if they are. I'll
also do some tests to see if anything comes up in the event logs when this
happens. I do have my swap file set to 64GB. 32 on C and 32 on D. Should I
set it to automatic?

 

[Darkvette]

It's only with some, not all. Certain games, productivity software such as
Photoshop CS3, Acrobat, Unreal Tournament 3, Call of Duty 4, and a couple
others I can't think of right now. I'll keep an eye on what programs exactly
cause it.

 

[godius]

It's only with some, not all.  Certain games, productivity software suchas
Photoshop CS3, Acrobat, Unreal Tournament 3, Call of Duty 4, and a couple
others I can't think of right now. I'll keep an eye on what programs exactly
cause it.





- Show quoted text -

i have the exact same problem... pc become unusable after installing
large games. memory goes to 100% and a reboot is needed. FIX THIS
MS!!!

 

[f/fgeorge]

joined this board for this exact problem, i recently installed Lost
Planet and about a quarter way thru, the ram maxed and all of the
programs i was using in the back ground (firefox, messenger,my computer)
ALL ground to an almost lock up point. i walked away and let the game
finish the install thinking it would free up my ram to be able to im
again came back and still my memory nearly maxed (256k had free'd up)
and i let it set for another half hour still ram all filled up task
manager showed my highest process only using around 150 megs and
combined NO WERE near 4gigs. I ended up having to reboot to get my
machine to behave correctly again.

my specs are
q6600 2.4 oc'd 3.1
4gb corsair 8500
and sli'd 8800gts

way beyond anything vista should ever need.

Vista manages memory differently than any other OS out there. MS
thinks that free memory is wasted memory, so it uses it all, then
releases it as other programs need it. It is also learning how to do
it best on each of our pc's. This takes time and you should NOT be
running other programs when installing programs anyway. I KNOW that is
how we have 'always done it', but Vista is different.

 

[Darkvette]

It's nice to see I'm not the only one having this issue. At first I thought
that I was crazy or something because no one else seems to know anything
about this issue - Microsoft included. I think there is a bug somewhere
within Vista - either Superfetch, or Windows Installer or something that is
causing this. There are probably more people out there that are having this
happen, but either taking it up as normal, or unsure of how to report it.

This is an issue that Microsoft should definitely look into.

 

[Darkvette]

I understand that the memory manager is different within Vista. But that
still doesn't excuse the fact that 100% or all 4GB of RAM is being used
without an explanation as to what is using it all. The other curious thing
is that it's only happening when installing programs? If it was Vista's
Memory Manager, wouldn't it happen more frequently? Why only when installing
programs? I would like to think that Microsoft is smarter than this, and was
this something that they created to happen, it would happen more frequently.
I do know from looking at my task manager that it does cache all 4GB of RAM,
but that doesn't show up as all 4GB having been used. At this very moment
for instance (straight from task manager):

Physical Memory (MB)
Total: 4094
Cached: 3026
Free: 10

Physical Memory Usage: 29% - 1193MB

So, this is what I'm talking about. Vista does have all 4GB cached, but
it's not showing up as being 100% used. I would like to send someone at MS
some screenshots of when this happens. If someone from MS could post me with
an email address to send these screenshots to, I would love to send them.

The other thing is that Vista IS different, but not that much.

 

[Darkvette]

Almost forgot...

This may help you out too. I've taken to using a program called Memory
Zipper Pro to "Defrag" my RAM when this "Install Bug" happens. It really
does work, and also shows that there is a memory leak somewhere in Vista or
the Windows Installer that is causing this to happen. Try this program out,
it does help and makes it so you don't have to restart after every major
install.