Where"s my RAM?

[btmac]

It seems that a good chunk of my RAM has taken a powder.
I do not know if it has always been this way, because
frankly I just never noticed before. Even with the
system idling, with no apps running, the Task Manager
indicates that nearly half of my 512M is being used. 33
processes, totaling ~140M, are listed as running, but
even if I add that to what the TM says is available, it
only comes down to a bit over 400M. Where is the other
100+? (Sidenote: Is there a way to determine if some of
these processes can be closed down safely?)

I fiddled around with the paging file and other assorted
settings, with no effect whatever. I also closed down
all but the essential startup items in msconfig, but
gained only a few M. A virus scan turned up clean. My
system info states that I have 512 RAM.

The TM numbers in Processes for Physical Memory are as
follows:

Total: 523276K
Available: ~265000K
System Cache: ~350000

System Details:

Dell Dimension 8200
OS: XP Home
Memory: 512 RDRAM

 

[Malke]

It seems that a good chunk of my RAM has taken a powder.
I do not know if it has always been this way, because
frankly I just never noticed before. Even with the
system idling, with no apps running, the Task Manager
indicates that nearly half of my 512M is being used. 33
processes, totaling ~140M, are listed as running, but
even if I add that to what the TM says is available, it
only comes down to a bit over 400M. Where is the other
100+? (Sidenote: Is there a way to determine if some of
these processes can be closed down safely?)

I fiddled around with the paging file and other assorted
settings, with no effect whatever. I also closed down
all but the essential startup items in msconfig, but
gained only a few M. A virus scan turned up clean. My
system info states that I have 512 RAM.

The TM numbers in Processes for Physical Memory are as
follows:

Total: 523276K
Available: ~265000K
System Cache: ~350000

System Details:

Dell Dimension 8200
OS: XP Home
Memory: 512 RDRAM

Is your computer not working properly? A modern operating system will
use all the RAM it can. That's what RAM is made for. Thirty-three
processes sound right for XP.

Malke

 

[Plato]

I do not know if it has always been this way, because
frankly I just never noticed before. Even with the
system idling, with no apps running, the Task Manager

You have lots of "apps" running. They are part of your OS and called
services.

indicates that nearly half of my 512M is being used. 33
processes, totaling ~140M, are listed as running, but

That's why its recommended to have 512 for XP, 256 at a minimum. XP
itself takes over 128 or so just to run fresh.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

Unused RAM is wasted RAM. Are you experiencing problems?

Bruce Chambers
--
Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. - RAH

 

[Alex Nichol]

It seems that a good chunk of my RAM has taken a powder.
I do not know if it has always been this way, because
frankly I just never noticed before. Even with the
system idling, with no apps running, the Task Manager
indicates that nearly half of my 512M is being used.

Read up at www.aumha.org/win5/a/xpvm.htm. Windows does its best to find
*some* use for all of RAM at all times, even if only to cache files on
the chance they will be wanted again. Measures of 'free' memory are
misleading and will usually be near zero unless you have more RAM than
can be found any use for