Something is taking up lots of RAM

Sometimes on my Windows 7 computer, something (I don't know what) takes up 3-4GB of RAM. I don't know what it is, and going into the task manager or resource monitor doesn't show anything out of the ordinary. Usually my computer only uses around 20-23% of its 8GB RAM to idle, but sometimes this goes up to around 65% and I would like to find a way to know what is taking up all this RAM. I don't think it's a hardware issue as my computer always shows that I have 8GB of RAM.

It's not a virus scan taking up this RAM.

Ctrl Alt Dlt --> Performance tab --> Resource Monitor

So, if you can't see the memory usage, how do you know it is being used? I'm confused.

It could be that your W7 does not release RAM from apps you have used, since you still have some available... or it could be a virus.

Tspek said:

Ctrl Alt Dlt --> Performance tab --> Resource Monitor

Click to expand...

Yeah, that still doesn't show everything which is using my RAM.

thideras said:

So, if you can't see the memory usage, how do you know it is being used? I'm confused.

Click to expand...

Desktop gadget and resource monitor show how much RAM is being used.

SMOKEU said:

Yeah, that still doesn't show everything which is using my RAM.

Click to expand...

That doesn't make sense.

Tspek said:

That doesn't make sense.

Click to expand...

In the performance monitor I have added up all the numbers for the memory usage and they don't all add up to the total amount of RAM being used. Eg, sometimes 5GB of RAM will be used in the task manager and resource monitor, but when I add the numbers up from all the RAM being used by all the processes it only adds up to less than half of that 5GB (or whatever it is).

I remember in Windows XP the task manager will show all apps which are using up RAM but it doesn't do that in Windows 7.

There is a check bo to show processes from all users.. is that chekced?

EarthDog said:

There is a check bo to show processes from all users.. is that chekced?

Click to expand...

Yes.

Post a screenshot of the performance tab in Task Manager and of what is reporting this extra memory usage. We can sit here and guess for the next few weeks, which is just going to waste time.

If you add up all the numbers for the amount of memory each app is using (I did), then it doesn't add up to the total memory usage

I can't read anything in that screenshot. You didn't show the performance tab.

I'm also pretty sure that it will never add up properly. How much space are you "missing"?

Maybe it's related to Superfetch (can't really see anything in the screenshot)?

Windows 7 caches applications in RAM via Superfetch, and it'll release it readily enough when other applications need the memory. I usually sit at 5-6GB in cache, and haven't experienced any problems with the OS hanging onto it (IE running IBT with maximum memory settings).


Since you've checked the option to show all users, I'd bet it's that.


Edit: I actually disabled Superfetch when I picked up an SSD and was paranoid about disk usage, but ended up reverting the change later since Superfetch basically only does disk reads.

Just look at this

Alright, so... I had exactly the same problem, fantastic pc no probs, new ****, win 7 (sucks in is instable). BUT i noticed that my pc was a teenzy weenzy bit slower. No problem. I checked my ctrl+alt+del task management AND BAM! 5.95 GB of my 8 Gigs RAM, basically no problem, But I like to keep my pc problems small and kill them when they just start sprouting if you catch my drift. Anyway just go to CTRL+ALT+DELETE -> Task Manager -> processes -> then click the show processes of all users button -> and look at memory, look at the one using an abnormal amount of memory -> It's probably TrustedInstaller (this keeps checking for updates and stuff and uses irritatingly much memory) so you could do all of your programs and disable the checking for updates or just a few of them to miminize memory usage. OR you could click on it and then click on end process, problem solved, look back at your memory usage, back to 25% MAX.

I assume all 8gb is showing in My Computer?
I had a problem where CPU-Z and similar programs would show all 6gb, but My Computer would only show 4.
Pagefile size change?

Also had a problem with Windows Media Sharing (or something like that) using rediculous amounts of memory.