How Do You Free Up Memory

[Noodles]

I've just checked my system information and it says

that I am using 70% of my memory, and this is when

I have only just booted up my laptop?

Is this normal?

I'm using an Intel R pentium 4, 2.66 Ghz Compaq Presario

Memory 447mb 70% used

If this is not normal can someone tell me how to go about

fixxing it and where to start looking, because this may be

why I am having so many problems with my laptop, hence my

thread earlier.

Thanks again

[Crossy]

We need to know:- Operating system

70% of half a Gig seems high.

Now applying brain power......

What have you got in your 'startup' folder?

How many icons are down in the bottom right (by the clock), these are all programs that are using your valuable RAM.

Are you running a decent up-to-date antivirus and anti-spyware program?

Edited August 8, 2005 by Crossy

[britmaveric]

XP - right click my computer, select properties, select advanced tab, Performance settings, select Adjust for best performance, Apply, and ok. This should free up resources.

Also look under task manager might have a program thats a resource hog such as spy/malware.

[Firefoxx]

Some tips:

1. Add some more memory to your notebook. If you use a lot of applications, a lot of ram helps. Notebooks have slow harddisks, so the more memory the merrier. RAM is pretty cheap, so an upgrade won't cost much, and help a lot.

2. Uninstall any and all programs that you don't use.

3. Get rid of any "tray" applications that supposedly help to start an application, like winamp, realplayer, etc. Usually the option is within the preferences menu of the main program. Otherwise, use msconfig to disable.

4. Any other apps, which load automatically (like messenger, skype, etc) at startup, disable their "start with windows" option. Load them manually when you need them.

[melus]

To see what processess are active on your system, Process Explorer in a nice free application and is available here.

[slimdog]

70% on start-up isn't unusual. It's just the way that windows manages memory, most of this memory will be allocated to windows resources and functions such as pop up windows, fonts etc and will have loaded up when you booted up the computer, this memory will be re-allocated as soon as you start a program. The biggest problem with memory is when a Program takes memory and refuses to allow it to be re-allocated even when you are not using the program, when this happens the computer has no choice but to use the virtual memory (swap File or page File), which is far slower than your actual memory (RAM).When this happens you will see a lot more disk activety.

As other posters have suggested, have a look in your Task bar and stop un-neccesary Programs from loading on start-up. This can help your system run quicker, although the 70% will probably remain the same on Start-up, there will be a greater percentage available for re-allocation.

Hope this helps

[Noodles]

We need to know:- Operating system

70% of half a Gig seems high.

Now applying brain power......

What have you got in your 'startup' folder?

How many icons are down in the bottom right (by the clock), these are all programs that are using your valuable RAM.

Are you running a decent up-to-date antivirus and anti-spyware program?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks for all the replies, I'm using windows XP home.

The programs by my clock are,

Messenger

Zonealarm

Norton Antivirus

Local Are Network Connection

Spbot Tea Timer

Volume Control

I'm running Norton Antivirus 2004, Spybot and Spysweeper trial version.

I'll have a look to see whats in my startup folder and get back.

Thanks again

Startup folder is empty

Edited August 8, 2005 by Noodles

[Firefoxx]

These days very few programs actually use the startup folder... most just use the "run" tree in the registry, or some other method. Use msconfig to see which programs are being run at startup.

Winxp by itself, on a typical system, uses around 200+MB. Most of the rest may be used by the system cache, and is reallocated when you open applications.

[TizMe]

I use FreeRAM XP Pro on my underpowered PC.

t does a good job, and best of all it is Freeware.

http://www.yourwaresolutions.com/

[Insight]

Also check your services -

Start / Settings / Control Panel / Administrative Tools / Services

If your laptop was anything like this Vaio, there might be a tonne of "Media" related services that you might not use. There could also be things like IIS or maybe even MSDE which you also take up memory, but you have no use for.

[kelv23]

Also check your services -

Start / Settings / Control Panel / Administrative Tools / Services

If your laptop was anything like this Vaio, there might be a tonne of "Media" related services that you might not use. There could also be things like IIS or maybe even MSDE which you also take up memory, but you have no use for.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

useful little alternative cleaner for your disk

disk cleaner

[Noodles]

thanks again for your replies, i will look into these suggestions

[buksida]

As mentioned above try stopping unnecessary services (around 50% whats running is not needed - I mean who really needs a service that connects to M$ to keep your clock at the correct time??). Start > Run > services.msc

Make sure you know what you're doing here though as there are some essential networking services that need to be on (google it for more info).

Also try (and it may have already been mentioned) Start > Run > msconfig Then go to the startup tab and you can turn off pretty much everything except your antivirus and firewall.

[Noodles]

As mentioned above try stopping unnecessary services (around 50% whats running is not needed - I mean who really needs a service that connects to M$ to keep your clock at the correct time??). Start > Run > services.msc

Make sure you know what you're doing here though as there are some essential networking services that need to be on (google it for more info).

Also try (and it may have already been mentioned) Start > Run > msconfig Then go to the startup tab and you can turn off pretty much everything except your antivirus and firewall.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I've gone into this and there are a ton of things running on there.

Trouble is I don't know what half of them are, so it wouldn't be a good

idea to stop anything. Unless anyone knows what is ok to close.

Thanks again, I appreciate all the help!

[Plus+]

Lots of programs need more resources when they start than when they are simply running in background. Some free up those resources, some don't, as was mentioned a few posts above. Sometimes all you have to do is to wait it out - antivirus programs downloading the latest virus news, antispyware downloading the latest updates, then checking your computer against it. It's life. Or maybe you just need to find the way to manage it.

"FreeRam" mentioned earlier is a nice little program that sits in your tray and shows how much Ram is left. Once you feel it's getting too low, right-click it and "free" your Ram. It will give you immediate memory boost by freeing memory claimed by some power hungry programs. You can also set it to free Ram automatically as soon as it reaches predetermined level you set yourself.

To check startup (where you might have lots of useless things fighting for your memory resources) I use "Codestuff starter" - it gives info on every startup program so you can decide whether to to delete it or simpy disable it and see what happens. It also gives info on running programs at any given moment so you can have a pretty good idea of what's going on in your computer.

Both are free and can be easily googled out and downloaded. Perhaps they are not the best out there but they work, at least for me.

Another issue, though not realted to your Ram directly, is cleaning the registry - every time you start your Windows it will run through the registry and check thoroughly everyting that's in it. It takes time. If you check your registry you'll find out that there are lots of dead ends and non-existing paths, files, and entries there and they all need to be properly investigated by Windows on startup. The largest I've seen was about 600 invalid registry entries. I check the registry regularly and I collect about 20 invalid entries a month - installing/uninstalling programs and the like.

Get a registry cleaner. It should back up your registry, find invalid entries, give you some info on them and, finally, delete them. Defragmenting your registry is also a good idea - to make this large file compact and in one place after you delete all the nonsense. The one that I use is "Complete registry cleaner". It has a free version where you have to do everything manually, and perhaps there are better programs out there, but the point is you've got to do it, it's maintaining computer hygiene, like brushing teeth or taking old newspapers out.

[francois]

hi'

want to clean a bit without risk?

search for Easy cleaner from Tony arts, check registry and unnecessary files.

to free up some memory I use a little script :

open text editor like notepad and type :

FreeMem = Space(256000000) and save it as freemem.vbs, place it in windows folder.

make a shortcut on desktop.

take the shortcut to the quick-launch bar, give it an icon

here you are, everytime, that you click on this freemem icon, 256mb of ram will be freed

this is if you have 1gb of ram, for 512mb use 128000000, so:

FreeMem = Space(128000000)

and lower than 512, for a 256 use 56000000.

nothing cheaper, home made

francois

Edited August 9, 2005 by francois

[stumonster]

for controlling programs that like to startup when windows starts I use a nice little free program called startup control panel from mike lin , find it here www.mlin.net

to sort out windows services , reference blackvipers page - well explained what each service does. though his page is under construction and the main mirror has been removed you can still find a semi mirror of the info on the major geeks site

http://majorgeeks.com/page.php?id=12

also if you have the micro$oft office startup on you might want to disable it.

[meadish_sweetball]

If MS Office on Startup is disabled, will it significantly slow down startup of MS Word later on during a session, if required?

[francois]

If MS Office on Startup is disabled, will it significantly slow down startup of MS Word later on during a session, if required?

hi'

obviously yes a bit, let's say a real tiny bit

I have a P4 3ghz and it takes nearly one second more if not loaded at startup, did you notice the improvement of adobe reader when launch the version 7?

it's because it resides in memory already, at windows startup

so, if you lack ram, better to disable it, let's say less than 512mb, disable.

over feel free for speed

francois