Excessive Memory Usage

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LizGroen

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Hi There

My notebook is busy dying - from startup it goes from using 41% Physical Memory to 98% within 10 minutes, with no programs running! It started running very slow about 3 days ago when I opened up the Task Manager and saw that it was using 3.8 of its 4GB's RAM. I did a restore to the restore point just before a Windows Update 2 days before; I also did a full Kaspersky scan (took me a full day - no issues or vulnerabilities) and I cannot do a Kaspersky update as it gets stuck at 86% and then crashes.

I know that I will have to reinstall Windows, but I've got about 300GB's of 'other files' that I don't want to loose, and the damn thing is running so slow that I can't even back up my 'other files'.

Packard Bell EasyNote TM - i5 460M, 4GB Memory, NVidia GeForce GT 1GB Visual memory - Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit (original - never reinstalled).

Any ideas?
 
In task manager, under the processes tab, arrange the Memory collumn so that it lists the biggest memory using process at the top. Tell us what that Image name is.
 
Thank guys - I would like to post a screenshot, but:

1) I'm not allowed and I don't have an image hosting account.
2) I couldn't take screenshots as the laptop is really THAT slow that by the time it gets to 98% it crashes. So I've taken a couple of pics with my iPhone - don't laugh.

In Task Manager, the largest file I had was DropBox at 46MB and Mobile Connect at 18MB - I closed all of the bigger files so that I only had Windows Explorer opened at 14MB.

My techie friend brought round a harddrive reader so we've taken out the harddrive and I'm busy copying all my 'other files' to my pc. Once I'm done I will try your suggestions before formatting, but this is seriously scr*wed up! He also shook his head in disbelieve as he'd never seen anything like it.
 
LizGroen said:
Thank guys - I would like to post a screenshot, but:

1) I'm not allowed and I don't have an image hosting account.
2) I couldn't take screenshots as the laptop is really THAT slow that by the time it gets to 98% it crashes. So I've taken a couple of pics with my iPhone - don't laugh.

In Task Manager, the largest file I had was DropBox at 46MB and Mobile Connect at 18MB - I closed all of the bigger files so that I only had Windows Explorer opened at 14MB.

My techie friend brought round a harddrive reader so we've taken out the harddrive and I'm busy copying all my 'other files' to my pc. Once I'm done I will try your suggestions before formatting, but this is seriously scr*wed up! He also shook his head in disbelieve as he'd never seen anything like it.
Click to expand...

Most likely caused by a virus or a memory leak in a program, which is why I think it's caused by Kaspersky.
 
Yes those 'other files' is a problem; if only it was just other files instead...
 
for a screenshot you press PRTSC key open MS Paint paste and save and then you click the little image icon above when replying here in the forum and you save your image here in the forum.
 
Did you click the "show processes from all users" button on the bottom left of the task manager before sorting the memory column?

You can also try a antivirus boot disk like "AVG Rescue CD" to make sure its not a virus.
 
noswal said:
for a screenshot you press PRTSC key open MS Paint paste and save and then you click the little image icon above when replying here in the forum and you save your image here in the forum.
Click to expand...

Thanks, unfortunately the laptop was really running too slow to take a screenshot with the printscreen function or the snipping tool; and then I would've had to go and do a manual switch off and on again as the laptop crashed.

Under the Posting Permissions at the bottom of my screen it says that 'You may not post attachments' - I assumed it was because I am a new user with only a couple of posts?
 
Ok - I've uninstalled Kaspersky and already the physical memory is remaining at 40% (1.6GB) - MUCH BETTER!

I've ticked the 'Show processes from each user' before uninstalling Kaspersky and there were 2 processes for it - the higher running at 278MB. There are also a couple of Host Process for Windows processes - the higher running at 103MB.

At the moment I'm running a Malware scan and will then re-install Kaspersky.

It looks like you may have saved my laptop! Thank you so much
 
LizGroen said:
Ok - I've uninstalled Kaspersky and already the physical memory is remaining at 40% (1.6GB) - MUCH BETTER!

I've ticked the 'Show processes from each user' before uninstalling Kaspersky and there were 2 processes for it - the higher running at 278MB. There are also a couple of Host Process for Windows processes - the higher running at 103MB.

At the moment I'm running a Malware scan and will then re-install Kaspersky.

It looks like you may have saved my laptop! Thank you so much
Click to expand...

If you want to go to Kaspersky's website and download the newest edition of your edition and reinstall it with that.

http://www.kaspersky.com/product-updates
 
Check the columns in task manager to also display handle count.... the process with the highest number may also be one that is slowing the machine
 
NomNom said:
If you want to go to Kaspersky's website and download the newest edition of your edition and reinstall it with that.

http://www.kaspersky.com/product-updates
Click to expand...

I wonder if that could've contributed to the issue? I bought a 3-user Internet Security 2013, but only entered the new license key a couple of weeks ago without installing the new software?

Anyways - my laptop is working perfectly again and even my 'other files' are downloading and everything is using 35-40% physical memory! Kaspersky and Malware Bytes seem to be doing the trick in the background with pop-up messages every so often about successfully preventing malware attacks!

Thanks again!
 
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