Win 10 memory mystery

MtnMan

Diamond Member
Jul 27, 2004
8,750
7,866
136
Mystery win 10 memory usage.
I have a new (refurbed) HP computer, Win 10 Pro, i5 processor, 8 gig of RAM.
I am running weather software that is receiving a stream of data from my personal weather station, logging it, and keeping my weather website current. It replaces a 14 year old Dell that was showing it's age, but still running 24/7 without issue. Not a very intensive process as it has been running on a P4 machine for years.

One application is running on the PC, plus all the stuff that comes. When first booted, and the application starts it is using only 24% of memory. Within 3 days, it is using 90% of RAM and is sluggish. Different options for virtual memory have been tried, from let Windows manage it, to setting it to fixed sizes.

NOTHING is using more than 200MB of memory, and there are only a couple of applications running. The number of background processes, 40 and Windows processes about 90, basically the same as when it first boots. CPU usage is typically <15%.

Where is the free RAM going?
 

Ketchup

Elite Member
Sep 1, 2002
14,545
236
106
Windows puts as much in memory as it can, and will pass off last-used data if it "runs out". There is a long video I saw about this a couple years ago, and I doubt I could find it now. Suffice it to say, Windows 10 takes that to the next level, so even though it says all (or almost all) of your RAM is being used, that means Windows is working as it should.

As for your speed problems, does the program run in browser or other container? Does it officially support Windows 10?
 

vailr

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
5,365
54
91
I'd suggest checking for an update for the weather station software.
There could be a poorly-written program that "leaks" memory, and will continue slowly gobbling up memory as long as it's left running.
Although, if the exact same program didn't do that on the older machine...?
 

VirtualLarry

No Lifer
Aug 25, 2001
56,343
10,045
126
I'd suggest checking for an update for the weather station software.
There could be a poorly-written program that "leaks" memory, and will continue slowly gobbling up memory as long as it's left running.
Although, if the exact same program didn't do that on the older machine...?
Then I would check on some MS VC redistributable updates.