How to curb Vista's Insatiable Appetite for RAM memory usage

Hey everyone. I've decided to make this post because I have been a little annoyed and bothered by the fact that with Vista...my RAM usage ( I have 2gb) is usually around 40-50% when the system is in idle with no programs running except the default windows/lenovo programs.

Furthermore, in task manager I notice how there are so many processes running under my user name. In XP, I was able to turn off most of the useless processes leaving only the 2 most essential: taskmanager and explorer.

I want to do the same for Vista...or at least...decrease it's huge appetite for RAM because when I am using a cpu/gpu intensive program/game...I want to have the maximum amount of available RAM.

So...if you guys can please help me and others by listing programs/processes that could be turned off, msconfig configurations, startup programs...etc.

BTW...I am on a T61p, t7500 2.2ghz, 2gb RAM, 100 gb HDD 7200rpm, VISTA UlTIMATE if this helps at all.

Thnx in advance.

 

You know why it uses that RAM
To improve performance yes improve. It prefetches files so they start faster. It Automaticaly frees it if a program needs it.

 

But it shouldn't be using THAT much RAM...it's a ridiculous amount compared to XP. Plus, there are so many processes running in the background last time I checked...which I am pretty sure adding to the increase RAM use.

One more thing...my hdd activity LED always seems to be flashing. Is this a symptom of Vista's prefetching? or too many programs running in the background constantly accessing data? Either way...I notice this when I have NO programs running except default ones.

 

Google for "tweak vista" on the web and at the top level of these forums. You'll probably find at least a half dozen web pages that will keep you occupied for the rest of the afternoon

 

You will have RAM when you need it. Vista uses RAM while it's not in use. Don't worry about it.

 

Who cares if it is using100% of the RAM as long as it gives it up the moment it is needed. XP doesn't have pre-fetch so that is why you don't see this in XP.

I had over 90 processes with Vista Ultimate with the factory install and about 60 after a clean install. You can see my Task Manager if you click "My Thinkpad..." in my sig.

Also, the clean install guide is in my sig as well.

 

Stallen, your "my thinkpad" link points to your Clean Install Guide, just FYI.

 

so it seems that Vista's krazy appetite for RAM is normal??? And the same would be so for the many processes running in task manager???

How about the frequent hard drive activity light blinking because the hard drive is being accessed? Even when I am not doing anything much?

 

BTW Stallen...I have a question for you. My T61p came with no cds whatsoever. So, do you think I would have to contact Lenovo to have them ship me the cds for drivers and OS??

 

really For me, it goes directly to the second post in my clean install guide (which shows benchmarks, temps, and the task manager and some other stuff.) Can you check it one more time and let me know if it works? If you scroll down to the second post you will see where I intend it to go.

Most of the crazy RAM appetite is normal and same with the HDD activity. However, you should notice that the hard drive activity stops around 5 minute after you boot-up. RAM useage goes down a little about 5 minutes after boot as well. It is my understanding that SP1 will tame the RAM and HDD use down a little.

In general all of the major PC manufacturers no longer ship disks. You can make your own recovery disks. (Keep in mind that recovery disks are used to restore your notebook to the factory install including all the bloatware) Step 1 of my guide will show you how to make them. You can get disks from Lenovo but that will cost you. Some people have been having trouble using these disks to restore from.

 

ctbear, relax. Your T61p & Vista Ultimate are both normal.

My T61 (7663A21) has some 80 processes running at the background and occupies some 40% of my 2 GB RAM, with just a fresh boot-up and I have not even invoked any other application yet. The harddisk is very busy blinking away for the first 10 to 12 mins from each boot-up. So how do all these sound to you ?

I do not advise that you try to close any of those processes started automatically for your ThinkPad, unless you are so sure what they are suppose to do. Lenovo has obviously wanted them to be there for some purposes. They are not simply started automaticaly just to annoy you nor to disadvantage your system. They are there for their purposes.

As for your concern about your harddisk light blinking every now and then; well, it is normal for it to blink thereabout once every 0.8 second interval. The assurance about everything is alright is for you to check against your TaskManager; if CPU activity hovers under 8% on average, its healthy.

Vista Business and Ultimate normally occupies some 800 MB of RAM, even when system is idle. Yours is behaving normally.

Please have faith in you ThinkPad, it's working just fine; don't scare yourself out of the norm.

Cheers !!
Benjamin Chin
9 Oct 07

 

Don't worry your link works perfectly...I think the other guy didn't know what he was talking about or what your aim was.

 

OK thanks guys for all of the relief on Vista's RAM usage. I guess it's normal. I wonder what SP1 will do for all of that...and maybe..just maybe...it'll increase Vista's OS efficiency and stability with directx10.

 

hehehe... ahh.. better than TV...

 

Again, there is 0 problems with the RAM usage. Vista gives it up the moment you need it.

SP1 will improve the HD activity though.

 

It works fine, my mistake

 

Out of 2 gigs of ram I have on my laptop, 1408MB is cached, 1-3MB is free, and the rest is used by vista, but I don't notice any lag in Vista. I just did a clean install on my T61 and I'm running ~43 processes including IM, Opera, and a few unimportant processes. If you're concious about system performance, uninstall some Thinkpad software. Access connections itself uses 3-4 processes.

 

1) Format c:/
2) Install XP
3) Someone had to say it

 

>.> get more ram and maybe a SSHD

 

If you want this is completely optional

Run a program like vLite that has been coded by Nuhi. ( www.vlite.net)

Using this program you can make a Windows Vista installation disc that doesn't include the prefetching service so it handles RAM exactly like Windows XP.