Kitz Forum
Computer Software => Windows => Topic started by: scottiesmum on September 03, 2010, 11:45:56 AM
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Recently I've been getting a pop up telling me my 'virtual memory is too low' .. After investigation into what this pop up meant, I've had a look at Task Manager and see that the above MsMpEng.exe listed, under the VM size it is the second highest, Firefox being the highest. On further investigation I understand that MsMpEng.exe is connected to Windows Defender. I deleted Windows Defender a long, long time ago so I'm confused as to why this entry still shows ...and wonder if this VM size is causing the VM message to appear. Can I just right click on the MsMpEng.exe entry and End Process or will this cause problems ?
I know the above sounds like I might know what I'm talking about :'( but could replies be simple please :D
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It's also part of Microsoft Security Essentials if you're using that.
What version of Windows?
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Hi Kate
I have Windows Defender running,but can't see the entry you have posted.I am using Windows Vista .
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Thank you for the replies.
I use Windows XP SP3 .....
AND ..... I do use Microsoft Essentials, so obviously that's why it's there .. so I shall leave it there ... thank you for that HP.
Sorry I can't tell you where it might be listed on Vista Unc, but on my Task Manager under Processes, I then click on VM Size and it lists each process and the size of the VM in order.
I'm wondering if I expect my machine to do too much .... I do tend to have quite a few things open at the same time, perhaps it can't multi- task like me ;D it must be male >:D
Thank you again :)
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Hi Kate,
what processor do you have ,and how much memory?
I have a pentium dual core 2.13 and 2GB ram.
If you have 1GB or under I would consider an upgrade.
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Well .... apparently ;D
AMD SempronTm Processor 2500 + 1.40 GHz 1.25 GB RAM is that good ??? ;D
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Erm............. :no: ,especially for a 'multi-tasker' like yourself. ;D
Not too bad,but I think you would benefit from a ram upgrade,not too expensive and one of the easier computer upgrades.
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As long as it doesn't interfere with the shoppy/lunchy budget :D ... I shall have a word with 'my lady' ...thanks Unc :flower:
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Just out of interest, how many processes do you have running in Taskmanager..........if you wanted to post a screenshot of the processes tab of that.
It may well be possible to prune some out and thus give you back some RAM
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usually a motherboard has 4 memory slots,and usually has to be upgraded in pairs....2x 512MB,2x1GB,4 x512MB,4 x 1GB,or say 2x1GB and 2x 512MB,you get the picture.Each pair must be a matching pair
Not sure how you managed to 1.25GB. :-\
And depending on your motherboard/system there will be a maximum you can upgrade to.
I'm sure someone will contradict this,but it is not far off the mark :)
Have a read here,
http://www.crucial.com/uk/
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Unc, I'm certain ( 99.99% ) ..... that I have more than 1.25 GB because I had an upgrade a while ago ..... but I don't know where to look other than System ::)
Thank you TD :) ..... here is screen-shot :
PS.. The Around the World thing is something I just had running at the time of the screen-shot .. not something that is on all the time :)
[attachment deleted by admin]
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Thanks for the screenie, scottiesmum.
You have a huge number of processes going on (54) and I'm sure that a lot can be switched off without causing harm.........as a comparison, my XP system runs with only 29 running.
It will take me a bit of time to sort out those that can be stopped safely....will be back.
In the short term, and if I were you, I might be considering a change of browser.......your firefox and it's associated plug-in container .exe is gobbling 226.068 of ram and added to that you have msnwimext.exe taking another 47.112 just to put either an msn or a Bing toolbar into your browser.
That's 273 ms of ram just to run Firefox......my wee Opera is currently using 66 ms.
Will run through the others and be back. :)
edit to add.....to clarify how much ram is installed go to your "My Computer" icon on the desktop, right-click and select the properties tab.... the amount of installed ram is shown towards the bottom right.
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Just to add my twopenneth
I have just checked task manager using Firefox.........315,472k memory,
then closed and opened Opera..........85,732k memory,so a big difference.
Edit...just checked Opera again and now showing 49.424k.
The next highest thing I have running is just over 18000k
I have 30 items running in task manager.
2nd edit........Opera now showing 191,000k ???
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A further edit.....by the way, my Avast with all shield running is currently using 27ms of ram...nice and light.
How did you uninstall Windows Defender and what av are you running..there is no evidence in your processes of any other antivirus prog.....( do I not recall that you have Avira )
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A further edit.....by the way, my Avast with all shield running is currently using 27ms of ram...nice and light.
How did you uninstall Windows Defender and what av are you running..there is no evidence in your processes of any other antivirus prog.....( do I not recall that you have Avira )
Thank you for the replies.
I use Windows XP SP3 .....
AND ..... I do use Microsoft Essentials, so obviously that's why it's there .. so I shall leave it there .
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Oooh thanks, unkyUb..........must learn to read... :-[
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Ooooh thank you for your efforts TD ..... and to Unc for passing on the info .... I was invited out for coffee :D but back now ...... I'll have another look at Opera too ...... bfn
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Re Opera......my Opera browser is now not much behind FF in memory usage...latest showing 282.468k
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Opera will hold onto ram for as long as it is open, and ram usage will accumulate during the session. If you have visited sites that are graphics heavy or contain a lot of flash items the use of ram will increase dramatically as you surf.....even if you go back to simple websites again, Opera will hold the accumulated ram that you are using now or have used during that session.
Opera will then return all ram when it is shut down.........so a wee shut down now and again is a useful device if your machine is light on resources.
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Thanks for those comments TD.Tbh I do keep an eye on the processor usage(I have one of those gadgets on the vista sidebar)When the second core is up to about 65% usage I just close the browser and start again after a few seconds.As you say It drops dramatically when you close the browser,usually to about 30% usage in my case. :)
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In the short term I have binned Bing ! and I did away with MSN many moons ago .... off to look at Opera !
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Opera is good Kate,does take a bit of finding your way round,but very good.
And there is always Tufted technical help available if you get stuck ;D
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Before going any further, scottiesmum, sad to say you have a bit of a nasty process running on your computer and it should be removed as soon as possible. :(
Process Launcher.exe is undesirable.
Go to the task manager and kill that process, then go into msconfig (start>run>type in msconfig > ok) look for that item on the startup tab and in you can find it, uncheck as a startup item.
Then go into add/remove programs and look for a prog "Webshot" or one containing that word.
Rebbot...then do a deepsacan with you antimalware prog.
Sorry about this, but do not be too alarmed, it should be easy enough to remove.
Let us know how you get on. :)
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:o TD a big thank you first of all for taking this trouble ... just to be sure I'm removing the right thing ... do you refer to item No. 8 in the list in between Sychost exe and CorCom exe ?
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>>between Sychost exe and CorCom exe <<
Yes, that's the one.
ps svchost.exe, not sychost.exe.........if you really had sychost.exe, you would have troubles.... >:D ....but you don't.. :)
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:flower: thanks TD .... oops ! perhaps I need spectacles :D
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I've removed Launcher; did the msconfig and looked at start up but nothing listed there, Webshot not mentioned at all in Add Remove list. I'm now going to reboot and then do the scan, so it will be some while before I'm back ... :)
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:fingers:
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Have been running through the rest of these processes.
There are a few that are not needed as running services but which can be invoked manually as and when you need them...things such as the Java updater, your webcam etc but in total these items will not recover a great deal of resources.
I do notice that France Telecom in it's various guises ( alertmodule.exe , oranconfigrecover.exe , desktop.exe etc ) is using a bit of RAM........do you not connect via a router? If so, do you really need that software ?
The main culprits of the disappearing RAM are the two heavies FireFox and Essential......and I suspect the problem will rear it's head when you are using Firefox intensely...heavy graphics, lots of flash, lots of open tabs ...........and possibly a switch from of them to a lighter program may be an idea.
Did you manage to confirm the amount of installed........a screenie of the TaskManager "performance" tab would tell us.
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I've done the scan TD ... the Malwarebytes log file is here ...
04/09/2010 13:51:56
mbam-log-2010-09-04 (13-51-56).txt
Scan type: Full scan (C:\|)
Objects scanned: 253970
Time elapsed: 2 hour(s), 32 minute(s), 3 second(s)
Memory Processes Infected: 0
Memory Modules Infected: 0
Registry Keys Infected: 0
Registry Values Infected: 0
Registry Data Items Infected: 0
Folders Infected: 0
Files Infected: 0
Memory Processes Infected:
(No malicious items detected)
Memory Modules Infected:
(No malicious items detected)
Registry Keys Infected:
(No malicious items detected)
Registry Values Infected:
(No malicious items detected)
Registry Data Items Infected:
(No malicious items detected)
Folders Infected:
(No malicious items detected)
Files Infected:
(No malicious items detected)
The Task Manager Screen shot performance is here
BUT :o :o The Launcher.exe is back in the Task Manager processes :'(
Re... FT .... I connect to the internet by my WiFi connected Livebox
I don't know whether to ;D or :cry2: ...... :D
I don't think the screen shot is any good ... I've done another one !!
Also the one with the Launcher.exe showing again
[attachment deleted by admin]
[attachment deleted by admin]
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I've done a search for Launcher.exe to see if I could trace something :'( and the only entry that refers to Launcher.exe is connected to Orange !!! which is my ISP (used to be Wanadoo .. all France Telecom)
..... Or is that something completely different ?
[attachment deleted by admin]
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Launcher.exe............ok lets put that aside for the moment, it may be legit. Will investigate that further.
You security prog. has given a clean bill of health so it possibly nothing to worry about.
RAM...........you have a most peculiar ram setup installed. 1300ks hmmm. As has been said, RAM comes in increments of 516ks so 1300 does not add up. Perhaps one of the ram modules is faulty.
A new matched set of modules giving 2gb. can be had for about £35 upwards depending on the type required by the motherboard, and is a doddle to install.
That might be worth considering.........your system is creaking at the seams as far as resources go........1300 ram installed, 50 processes and 728k of ram just to keep the system going.........leaving only 547 to play with. Open up Firefox with two or three open tabs and bang goes another 200/250 and you are beginning to get to the "out of resources" stage.
A ram upgrade is recommended.........going up to 2Gb installed will instantly give 700k more to play with and solve the problem. Or, use a lighter browser and/or av prog.
I bet you wished you had never asked the question ;D
Will be back........and don't worry too much, the system has been coping for a while as it is and the error report you had was a rarity, a one off due to the circumstances of multi-tasking at that time. But more ram would offer peace of mind.
Off to find out more about launcher.exe :)
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:'( wow TD .... I think I'll go back to pen, paper and encyclopaedias ;D
Thank you for all that information ... as I've said previously, I'm confused at the RAM size because I had a 2 GB upgrade a while ago .. and I have total confidence in my computer lady, so I know she will have installed it ... however .. I will go and see her to arrange another lot !
I do tend to have a lot of tabs open at the same time in FF .... sometimes without realising just how many !! So in the meantime I shall limit that. The system runs along very quickly; downloads, not that I do a lot, are extremely quick ...one thing that does occur to me is the VM pop up only seems to have reared up since the Bing installation ... it has now been deleted !
I've considered Opera, following the recommendations on here, and spent several hours last evening looking at it ... but to be honest at the moment I think I prefer to stick with FF.
:flower:
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Some interesting reading here about launcher.exe.Legal process or spyware?.
http://forums.cnet.com/5208-6132_102-0.html?threadID=267518
As regards RAM...Your system is showing 1250/1300GB of RAM......This does sound a strange amount?
Ram Modules are never exactly 500MB/1GB/2GB......usually 512MB/1024GB/2048GB.
Not sure in XP,but the device manager in Vista gives you how much RAM etc your system has installed.
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I have just remembered I have a little programme that I haven't used for ages ... It's called RAM Idle I've just fired it up ...it tells you how much free RAM you have ... it shows in the task bar and when I open or close something it changes. At the moment I have Firefox open with 5 tabs, one which is the BBC through which I have the radio playing ....Outlook email programme is also open.
According to the RAM Idle box .. at this very moment ... it is showing : Free RAM 479 MB with CPU Usage of 33% ... I don't know how relevant this is ....
Thanks for that Unc.. I think a bit more mutton is on the menu ... when we get back ;D
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A bit more ooomph would not go wrong.
However, forget that for the mo.......get rootling, tootling and footling and enjoy your trip.....hope you have a great time.... :thumbs:
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A bit more ooomph would not go wrong.
However, forget that for the mo.......get rootling, tootling and footling and enjoy your trip.....hope you have a great time.... :thumbs:
Ditto
Have great time Kate. :flower:
And when you get back get a ram upgrade and your computer will be skipping along (https://forum.kitz.co.uk/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdl8.glitter-graphics.net%2Fpub%2F1283%2F1283728dl2zhbwwb9.gif&hash=838578ebe0b2d7c2747ddd2f24b4aaccd74278ba) (http://www.glitter-graphics.com) (Image of ram skipping along in Kates computer)
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:lol:
Merci beaucoup !
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As regards RAM...Your system is showing 1250/1300GB of RAM......This does sound a strange amount?
Ram Modules are never exactly 500MB/1GB/2GB......usually 512MB/1024GB/2048GB.
You're forgetting 256MB which would easily explain the memory installed. A 1GB stick with a 256MB stick will indeed show around 1300MB
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As regards RAM...Your system is showing 1250/1300GB of RAM......This does sound a strange amount?
Ram Modules are never exactly 500MB/1GB/2GB......usually 512MB/1024GB/2048GB.
You're forgetting 256MB which would easily explain the memory installed. A 1GB stick with a 256MB stick will indeed show around 1300MB
I did :-[
But as memory has to be installed in pairs that would probably mean 2 x 512mb and 2 x 128mb ram modules.Usually memory slots are in two pairs.
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Memory slots do come in pairs, but it is not necessary to have both slots filled...........one 1Gb module is as effective as 2x 512k
But, the machine in question is running XP and as far as I can remember has never run an OS earlier than that.
As an XP machine it would not originally come with only 256k.........you needed 512 minimum to run XP
So, from that basis what about an upgrade.? To reach 1300 would require a 512 module plus a 256 module on top of the original 516, which is a very odd way to upgrade.
But if the upgrade was the original 512 plus a new 512 or even a 1Gb...............why only show 1300 installed.
It is odd, and I still wonder if there is a faulty module in there. ???
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I would be pleased to make an expenses-paid trip to the south of France to sort it out for Kate. :angel:
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I would be pleased to make an expenses-paid trip to the south of France to sort it out for Kate. :angel:
;D
Even a computer wuss like me has installed ram before,well I instructed Sue what to do ;D
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I would be pleased to make an expenses-paid trip to the south of France to sort it out for Kate. :angel:
Hmmm...........crafty move.......I wonder if she keeps the wine cellar locked up.. :D
>>Even a computer wuss like me has installed ram before,<< :thumbs:
>>well I instructed Sue what to do<< :-X
;D
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A couple of things to add:
XP will run with as little as 64MB of memory (XP System Requirements (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/sysreqs/pro.mspx))
Memory does not necessarily need to be installed in pairs. A perfect example is my motherboard which has only 2 memory slots. Up until recently I was using a 1GB stick along with a 512MB stick.
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If Kate wishes to continue using Firefox, then consider using the little programme Speedyfox to free up memory. It actually speeds up browsing. Shut down Firefox, run Speedyfox and restart Firefox.
Their own description:
Your Firefox is working slowly? Boost Firefox in a single click with SpeedyFox absolutely for free!
You get:
# Boost Firefox startup in up to 3 times!
# Speed-up browsing history
# Quicker operation with cookies
Mozilla Firefox is a fast browser, but with the lapse of time it starts working much slowly. The reason is fragmentation of profile databases. A free tool SpeedyFox is designed specially to resolve that problem. The method used in SpeedyFox is 100% safe for your profile (e.g. bookmars, passwords, etc), it's well documented and tested on many computers.
Find it at http://www.crystalidea.com/speedyfox
Colin
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If Kate wishes to continue using Firefox, then consider using the little programme Speedyfox to free up memory. It actually speeds up browsing. Shut down Firefox, run Speedyfox and restart Firefox.
Their own description:
Your Firefox is working slowly? Boost Firefox in a single click with SpeedyFox absolutely for free!
You get:
# Boost Firefox startup in up to 3 times!
# Speed-up browsing history
# Quicker operation with cookies
Mozilla Firefox is a fast browser, but with the lapse of time it starts working much slowly. The reason is fragmentation of profile databases. A free tool SpeedyFox is designed specially to resolve that problem. The method used in SpeedyFox is 100% safe for your profile (e.g. bookmars, passwords, etc), it's well documented and tested on many computers.
Find it at http://www.crystalidea.com/speedyfox
Colin
Thanks for the tip.
I installed SpeedyFox and Firefox really is faster 8)
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You're welcome!
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@ scottiesmum...........I don't think this has been resolved, and I am not sure which way to go. :(
If it happens again, perhaps you could post a screeny of the processes tab of taskmanager and we can have a look at what all is running at the time of the error. :)
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XP should work fine with 1GB RAM.
Your RAM capacity is unusual, so on the keyboard, press the Windows key + pause/break key and the System Properties window is displayed.
On the General tab, under Computer, Windows will show the amount of RAM it has available.
Virtual memory shortages are caused by either too many programs running, a program failing to release memory or a shortage of spare hard drive space.
It may also be caused by specifying too small a paging file if you are not allowing Windows to manage your virtual memory.
You do appear to have a lot of processes running, however it is best to check this number immediately after booting the computer.
Let us know how it goes.
Apologies if I have repeated anything already mentioned........bit late to this post and did not read all the replies.
exo