Database Users

Memory eaten away !!!!!!!

I think all of you have seen this.. Free program stats from around 25 Mb and keeps on going down even if you completely kill the processes. is there a tool which actually kills the resident dlls and other crap in memory.. Please advice.. i want to get out this habbit of soft reset after couple of days just to bring my memory back up where it belongs ;-)
Cheers
Zobie

Yeah, leaking memory is also one of the very few things I hate on my Wizard
I also would like to know if there is a Memory Cleaner that works like it should and not only kills open programs.

Had problem also. But the Internet Exploder was to blame. I had the history settings to 30 days. Which is the default. Back to 0 days and everything was hunkydory again.

I had problems with memory too. I had less than 1MB of storage memory left. So I went from a custom 2.17 ROM to Mr. Clean AKU 2.3 and changed the Registry setting for IE as follows:
; IE Cache to storage card
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders]
"Cache"="\\Storage Card\\Temporary Internet Files"
I've used this ROM for a week now with lots of programs. I have an average of 25 MB of storage free and the system is fast.
I have experienced no problems whatsoever.

If i don't even open the IE will it still be a memory hog?? i don't understand that.. I can understand that if i use IE all the time it will cause problems but if i don't even use it why woud my memory drop with time. Cans omeone please explain. I am not trying to offend neone here but just wante dto know. I can definitely try the reg settings. Please let me know.
Thanks
Zobie

Don't confuse ROM with RAM and storage with program mem. I think the topic starter referred to his RAM mem becoming less every day, resulting in low program mem and slow operations, needing a reset to clear the RAM and speed up the device.
The IE cache is stored in ROM and will only fill your storage but not slow down your device.
memory leaks are unfortunately a standard issue with PPC devices, I have always suffered from them on both WM 2003 SE and Wm5 devices. For me a soft reset now and then clears it up, but I find it an annoying "feature" as well.

I think like Windows its the In Memory DLLs which are the culprit. I wonder if there can be tools for detailed view of memory for Xp why not WM5.

BUMP !!!

zobie said:
I think like Windows its the In Memory DLLs which are the culprit. I wonder if there can be tools for detailed view of memory for Xp why not WM5.
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What are the "In Memory DLL's"? Never heard of such a thing.
The memory that slows your device is the addressable application memory, which is a total of 32 MB. You cannot change that or add to it.
Think of it as the same as the Virtual Memory (VM) in Windows XP on your desktop. Every application you open reserves a bit of this virtual memory. Some apps willingly give it up when they close - some that are not as well written do not. A soft reset when you see the device slowing is about all you can do.
My only other advice is that skinned applications - particularly Today screen plugins - use up this addressable memory very quickly. This includes Wisbar Advance2, PocketBreeze and iLauncher, and any weather program. If you are running these, you will always have similar issues. Find an acceptable mix of skinned apps that you must have, and try doing without the rest just to see how it treats your device's memory.
And if you want to see what processes are running, and how much memory they are using, try MemMaid by Dinarsoft or SK-Tools. Great programs.

Amen. I wonder how much is held in reserve by the system in case you start the app again? Real Windows has been doing that for a long time, I wouldn't be surprised if micro Windows did it as well. Kind of reminds me of years ago when NT would report how it actually used memory and the end result was there was almost zero bytes "free" because all memory was always used for something, it didn't let anything sit around doing nothing. But since users didn't get it, MS wrote the taskman and so on to report something as "free memory" even though it wasn't really free. Finally, a lot of apps were designed to hide, not close, when you select the "X". If one of those task manager apps just blows the app away, does it bother cleaning up after the app which wasn't given the chance to clean up after itself by closing correctly?

markgamber said:
Amen. I wonder how much is held in reserve by the system in case you start the app again? Real Windows has been doing that for a long time, I wouldn't be surprised if micro Windows did it as well. Kind of reminds me of years ago when NT would report how it actually used memory and the end result was there was almost zero bytes "free" because all memory was always used for something, it didn't let anything sit around doing nothing. But since users didn't get it, MS wrote the taskman and so on to report something as "free memory" even though it wasn't really free.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Take a look here to learn about what you really see in task manager regarding memory/cpu usage.
http://tinyurl.com/l57w8
Finally, a lot of apps were designed to hide, not close, when you select the "X". If one of those task manager apps just blows the app away, does it bother cleaning up after the app which wasn't given the chance to clean up after itself by closing correctly?
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Depends on which task mamger you are using; some use the WMClose command instead of the Kill command. Big difference!

Tools Like Memmaid SK-Tools don't allow you to identify rouge elements in memory which nolonger have a parent process running. It is those elemts which eat up the memory. I have SPB tools to actually close the application but even then the memory keeps on falling. I guess there is no tool as of today like Taskmanager or even RAM Optimizer for PPC. A Tool like RAM Optimizer would check for the elements which are residing in RAM and are no longer being used. XDA developers can surely write something using the .NE Framework.

J-Mac said:
Depends on which task mamger you are using; some use the WMClose command instead of the Kill command. Big difference!
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Do you happen to know of a couple that use the WMClose command? I've used HandySwitcher most recently and MagicButton in the past, but have no idea which method(s) they use.
Thank you.
Geoffrey

There must 40 threads on this topics by now. I concur with J-Mac that today plugins are mostly to blame. I use Journal Bar and perform a soft reset roughly every other day. To help the situation I also use 2 programs which I find invaluable - The first is Smartskey which allows you close a program rather than minimise it (its a free download on this forum). The second is SK Tools Free up RAM application which works reasonably well but only delays the enevitable soft reset. It's effectiveness decreases the longer the device remains active.

More Program Memory???

I wanted to know is there a way to use the storage card for program memory?
I run PIE and try to run WMP at the same time and the phone really slows down.
sometimes I am just playing music and it eats up so much program memory even when I closed all other apps...
even just pocket IE it slows down a lot when im not even doing much on it
anyone knows how can it be done IF it can be done?

I'm surprised you're having trouble with program memory using just those 2 apps. Are you sure that's your problem? How much program memory do you see after booting? How much after launching each of those apps.
Now, PIE can use a lot of storage memory for caching pages. You *can* relocate that cache to an SD card, if desired.
Back to your initial question, you can increase program memory slightly by patching your ROM to reduce the page pool size. I've done that and it's improved stability and performance of certain large applications I run, PIE and WMP aren't any of them though.

PIE and WMP
There is no way to convert storage to program memory. They are physically different types of memory. You can minimize the use of program memory as mentioned above. That said, PIE is just slow. You can use a WiFi connection and overclock, but you can only do so much. WMP is known to suck memory, and will use whatever you give it. If you aren't using DRM, you can try TCMP or Gsplayer which are free and use less resources if you think it might help to have more memory available. (But I would be surprised if it made much difference.) Check out Smartskey or Omapclock or Batterystatus for overclocking.
Regards,

memory leakage

Dear All,
i'm using wm5, i noticed there is a memory leakage , i'm using batery status , every program i open memory decreases then when i close the program using resco task manager , the memory used by the program is not released.
is there any way to avoid this ???

Try using Oxios Memory to recover leaked memory.

I did but still not all the memory recovered , as example as i restart i have 21 MB free after using the device for 6-8 hours , i find the memory 17-18 MB , and i'm sure that all the programs are properly closed.

If you opened a lot of applications in those 6 to 8 hours then that is normal.
You can't just close the app and think that it will be like you have never opened it...that it will remove every bit from memory.
for example, I start with 24MB of free RAM after reset, and trough two or tree days it drops down to 19-22MB dependinh of which and how many apps I have started meanwhile.

Installed apps, even those stored on a SD card will create unneccessary files in the main memory taking some memory away. Check these locations to see if you can delete files from apps that are not needed for the app to run. (main memory) Application Data/Volatile, windows directory/app mgr./active sync (control log) several bytes can be safely deleted here. Look for programs that have been removed, but are still in the app mgr. folder. If files can't be found, use the app that newbie2 offered or this one. Works for me!

Same for me
Man i get the samething. I use the Oxias but it only frees up a couple hundred kb to maybe a few mb. Crazy that I can get it all the way down to 2-3mb of ram. I start with in the 23-26mb free range. I open the following:
Slide2Unlock by A_C
Iphone launcher by Grumps
PocketCM by Tene
I have softkey by water
and Hbutton running
I occassionally check my email and get a few text messages. Outside of that, not a lot of major memory usage.
Even with that going I start at about 21 - 23mb. How is getting down that low. And what will actually work to get it back?
CG

It could be that these programs you have installed are the cause. I think I recall seeing an issue like this related to Slide2Unlock. But the truth is, any badly/improperly written software can do this.

treo...not! said:
It could be that these programs you have installed are the cause. I think I recall seeing an issue like this related to Slide2Unlock. But the truth is, any badly/improperly written software can do this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does anyone know of an actual GOOD program out there that will automatically dump the RAM cache at interval or preset limits?? And do it with a noticable difference??
I have seen others using Resco, task manager and few other programs but most people report the same problem. I know M$ has set the cache up to do this on its own but it is just not as affective as I would like it to be. I know that the short answer is to give up the apps I like. But, I would like to work around that if possible.
CG

hotdog53 said:
Installed apps, even those stored on a SD card will create unneccessary files in the main memory taking some memory away. Check these locations to see if you can delete files from apps that are not needed for the app to run. (main memory) Application Data/Volatile, windows directory/app mgr./active sync (control log) several bytes can be safely deleted here. Look for programs that have been removed, but are still in the app mgr. folder. If files can't be found, use the app that newbie2 offered or this one. Works for me!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can clear the Opera history & cache while in Opera, clear cache and delete files while in PIE. With the attached app, which I use ALL the time, can do all this with 1 tap. It also gets rid of your most recent program thst was opened from the start menu. Lots of items can be cleaned and eliminated safely allowing more memory. Check the box by the item/s you want the app to focus on.
8125
2.25.11.1

Programs closing on their own

I am using aserg windows mobile 6.1 rom and I have noticed a creeping problem. As time goes on, I can only seem to run 1 substantial program at a time.
For instance, if I try to run any of these programs in tandem:
HTC audio manager or Windows Media Player
Mundu mobile messenger
Opera
Internet explorer
Dictionary software
Outlook mail (sms/email)
Skype
the program in the background always closes. This is especially annoying when for instance I am listening to music and I get an email or sms, I go to check it and my music player just closes. Same if I try to browse the web and listen to music or check an sms, It is very annoying.
What causes this function in windows mobile and how do I turn it off?
As for memory, when I start I have 13-14 megs free memory. Any of these programs take an absolute MAXIMUM of 4-5 megs at peak usage. I should be able to run at least 2 together without a problem, and if another one does nto have enough memory, it shoudl just say so and not start, but not close out other programs...
I also have about 4-5 megs of free storage space on the phone.
any ideas on this one?

It seems as time goes on, I can't seem to run any more than 1 program simultaneously...

Reduce the amount of file space your browser have allotted for cache files and history.

My browser cache for both Opera and PIE are both pointed at the storage card which has about 500megs free. This problem occurs even if I am running any programs though, not just browsers...

It's either the memory shortage (which some of those programs can actually take much more than 4 or 5 mb to run.) Or you have it set to close on tap, within the task manager/x-button, instead of close on hold.

I use batterystatus, and it is set to tap and hold X to close, but I never use the X, I simply go to the start menu and open another program, then when I try to switch back to the other program, it is closed already.
How do I check if it is a memory problem?
For instance, if I run HTC audio manager, then get a message, I click reply, then after about 3 seconds into my reply HTC audio manager closes.
is there any way I can "force" the programs to stay open? Even if I were to launch a new program and it does not have enough memory, it woudl just not open rather than closing an existing open program...

To me, it sounds like you are running out of RAM, and programs that were running in the background are automatically closed. I'm not affiliated with Windows Mobile and hence not an expert, but I believe this (closing previously open programs rather than the new one) is the expected behavior in WM. Imagine getting a phone call and the phone app not opening since there's not enough memory because the OS didn't automatically close background programs...
I don't know of a way of changing the memory management behavior, but maybe someone else here does? I'd argue that you wouldn't want to anyway.
I'd suggest that you DO use the X button to close programs, otherwise I guarantee you will run out of memory and things will close automatically anyway. The difference is you won't have any say in what gets closed at that point. I added programs that I don't want to close with the X button (like Live Messenger) to the exclusive programs list in the Task Manager.
Second, I'd suggest you take any steps you can to increase your original pool of memory.

Darren, I understand your point, but it seems as if I have plenty of memory, and I can only run 1 program at a time. I don't mind so much the behaviour, it is just at the point of being ridiculous when I can only run 1 program at a time.
So you think that starting with 13-14 megs of free memory is not enough? How would I go about increasing this original pool of memory?
Also, even it I use the X button to close programs, that does not solve my problem anyways, whichever program is not in the foreground seems to close by itself anyway...

phony, I understand your frustration. I have had low memory problems myself, and I know that programs running in the background will close when that happens. That's why when I read your post it sounded like a memory issue to me.
I ended up tweaking a few things to try to get more free memory, like not running certain processes or services automatically at startup. I'm not sure if it is relevant to the ROM you are running, but see http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=312312.

This is definitely a memory problem. When the free program memory is lower than about 1MB (don't remember the exact number), the WIndows Mobile will send a WM_HIBERNATE to all the running program to release all the possible resources. If the memory goes lower, it will broadcast another message called WM_CLOSE to close all the background apps to release more memory. The only reason for apps that close on themselve is either low on mem or there are some apps in the background (maybe a virus) sending WM_CLOSE every now and then. To be honest, to have less than 15 megs of ram to start with is NEVER enough. Try to change the pool size if you don't like any of the great roms here. Hope this help.

RAM/Memory Low Problems

For some reason, I don't see too many complaints about low memory issues - yet I have always had problems with my RAM.
I have almost all of my programs installed on my SD card to try reduce any of my memory usage - but if I run PIE, MSN Messenger, or try to play music, I almost always have low memory messages come up.
I usually have one program running in the background - Slide to Unlock - but as far as I know its not that memory intensive?
Any insight on how I can fix this?
Thanks!

Are you running an elf or an elfin? If your not sure.....go to start-->settings-->system-->device information-->hardware. What does your RAM size read? If its 64MB its an elf.....if it says 128MB its an elfin. Your saying you've installed all your applications on the storage card. How much free space do you have for program memory on your phone? Your phones needs free memory in order to run applications too. Perhaps its running low on that end? Two things you should do:
1. Move any extra files, photos, videos or anything else that you might have saved on the phone memory to the storage card. Use activesync. Its faster that way.
2. Clear out your browser history and temp files. This could most probably be your culprit as they take up space too...and you don't necessarily see this upfront. Goto Start-->Internet Explorer-->Menu-->Tools-->Options-->Memory Tab.

[email protected] said:
...
2. Clear out your browser history and temp files. This could most probably be your culprit as they take up space too...and you don't necessarily see this upfront. Goto Start-->Internet Explorer-->Menu-->Tools-->Options-->Memory Tab.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been having "Insufficient memory" errors while trying to run SpB Backup, and have deleted all sorts of applications, but nothing seemed to free up enough memory. Then I tried your advice, and everything is working as it should!
Thanks!!

I have an elf - usually when I close all of my processes, except my stumble to unlock, I'll have approx. 15mb/47 free in my program memory. 10/28 of my storage space is free.
I've tried to clear all of my temp files... even made it so that all my temp files/PIE files are put on my storage card through SK tools, but still have the same issues.
As soon as I run my HTC music player with the one or two background apps, it almost always pops up with memory issues. Browsing with PIE is almost impossible for any period longer than 5 minutes.
I've tried it with several configurations and I always have the same results, even if I have no background processes - I still have the same issues.

Are you using a cooked ROM? Come to think of it, I never had many problems with the original shipped ROM. I was normally running S2U2, PocketMusic, Opera Mini and SpbMobileShell back then.
You mean to say you can't even run one application at a time without running out of RAM? Soft reset. And if you use SKTools like you say you do, try running Free Up RAM, select all options.
In your shoes I'd probably move everything I want to storage card, (you should want more than 10mb storage) try a hard reset and install my most used apps again. Oh, and what is your PagePool size? Try here to find out about that. It should be 4mb.

Your primary problem is indeed the fact that you are running out of space on your phone. 15mb for program memory especially on heavy usage is quite insufficient. Especially if your going to be multi tasking and running several applications at once. I would move ALL my installed programs and anything else I may be able to get my hands on, to the storage card. Try to squeeze out atleast 25-30mb out of your program memory. This should give your phone some more breathing space.

This might be to use of you to try it out.
http://www.oxios.com/memory/

hi
I had the same problem before but now my touch runs fine now & haven't got any issues till now. Use advanced task manager and pocket mechanic. These application will keep ur pocketpc in good shape.

Very good, Thanks.