Windows stop opening when ram is over 55% useage

So I have home premium, and I find that windows just stop opening sometimes
when my ram is over 55% used.

For example...
-Cant open new tabs in IE.
-Cant open folders after I click "computer"
-Cant right click.

Other things happen that I cant really think of...but im looking for some
help...anyone know?

Maybe try a memory check - i beleive Vista has a built-in tool for checking
memory & that it is quite fussy with chips


"Noob Rex" <Noob > wrote in message
news:30E4B6F3-83B6-4B93-B929-...
> So I have home premium, and I find that windows just stop opening
> sometimes
> when my ram is over 55% used.
>
> For example...
> -Cant open new tabs in IE.
> -Cant open folders after I click "computer"
> -Cant right click.
>
> Other things happen that I cant really think of...but im looking for some
> help...anyone know?

Hi Noob Rex,

Do you have 32-bit or 64-bit? The 32-bit system has a 4GB memory limit, so
the amount of memory in your machine might be the problem. Another problem
might be that the individual memory sticks might not be compatible with each
other or the
motherboard, particularly if using them in a dual channel configuration. I
agree with JethroUK in that you should use a memory checker. A better memory
checker than Vistas built in tool can be obtained from Memtest86+ at
www.memtest.org. This
program fits on a floppy and is operating system independant. To run this
program, simply reboot your machine from the floppy. Allow to run for several
full cycles to fully check your memory. What you need to do next will depend
on the results from the tests.
Dwarf

"JethroUK©" wrote:

> Maybe try a memory check - i beleive Vista has a built-in tool for checking
> memory & that it is quite fussy with chips
>
>
> "Noob Rex" <Noob > wrote in message
> news:30E4B6F3-83B6-4B93-B929-...
> > So I have home premium, and I find that windows just stop opening
> > sometimes
> > when my ram is over 55% used.
> >
> > For example...
> > -Cant open new tabs in IE.
> > -Cant open folders after I click "computer"
> > -Cant right click.
> >
> > Other things happen that I cant really think of...but im looking for some
> > help...anyone know?
>
>

I have the 32 bit. I ran the memory diagnostic tool for vista and it didnt
find any problems. The mobo recognizes them according to CPU-Z. I dont have
a floppy so I cant run memtest....I dont get it, it goes up past 55% and
windows wont open. Usually its IE7 thats taking up like 25% ram, when I
close it everything works normally again. Any other ideas?

"Dwarf" wrote:

> Hi Noob Rex,
>
> Do you have 32-bit or 64-bit? The 32-bit system has a 4GB memory limit, so
> the amount of memory in your machine might be the problem. Another problem
> might be that the individual memory sticks might not be compatible with each
> other or the
> motherboard, particularly if using them in a dual channel configuration. I
> agree with JethroUK in that you should use a memory checker. A better memory
> checker than Vistas built in tool can be obtained from Memtest86+ at
> www.memtest.org. This
> program fits on a floppy and is operating system independant. To run this
> program, simply reboot your machine from the floppy. Allow to run for several
> full cycles to fully check your memory. What you need to do next will depend
> on the results from the tests.
> Dwarf
>
> "JethroUK©" wrote:
>
> > Maybe try a memory check - i beleive Vista has a built-in tool for checking
> > memory & that it is quite fussy with chips
> >
> >
> > "Noob Rex" <Noob > wrote in message
> > news:30E4B6F3-83B6-4B93-B929-...
> > > So I have home premium, and I find that windows just stop opening
> > > sometimes
> > > when my ram is over 55% used.
> > >
> > > For example...
> > > -Cant open new tabs in IE.
> > > -Cant open folders after I click "computer"
> > > -Cant right click.
> > >
> > > Other things happen that I cant really think of...but im looking for some
> > > help...anyone know?
> >
> >

Could your settings for pagefile have been hosed somehow?

RC computer,
properties
advanced system settings (left pane)
advanced tab
performance settings button
advanced tab
virtual memory area - change button
should have automatically manage page files size ......

Michael

"Noob Rex" <> wrote in message
news:4466EE49-397E-4BB6-8AAA-...
>I have the 32 bit. I ran the memory diagnostic tool for vista and it didnt
> find any problems. The mobo recognizes them according to CPU-Z. I dont
> have
> a floppy so I cant run memtest....I dont get it, it goes up past 55% and
> windows wont open. Usually its IE7 thats taking up like 25% ram, when I
> close it everything works normally again. Any other ideas?
>
> "Dwarf" wrote:
>
>> Hi Noob Rex,
>>
>> Do you have 32-bit or 64-bit? The 32-bit system has a 4GB memory limit,
>> so
>> the amount of memory in your machine might be the problem. Another
>> problem
>> might be that the individual memory sticks might not be compatible with
>> each
>> other or the
>> motherboard, particularly if using them in a dual channel configuration.
>> I
>> agree with JethroUK in that you should use a memory checker. A better
>> memory
>> checker than Vistas built in tool can be obtained from Memtest86+ at
>> www.memtest.org. This
>> program fits on a floppy and is operating system independant. To run this
>> program, simply reboot your machine from the floppy. Allow to run for
>> several
>> full cycles to fully check your memory. What you need to do next will
>> depend
>> on the results from the tests.
>> Dwarf
>>
>> "JethroUK©" wrote:
>>
>> > Maybe try a memory check - i beleive Vista has a built-in tool for
>> > checking
>> > memory & that it is quite fussy with chips
>> >
>> >
>> > "Noob Rex" <Noob > wrote in message
>> > news:30E4B6F3-83B6-4B93-B929-...
>> > > So I have home premium, and I find that windows just stop opening
>> > > sometimes
>> > > when my ram is over 55% used.
>> > >
>> > > For example...
>> > > -Cant open new tabs in IE.
>> > > -Cant open folders after I click "computer"
>> > > -Cant right click.
>> > >
>> > > Other things happen that I cant really think of...but im looking for
>> > > some
>> > > help...anyone know?
>> >
>> >

Thanks for your help Michael, but it is indeed checked. =(

"Michael" wrote:

> Could your settings for pagefile have been hosed somehow?
>
> RC computer,
> properties
> advanced system settings (left pane)
> advanced tab
> performance settings button
> advanced tab
> virtual memory area - change button
> should have automatically manage page files size ......
>
> Michael
>
> "Noob Rex" <> wrote in message
> news:4466EE49-397E-4BB6-8AAA-...
> >I have the 32 bit. I ran the memory diagnostic tool for vista and it didnt
> > find any problems. The mobo recognizes them according to CPU-Z. I dont
> > have
> > a floppy so I cant run memtest....I dont get it, it goes up past 55% and
> > windows wont open. Usually its IE7 thats taking up like 25% ram, when I
> > close it everything works normally again. Any other ideas?
> >
> > "Dwarf" wrote:
> >
> >> Hi Noob Rex,
> >>
> >> Do you have 32-bit or 64-bit? The 32-bit system has a 4GB memory limit,
> >> so
> >> the amount of memory in your machine might be the problem. Another
> >> problem
> >> might be that the individual memory sticks might not be compatible with
> >> each
> >> other or the
> >> motherboard, particularly if using them in a dual channel configuration.
> >> I
> >> agree with JethroUK in that you should use a memory checker. A better
> >> memory
> >> checker than Vistas built in tool can be obtained from Memtest86+ at
> >> www.memtest.org. This
> >> program fits on a floppy and is operating system independant. To run this
> >> program, simply reboot your machine from the floppy. Allow to run for
> >> several
> >> full cycles to fully check your memory. What you need to do next will
> >> depend
> >> on the results from the tests.
> >> Dwarf
> >>
> >> "JethroUK©" wrote:
> >>
> >> > Maybe try a memory check - i beleive Vista has a built-in tool for
> >> > checking
> >> > memory & that it is quite fussy with chips
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > "Noob Rex" <Noob > wrote in message
> >> > news:30E4B6F3-83B6-4B93-B929-...
> >> > > So I have home premium, and I find that windows just stop opening
> >> > > sometimes
> >> > > when my ram is over 55% used.
> >> > >
> >> > > For example...
> >> > > -Cant open new tabs in IE.
> >> > > -Cant open folders after I click "computer"
> >> > > -Cant right click.
> >> > >
> >> > > Other things happen that I cant really think of...but im looking for
> >> > > some
> >> > > help...anyone know?
> >> >
> >> >
>

Hi Noob Rex,

You state that your memory checks are OK, so that eliminates that option.
You then say that IE7 takes 25% of ram and when you close it everything works
normally again. It sounds as though an add-on for IE is causing your
problems. What you need to do is to start IE7 as normal then click Tools,
Manage Add-ons, Enable or Disable Add-ons. In the display that appears
showing Add-ons currently loaded in Internet Explorer, change the status of
all Add-ons to disabled. Click OK. Close and restart IE7. Use your computer
and browse the internet as normal - note that you will have reduced
functionality because of the disabled Add-ons. Repeat the above procedure,
gradually enabling Add-ons until the problem reappears. Check this by
disabling the offending Add-on again. Don't forget that more than one Add-on
might be causing problems, so if you find one you should still continue this
procedure. Set the problematic Add-on to disabled and repeat the above
procedure until you have checked all Add-ons. If an Add-on is the cause of
the problem then you have 2 choices. Either you manage without it or see if
you can locate an updated version. Use Google to help you locate this.
Dwarf


"Noob Rex" wrote:

> I have the 32 bit. I ran the memory diagnostic tool for vista and it didnt
> find any problems. The mobo recognizes them according to CPU-Z. I dont have
> a floppy so I cant run memtest....I dont get it, it goes up past 55% and
> windows wont open. Usually its IE7 thats taking up like 25% ram, when I
> close it everything works normally again. Any other ideas?
>

Thank you for your help Dwarf, I took a day to test and retest this to make
sure of what was happening.

Anyway, I had no luck...I disabled the things and it seemed to be running
alright, but JUST NOW I reached about 54% memory usage, tried to open
photoshop, and it quickly flashed the screen and then automatically closed
it. Same thing happened when I tried to click "computer" from the start
menu, it opens and closes really fast.

I did have internet explorer open (it seems to be the only way I get 55%
usage) for a long time. When I closed it my memory usage went down to 45%.
I clicked to open photoshop and it opened without a problem....

This is REALLY annoying because I end up bookmarking the tabs that I was
browsing and having to close and reopen IE just to do anything...

Does anyone have any more suggestions?


"Dwarf" wrote:

> Hi Noob Rex,
>
> You state that your memory checks are OK, so that eliminates that option.
> You then say that IE7 takes 25% of ram and when you close it everything works
> normally again. It sounds as though an add-on for IE is causing your
> problems. What you need to do is to start IE7 as normal then click Tools,
> Manage Add-ons, Enable or Disable Add-ons. In the display that appears
> showing Add-ons currently loaded in Internet Explorer, change the status of
> all Add-ons to disabled. Click OK. Close and restart IE7. Use your computer
> and browse the internet as normal - note that you will have reduced
> functionality because of the disabled Add-ons. Repeat the above procedure,
> gradually enabling Add-ons until the problem reappears. Check this by
> disabling the offending Add-on again. Don't forget that more than one Add-on
> might be causing problems, so if you find one you should still continue this
> procedure. Set the problematic Add-on to disabled and repeat the above
> procedure until you have checked all Add-ons. If an Add-on is the cause of
> the problem then you have 2 choices. Either you manage without it or see if
> you can locate an updated version. Use Google to help you locate this.
> Dwarf
>
>
> "Noob Rex" wrote:
>
> > I have the 32 bit. I ran the memory diagnostic tool for vista and it didnt
> > find any problems. The mobo recognizes them according to CPU-Z. I dont have
> > a floppy so I cant run memtest....I dont get it, it goes up past 55% and
> > windows wont open. Usually its IE7 thats taking up like 25% ram, when I
> > close it everything works normally again. Any other ideas?
> >

Hi Noob Rex,

Thanks for your reply. I notice that the date of your first post in this
thread was the 16th. Did you have problems with this before then, and if so
when did they start? Another possibility could be an update that has
downloaded but failed to install correctly. Use the current version of the
Belarc Advisor from www.belarc.com to check the status of your updates. If
you find any that have not installed correctly, make a note of their KB
numbers and uninstall them. Then, using the information in the post
'Problematic Updates in Windows Vista', also in this newsgroup, reinstall
these updates. Check the status of these updates again using the Belarc
Advisor. Yet another possibility is malware on your machine. Activation of
malware can have a number of triggers, the most common being the opening of a
specific program or a program accessing a specific DLL file. They can also be
triggered by other means, such as memory useage level. Check this by opening
as many programs as possible, but not IE7. If you find that you start having
problems when your memory useage has risen, then I suggest that you carry out
a full scan of your system with your anti-virus software. Indeed, I would
recommend that you did this anyway. For best results, make sure that you have
the latest definitions and reboot your machine and run the scan in safe mode.
Also, you might like to disconnect from the Internet whilst you do this scan
as some malware can automatically download replacements for itself if any
part is altered in any way (which would obviously happen when you scan).
Dwarf

"Noob Rex" wrote:

> Thank you for your help Dwarf, I took a day to test and retest this to make
> sure of what was happening.
>
> Anyway, I had no luck...I disabled the things and it seemed to be running
> alright, but JUST NOW I reached about 54% memory usage, tried to open
> photoshop, and it quickly flashed the screen and then automatically closed
> it. Same thing happened when I tried to click "computer" from the start
> menu, it opens and closes really fast.
>
> I did have internet explorer open (it seems to be the only way I get 55%
> usage) for a long time. When I closed it my memory usage went down to 45%.
> I clicked to open photoshop and it opened without a problem....
>
> This is REALLY annoying because I end up bookmarking the tabs that I was
> browsing and having to close and reopen IE just to do anything...
>
> Does anyone have any more suggestions?

Thanks again for the reply Dwarf.

Yeah I had problems before this, but it seemed to be more on and off...I
downloaded Belarc and there are no "X's" for any of the windows updates, so
i'm all good there. I have Norton 360 and did a full scan and only found a
tracking cookie or something. I am going to try updating my BIOS and see if
that fixes the problem, I am reading the notes for the latest one and it says
"Enhance memory compatibility" so maybe that will remedy the problem.

I was also thinking, since I custom built this PC, that my voltage may be
too high for the RAM. Im guessing that it could possible be too much voltage
for the amount of load on the ram when it is above 55%? Though this seems
unlikely because I am running them at the factory 2.2 volts.

I am going to give both of these a try and hopefully one of the 2 will fix
the problem.


"Dwarf" wrote:

> Hi Noob Rex,
>
> Thanks for your reply. I notice that the date of your first post in this
> thread was the 16th. Did you have problems with this before then, and if so
> when did they start? Another possibility could be an update that has
> downloaded but failed to install correctly. Use the current version of the
> Belarc Advisor from www.belarc.com to check the status of your updates. If
> you find any that have not installed correctly, make a note of their KB
> numbers and uninstall them. Then, using the information in the post
> 'Problematic Updates in Windows Vista', also in this newsgroup, reinstall
> these updates. Check the status of these updates again using the Belarc
> Advisor. Yet another possibility is malware on your machine. Activation of
> malware can have a number of triggers, the most common being the opening of a
> specific program or a program accessing a specific DLL file. They can also be
> triggered by other means, such as memory useage level. Check this by opening
> as many programs as possible, but not IE7. If you find that you start having
> problems when your memory useage has risen, then I suggest that you carry out
> a full scan of your system with your anti-virus software. Indeed, I would
> recommend that you did this anyway. For best results, make sure that you have
> the latest definitions and reboot your machine and run the scan in safe mode.
> Also, you might like to disconnect from the Internet whilst you do this scan
> as some malware can automatically download replacements for itself if any
> part is altered in any way (which would obviously happen when you scan).
> Dwarf
>
> "Noob Rex" wrote:
>
> > Thank you for your help Dwarf, I took a day to test and retest this to make
> > sure of what was happening.
> >
> > Anyway, I had no luck...I disabled the things and it seemed to be running
> > alright, but JUST NOW I reached about 54% memory usage, tried to open
> > photoshop, and it quickly flashed the screen and then automatically closed
> > it. Same thing happened when I tried to click "computer" from the start
> > menu, it opens and closes really fast.
> >
> > I did have internet explorer open (it seems to be the only way I get 55%
> > usage) for a long time. When I closed it my memory usage went down to 45%.
> > I clicked to open photoshop and it opened without a problem....
> >
> > This is REALLY annoying because I end up bookmarking the tabs that I was
> > browsing and having to close and reopen IE just to do anything...
> >
> > Does anyone have any more suggestions?
>