Help Windows low on memory!
 

Just had a warning sign popped up on my desktop telling me Windows low on memory, to shut down all programmes etc and restart the PC. Before I could do anything the PC shut down and I had the BSOD. It's done this twice now. Also I can't start any of my applications and everything is taking an age to load. Is my little PC on it's way out? :(

Re: Help Windows low on memory!
 

Sounds like one of three issues..

1# Virus/Malware (run a full scan)
2# Low disk space and RAM (PC will try to use disk space as virtual ram but that shouldn't effect PC on first start unless you have a memory error.
3# Somethings effected the size of your page file and dropped it down. Instructions to change your page file size to let the computer handle it is as below

Make sure that your virtual memory is set to "Automatic"

Right click my computer, choose properties..

for Win7/Vista then choose Advannced system settings, Performance settings, Advanced, Virtual Memory change and then make sure that the Automatically managed checkbox is ticked for all drives..

For XP it's.. Advanced, Performance Settings, Advanced, Virtual Memory change and make sure that System Managed Size is checked..

You will need to restart

Re: Help Windows low on memory!
 

Sorry Kymmy where do I find these in properties? Here's screen print.

Re: Help Windows low on memory!
 

It could also be a corrupted memory simm (dimm)

Try going into the BIOS when it boots up usually F2 when booting and see how much memory it says is installed.

Re: Help Windows low on memory!
 

That's the properties of the C drive, you want to right click on MY COMPUTER and select properties..

---------- Post added at 08:56 ---------- Previous post was at 08:55 ----------

Yep did say it could be a memory error..

Re: Help Windows low on memory!
 

Back again. Yes all boxes are ticked.

Re: Help Windows low on memory!
 

Does this help?

Re: Help Windows low on memory!
 

Tinky, to the first screen that RIGHT CLICK on my computer shows and it should tell you the processor and memory on that screen

Re: Help Windows low on memory!
 

Kymmy do you mean this one

or this one

Re: Help Windows low on memory!
 

The first one specifies 2GB of ram ;) Which means there isn't a definative failure of any ram otherwise you'd have have numbers like 1.75Gb or less..

Have you done a full virus/malware check? If yes with which program and is it fully upto date?

Re: Help Windows low on memory!
 

Doing one now with Malwarebytes

---------- Post added at 09:51 ---------- Previous post was at 09:44 ----------

Nothing found with that one, now trying another scan with Superantispyware.

Re: Help Windows low on memory!
 

Anyone got a simple memory/cpu tester for Tinky to use..?? I don't keep one handy anymore since I retired from support..

TInky, can I also suggest you check your PSU voltages and that your CPU fan is running OK as over heating/faulty PSU can exhibit the same faults

Re: Help Windows low on memory!
 

Orthos tests both memory and cpu as does prime95 in a Windows enviroment. Memtest86+ iso burnt to cd would test in a live enviroment http://www.memtest.org/#downiso

Re: Help Windows low on memory!
 

:clap: thanX ooogemaflop, good first post and welcome to the forum

Re: Help Windows low on memory!
 

Thank you :)

Re: Help Windows low on memory!
 

Eeek!! Too complicated for this simple soul. I've run another virus scan, nothing detected, and also increased the Page File to 4000. Will monitor if this resolves the matter. Welcome also to ooogemaflop your help is most appreciated.

Re: Help Windows low on memory!
 

You could try prime95 (as suggested above). It's a little program that does lots of calculations. It's used by overclockers to see if a system is stable. It has a 'stress test' option. If you set it to stress test and run it on a machine with faulty memory the fault should be obvious in a matter of minutes.

Re: Help Windows low on memory!
 

Thanks danielf I did download that program but the whole thing froze and I had a heck of a time getting back here, but will download and try again. BTW this is doing my head in.:(

---------- Post added at 11:40 ---------- Previous post was at 11:23 ----------

Downloaded prime95 once again but the whole thing once again froze and I had to manually restart the PC. Don't think my problems are solved yet. :(:(

---------- Post added at 12:24 ---------- Previous post was at 11:40 ----------

It allowed me to do a system restore, so will monitor things for a while, will get back to you all. Many thanks for your help.

Re: Help Windows low on memory!
 

Well so far so good, everything seems to be back to normal. Hope I haven't spoken too soon.:)

Re: Help Windows low on memory!
 

you could reboot and before you get to to the boot screen keep pressing f8 that will give you windows options at the bottom you will see Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool to test the Random Access look here http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/tutorial146.html

Re: Help Windows low on memory!
 

Thanks very much for that vanman, I may try that later on, at the mo everything seems OK. Useful to know where to look though, will bookmark that site.

Re: Help Windows low on memory!
 

Personally I'm erring on a PSU/voltage problem..

Re: Help Windows low on memory!
 

Hmm! Curiosity got the better of me and I decided to run the windows diagnostic tool (didn't know I had one on my PC, thanks for that vanman). It took approx 8 mins, and the result was that there were no problems. :hyper: Eh? So what was making my PC act so erratically this morning?, everything seems OK now as far as I can tell. Sorry if I wasted your time folks, thanks ever so for all your help.:nworthy::clap:

Re: Help Windows low on memory!
 

do you have a blank cd? if so download the pre compiled memtest iso I linked to and burn the iso image to cd using imgburn( freely available) Then you will need to boot the pc from this cd

When the PC boots you will either see a full screen menu or a series of messages. IF you see a full screen menu hit the tab key and this should show you the messages

You are looking for to enter set up hit F2 or Del( most likely one of the 2) or better still Boot select menu hit F8 or F12( again normally one of these) if there is no Boot select menu then you will need to enter bios set up and set the cd rom as first boot device( you never know with a bit of luck it may already be set to this so boot with cd in first and see if it loads)

Prime95 freezing makes me think bad stick of ram as if it was a cpu fault it would fall over on a bad calculation and tell you. It could of course still be anything as kymmy says a failing psu or mobo could result in the same error

I would not trust the Windows Diagnostics as a deffinative answer but did the system crash after you set a static page file ?

Re: Help Windows low on memory!
 

Well you certainly know your stuff oooge.:nworthy::nworthy::nworthy: If it weren't for what I said ^ I would seriously be trying all that :erm:, but more likely I'd be taking it to the PC hostipal. Hopefully all this information will be of help to anyone else who finds themselves in a similar position to what I found myself in yesterday AM. Just for the record, if I recollect correctly, I was able to do a system restore after the Page File had been increased, does that make sense? Since the restore everything seems normal, lets hope it stays that way. Once again your help has been most appreciated, thank you so much. :)

Re: Help Windows low on memory!
 

In that case could have been a corrupt page file, resizing it would have rewrote it..