CleanMem 2.2.0 slows down the system when closing several programs

[ektorbarajas]

Hi Shane, I've noticed something very strange
I have windows XP SP3, 3.5 GB of RAM and Cleanmem 2.2.0, I tested my system for a whole working day with Cleanmem enabled and another day without Cleanmem and I found the following:

When my working day ends and I start to close all the open programs (Email client, Web Browser, Media Player, IM, Office, Explorer, etc.) if Cleanmem is running the system slows down and it takes twice the time to get all the programs closed.
If Cleanmem is not running (I disabled the task) then the closing procedure ends normally.

Also I noticed that if I close 2 or 3 programs and Cleanmem task is active there is also a small slowdown compared to not having the Cleanmem task enabled.

I don't know if it's just me or if other users have noticed that.

Shane do you have any idea of what’s going on?
Thanks & regards

[Shane]

I have CleanMem on every one of my systems for years now and never noticed that.

Cleanmem runs then closes, so it isn't running in the back ground. And it is Windows that is cleaning the memory out of the process, Cleanmem just triggers it. Closing down a process is also freeing up any memory it is using. I don't see how that could be slowing anything down. When Windows closes a program it goes through and frees up all resources that program is using that it can, not adding. So theatrically Cleanmem is already releasing some of those resources and so closing down should be faster.

When you say it seems to slow down, what kind of time frame are you talking about?

On my machine I was use Microsoft security essentials, and because it has the slowest scanner on the market I noticed a big delay (2 - 3 secs longer on big exe's) in opening and closing programs (Because the AV was scanning the program)

I dumped MS and I am testing Panda cloud right now and there is a big increase it opening and closing programs. What AV are you using?

By the way CleanMem v2.3.0 is out 

Shane

[ektorbarajas]

Hi Shane, thanks for the promptly reply 

About the time frame, I didn't take note of the exact amount of time, but what I noticed is the following
With Cleanmem task enabled - 1.5x to 2x the time without leanmem task enabled

So to my understanding it seems that when closing several programs one after another as fast as possible:
- With cleanmem - the disk activity is heavy when the programs are closing, why? I don't know for sure
- Without cleanmem - the disk activity is not that heave

Hence for some reason this increased disk activity is what makes the slowdown

I will make further tests and install cleanmem 2.3.0

My AV is NOD32 version 5

Kind regards

[Shane]

More disk activity? hhmm

Sounds like memory being cleared out of the page file.

Windows handles the memory with cleanmem, when I test on my machine I opened a ton of programs and such. Ran cleanmem, 400mb where cleared and windows moved about 20 mb worth of it to the pagefile, yet after that the page file isn't touched. While under normal conditions Windows only moves about 1 to 2 mb to page file while the rest is put into the system cache (System cache is in memory and why it works so fast) and then later freed. I don't know why Windows does that, but normally the amount it does do is VERY small.

Do more tests and let me know what you see. Sounds like a small amount of memory that the programs haven't used for a while Windows moved to the page file, since the programs weren't using that memory you never noticed any slow down with the system. But when closing the program that memory is being Cleared away and so your waiting on the hard drive.

I wonder if the Windows API is working like this.
1. All memory of a process is moved to the cache (Which is still in memory and why it works so fast with no slow down)
2. The process gets all memory it is using actively back instantly.
3. Any memory not marked active is kept in the cache and then marked freed after a short period.
4. Any memory marked as needed but not active must get pushed to the page file? This would explain the small amount I see get pushed there. Depending on the program in question. This might be the way the Windows API is handling the memory, and why programs never crash when it cleans the memory up.

You never see a slow down to the system, and a LOT of people on older systems see a increase in performance because windows isn't using the page file as often since the memory is available. It seems in this case Windows is using the page file as storage and not as active memory.

This is just a thought of course, but it would answer the question to the increase in disk activity only when shutting down a program.
This isn't a bad thing at all, it just answers that question.

You will also notice that you don't get any slowdown while the programs are running.
Close the program then all its left over stuff is removed, including the unused memory in the page file.

I don't see the slow down when closing programs because my drives are pretty dang fast.

Shane

[Evan]

Shane,  I think you are on the right track here. Basically this comes down to closing handles (I believe) which would make sense. You could call it a "side affect" of using CleanMem under certain circumstances.

Evan