No free RAM when playing Skyrim (and when not playing)

[rootsrat]

My system specs:

 

 

 

Operating System

Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit SP1

 

CPU

AMD Phenom II X6 1100T 41 °C

Thuban 45nm Technology

 

RAM

8.00GB Dual-Channel DDR3 @ 766MHz (9-9-9-24)

 

Motherboard

ASUSTeK Computer INC. M4A79XTD EVO (AM3) 49 °C

 

Graphics

Acer X233H (1920x1080@60Hz)

AH191 (1440x900@60Hz)

2047MB GeForce GTX 660 (ASUStek Computer Inc) 46 °C

 

Hard Drives

60GB SAMSUNG SSD 830 Series ATA Device (SSD) 40 °C

1397GB Seagate ST31500341AS ATA Device (SATA) 49 °C

 

Optical Drives

SONY DVD RW AW-G170A ATA Device

 

Audio

Creative X-Fi Audio Processor (WDM)

 

More info about my RAM:

Memory slots

Total memory slots 4

Used memory slots 2

Free memory slots 2

 

Memory

Type DDR3

Size 8192 MBytes

Channels # Dual

DRAM Frequency 800.0 MHz

CAS# Latency (CL) 9 clocks

RAS# to CAS# Delay (tRCD) 9 clocks

RAS# Precharge (tRP) 9 clocks

Cycle Time (tRAS) 24 clocks

Bank Cycle Time (tRC) 41 clocks

Command Rate (CR) 2T

 

Physical Memory

Memory Usage 38 %

Total Physical 8.00 GB

Available Physical 4.93 GB

Total Virtual 8.00 GB

Available Virtual 4.39 GB

 

SPD

Number Of SPD Modules 2

 

Slot #1

Type DDR3

Size 4096 MBytes

Manufacturer Corsair

Max Bandwidth PC3-10700H (667 MHz)

Part Number CML8GX3M2A1600C9

SPD Ext. EPP

XMP--2

Frequency

JEDEC #4

Frequency 666.7 MHz

CAS# Latency 9.0

RAS# To CAS# 9

RAS# Precharge 9

tRAS 24

tRC 34

Voltage 1.500 V

JEDEC #3

Frequency 592.6 MHz

CAS# Latency 8.0

RAS# To CAS# 8

RAS# Precharge 8

tRAS 22

tRC 30

Voltage 1.500 V

JEDEC #2

Frequency 518.5 MHz

CAS# Latency 7.0

RAS# To CAS# 7

RAS# Precharge 7

tRAS 19

tRC 27

Voltage 1.500 V

JEDEC #1

Frequency 444.4 MHz

CAS# Latency 6.0

RAS# To CAS# 6

RAS# Precharge 6

tRAS 16

tRC 23

Voltage 1.500 V

 

Slot #2

Type DDR3

Size 4096 MBytes

Manufacturer Corsair

Max Bandwidth PC3-10700H (667 MHz)

Part Number CML8GX3M2A1600C9

SPD Ext. EPP

XMP--2

Frequency

JEDEC #4

Frequency 666.7 MHz

CAS# Latency 9.0

RAS# To CAS# 9

RAS# Precharge 9

tRAS 24

tRC 34

Voltage 1.500 V

JEDEC #3

Frequency 592.6 MHz

CAS# Latency 8.0

RAS# To CAS# 8

RAS# Precharge 8

tRAS 22

tRC 30

Voltage 1.500 V

JEDEC #2

Frequency 518.5 MHz

CAS# Latency 7.0

RAS# To CAS# 7

RAS# Precharge 7

tRAS 19

tRC 27

Voltage 1.500 V

JEDEC #1

Frequency 444.4 MHz

CAS# Latency 6.0

RAS# To CAS# 6

RAS# Precharge 6

tRAS 16

tRC 23

Voltage 1.500 V

 

 

Now, my problem is that recently I started getting this error message when playing Skyrim, that my computer ran out of memory and I should save my data and close the program (Skyrim). It never happend to me before. I checked my memory usage and I'm getting 0 available RAM.

 

When I start my operating system, Cached memory gets filled right away and I have around 300 MB of free RAM! I don't know much about this stuff, so if anyone can suggest any troubleshooting or can offer any advice I'll be most grateful.

 

Here's the screen taken about 15 mins after I logged in to Windows. No programs were run apart from Chrome to open the forums, FastStone Capture to make the screenshot and Speccy to get the specs. I have Skype, Steam, uTorrent, Dropbox and Copy running in the background in addition to a few standard Windows system tasks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

TIA

[Kuldebar]

Have you rebooted your PC to see if the issue goes away?

 

Do you use SSME/Sheson miracle?

 

Do you use ENBoost and have it properly configured?

 

Did you try to reduce some of "stuff" in the background while playing? (you have a lot more running in the background then I do, I see)

 

Have you verified your PC is malware free?

 

EDIT:

 

LOL, I just noticed who is posting. :p

 

I've had this issue before, it cleared up though and never returned, I did clear out all my enb stuff and verified the issue wasn't save game specific.

 

Ultimately I never found out exactly what caused it, but I think having that problem is what prompted me to start using page files again as a possible solution.

Edited June 2, 2014 by Kuldebar

[rootsrat]

Have you rebooted your PC to see if the issue goes away? Yes, multiple times, tried clearing cache via Command Prompt, reset some Registry security settings via Command Line, basically did a lot of research on web in regards to this. To no effect, sadly.

 

Do you use SSME/Sheson miracle? Yes, via SKSE

 

Do you use ENBoost and have it properly configured? Yes

 

Did you try to reduce some of "stuff" in the background while playing? (you have a lot more running in the background then I do, I see) Yes, close ALL the unnecessary programs and processes.

 

Have you verified your PC is malware free? Yes, I'm 100% it is virus and malware free

 

EDIT:

 

LOL, I just noticed who is posting. :p

 

I've had this issue before, it cleared up though and never returned, I did clear out all my enb stuff and verified the issue wasn't save game specific.

 

Ultimately I never found out exactly what caused it, but I think having that problem is what prompted me to start using page files again as a possible solution.

See above in orange.

 

It only started happening recently. I did not install any mods that could possibly affect it (Crossbow Reload is the only one I installed), but I got new version of ENB (preset files only, did not actually updated ENB itself). I've had all the programs listed in the OP running in the background + MO + usually Chrome with quite a few tabs opened. Now I have to kill all the background stuff and even close MO, and I still get the error message after a while. 

 

I noticed that my loading times increased as well. They were pretty long already (I learned to live with it) but now they're ridiculously long. 

 

Very strange, I've got no idea what's going on.

[Kuldebar]

Well, sorry for the 20 questions, just wanted to establish a baseline, that was before I realized you've been sround the block a time or two before :p

 

I'm trying to recall the chronology of the problem and how I encountered it, what's make it less than ideal is that I started a new game after a lot of mod changes and a new ENB. So, any one of those things could be a factor:

 

-save game borked

 

-ENB related file corrupt/borked

 

-a borked mod

 

-a page file reset

[DoubleYou]

Did the preset make bad changes to your enblocal.ini?

[phazer11]

Ok first off, I'm 95% sure this has absolutely nothing to do with Skyrim.

Alright Roots let's see about getting you sorted. Your cached RAM should not be filling up that soon, and that in itself is slightly worrisome.

 

Here's what I want you to do.

• Wipe out cookies, form data, passwords, and sessions, etc. from your browsers using CCleaner backing up your passwords through pen and paper or notepad if you don't know them.
• Disable page file (Virtual Memory) in Control Panel -> System and Hardware -> System -> Advanced System Settings -> Performance
• Reboot and go into Safe Mode and confirm that

• That both your cached RAM and In Use RAM has gone down from switching to Safe Mode
• Run Malwarebytes Anti-Malware while in safe mode just to be as sure as can be that you don't have some kind of critter crawling around in there

  4. Get back to me

[DocClox]

I agree with phazer. The fact that your memory fills up at O/S start time suggests that it's not a Skyrim setting.

 

Things to consider:

• Check your services and see if anything's installed itself along side a software update of some sort
• Consider the possibility of a boot sector virus. I had one for years that caused all sorts of weirdness. I only found it when I went to re-isntall my Linux partition and had to set Grub up again.
• Hypervisor viruses can be hard to detect by conventional means as well.
• memtest86 might be worth looking at, just in case there's a problem with the hardware

 

'course, you've probably thought of most of that anyway...

[Octopuss]

I am not 100% certain about this, but I believe the cached memory is just stuff that was loaded in case it's needed. See how cached and available are almost the same number? I believe it gets instantly unallocated when something asks for memory.

It doesn't make any sense why the OS would yell about being out of memory, though. At all.

 

Did you disable page file by chance?

Have you checked running services? Just because you shut running programs down doesn't mean there isn't ton of services running in the background (as in, non-system ones). Lots of stuff is loading at startup. (see below)

 

I know I had this problem a few times in past (during the last few years), and it was always something really broken somewhere. Like a program (or worse, a driver) with major memory leak.

I suggest replacing Task Manager with Process Explorer (it tells you so much more), and when you are at it, to look at other utilities Sysinternals offer. Like Autoruns for example.

Edited June 3, 2014 by Octopuss

[rootsrat]

Putting quoted stuff in spoiler tags not to clutter the thread.

 

 

 

Ok first off, I'm 95% sure this has absolutely nothing to do with Skyrim.

Alright Roots let's see about getting you sorted. Your cached RAM should not be filling up that soon, and that in itself is slightly worrisome.

 

Here's what I want you to do.

• Wipe out cookies, form data, passwords, and sessions, etc. from your browsers using CCleaner backing up your passwords through pen and paper or notepad if you don't know them.
• Disable page file (Virtual Memory) in Control Panel -> System and Hardware -> System -> Advanced System Settings -> Performance
• Reboot and go into Safe Mode and confirm that

• That both your cached RAM and In Use RAM has gone down from switching to Safe Mode
• Run Malwarebytes Anti-Malware while in safe mode just to be as sure as can be that you don't have some kind of critter crawling around in there

  4. Get back to me

 

 

 

1. I do that on regular basis, and I don't store any data/passwords in my browser. I use LastPass as a password/forms manager.

 

2. Tried that, didn't help :)

 

3. I did a full system scan with an antivirus and Malware Bytes not so long ago. I may actually do that again just to be on a safe side.

 

 

 

I agree with phazer. The fact that your memory fills up at O/S start time suggests that it's not a Skyrim setting.

 

Things to consider:

• Check your services and see if anything's installed itself along side a software update of some sort
• Consider the possibility of a boot sector virus. I had one for years that caused all sorts of weirdness. I only found it when I went to re-isntall my Linux partition and had to set Grub up again.
• Hypervisor viruses can be hard to detect by conventional means as well.
• memtest86 might be worth looking at, just in case there's a problem with the hardware

 

'course, you've probably thought of most of that anyway...

 

 

 

Boot sector virus, didn't think of that. Argh, had one of those years ago and it was PITA to get rid of... Thanks for the suggestion.

Hypervisor viruses - never heard of those. Some homework to do :)

 

Memory test is something I was putting off for a loooong time now, couldn't be bothered to do that. It may be the time to actually do it...

 

 

 

I am not 100% certain about this, but I believe the cached memory is just stuff that was loaded in case it's needed. See how cached and available are almost the same number? I believe it gets instantly unallocated when something asks for memory.

It doesn't make any sense why the OS would yell about being out of memory, though. At all.

 

Did you disable page file by chance?

Have you checked running services? Just because you shut running programs down doesn't mean there isn't ton of services running in the background (as in, non-system ones). Lots of stuff is loading at startup. (see below)

 

I know I had this problem a few times in past (during the last few years), and it was always something really broken somewhere. Like a program (or worse, a driver) with major memory leak.

I suggest replacing Task Manager with Process Explorer (it tells you so much more), and when you are at it, to look at other utilities Sysinternals offer. Like Autoruns for example.

 

I have lots of running services, but nothing new. I've always had them all running and never experienced any problems. Did not do any software updates or anything like that recently. Apart from graphic card drivers (the new nVidia ones, can't remember the version now...). 

 

I actually installed Process Explorer couple of days ago, but didn't have time to check it out properly, hence I was still using Task Manager yesterday.

 

Thanks for all the help and suggestions guys, I'll keep investigating.

[Octopuss]

I don't think it's physical memory problem, because then you would likely be getting BSODs rather than out of memory messages by the OS.

But you can just download Memtest86+ (+!) and keep it running overnight just to be safe.

What about the graphic driver? Did you install it roughly at the same time the problem started by chance? Doesn't hurt to try to go back to old one temporarily.

 

I can't imagine life without Process Explorer really.

I think if anything is really leaking memory, it will defnitely show up.

 

edit: lol what's up with the forum and image preview BB codes?

Edited June 3, 2014 by Octopuss

[DocClox]

mmm... I was wondering about graphics drivers. If the problem started around the same time as an upgrade, it may be time to break out DriverSweeper or whatever it's called these days.

[rootsrat]

Hm... Now when I think of it - yeah, it was roughly the same time.

 

Saying that though, BSOD happened a few times recently as well - but well before the problem described in this thread emerged.

 

I think I'll be upgrading to Windows 8.1 soon, so I may just leave it and do some tests after a fresh OS install...

[Octopuss]

Oh do not use Driver Sweeper. It's outdated by at least 5 years or more.

This is what should be used nowadays.

 

Try to downgrade the driver just for the heck of it.

[rootsrat]

I do stuff like that manually :)

[Kuldebar]

Guess what happened to me while playing Skyrim last night?

 

As I was playing, I heard the little sound Windows makes when a dialog pops up.

 

The game didn't CTD but it lost focus and my G13 switched from its custom Skyrim Profile...

 

So, I alt-tab and staring at me from the screen is a little box telling me that my OS is running low on available memory and that it needs to close some programs.

 

 

Curiously this was about a day after I posted this: Windows Page File and Skyrim Load Times on this forum.

 

So, I back-tracked a little bit and re-enable paging file BUT on my SSD and at a custom size (8 GB min/8 GB max).  Pretty much what Octopuss had recommended in that thread. Now, Phazer11 linked to an awesome Tom's Hardware article which I found very informative and it wisely presented the "debate" about SSD's and read/writes as well as the paging file and performance topic. But, it appears that my PC needs a paging file or Windows flips out like a wuss.

 

The reason I need to have the page file on my SSD is that if I place it on my mechanical drive it slows load times down horribly for me in Skyrim. We are talking 10-15 seconds max versus  ~2 minutes+ or so.

 

So, I don't know if any of this is applicable to you Rootsrat, but I thought the timing very coincidental and possibly relevant. 

 

So...if you haven't already...clearing/resetting your windows page file may help possibly.

Edited June 3, 2014 by Kuldebar

[Aiyen]

That seems odd... my initital load times for skyrim... after a fresh reboot can be like 1-2 mins.. but after that if I go in and out of the game the load time is 10 sec or so... and I do not own an SSD. I do have 16Gb of RAM though. 

 

I honestly have not paid any attention to the windows page file in ages.. it just stands to auto and I have not yet had any issues with it at all. 

 

Curious...