MBAM And Memory Issues

[lordpuffer]

I have an ASUS Notebook running Win 7 Pro x64 with 4 Gigs of Ram. When idle, my Memory usage is at about 30-34%. However, every time I run MBAM Free Edition, no matter what version, even after the scan is over and I close MBAM, my Memory usage stays at about 47-50%. The only way to bring it back down is to re-start my Notebook. Does anyone know why?

[mountaintree16]

Hello lordpuffer

First of all, are you all updated with version 1.44? This new version was just released yesterday and should fix this issue. Check to see if you have that version and let me know.

Edit: sorry lordpuffer, I should have read your post a second time. I don't think Mbam is your issue then..

you should post your question over in the PC Help forum since it doesn't appear to be an issue with Malwarebytes itself.

[lordpuffer]

Hello lordpuffer

First of all, are you all updated with version 1.44? This new version was just released yesterday and should fix this issue. Check to see if you have that version and let me know.

Edit: sorry lordpuffer, I should have read your post a second time. I don't think Mbam is your issue then..

you should post your question over in the PC Help forum since it doesn't appear to be an issue with Malwarebytes itself.

I am running 1.44. It only happens when I run a scan with Malwarebytes, so it seems like an MBAM issue.

[mountaintree16]

Oh, okay. I'm sure someone who might know can jump in here

Sorry I couldn't be of more help, lordpuffer.

Please use the add-reply button at the bottom of the page in the future when replying please.

[dus]

lordpuffer,

Just to clear about it. Ok you hv version 1.44, free edition, no realtime protection module.

Then you open MBAM and do a scan. Right ?

What

[camphill]

Same issue here but with the purchased program with real time protection. Task Manager shows mbamservice.exe using 219,345k of ram. I too am getting warning messages about low virtual memory.

[YoKenny1]

I have Win 7 Home Premium 64-bit and I do not see the memory increase like you indicate.

What other applications are you running as to anti virus and firewall?

[dus]

@camphill

Like @AdvancedSetup wrote on http://www.malwarebytes.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=34938

1. Uninstall Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware using Add/Remove programs in the control panel.

2. Restart your computer (very important).

3. Download and run this utility. mbam-clean.exe

4. It will ask to restart your computer (please allow it to).

5. After the computer restarts, install the latest version from here. mbam-setup.exe

Note: You will need to reactivate the program using the license you were sent

Launch the program and set the Protection and Registration. Then go to the UPDATE tab if not done during installation and check for updates.

Restart the computer again and verify that MBAM is in the task tray and that you can run a quick scan and all is working as expected.

If this does not solved, report here again.

[noknojon]

If it were my problem , I would stop after item #4 and check usage prior to reinstalling MBAM -

Then install MBAM and compare any usages -

[lordpuffer]

Yes...That's correct:

Window open: Memory usage at 50,000

During Scan: Mostly around 70,000, however, shot up as high as 95,000.

After Scan: Back to around 50,000 (with MBAM still open)

BUT, before scan, total Memory usage around 33%....Now, it's at 47%!

[lordpuffer]

dus......Can you please post the 2 download links in the quote of your post? I can't seem to find them. Thanks.

[dus]

Yes. Sure!

mbam-clean: http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam-clean.exe

Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware 1.44: http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam-download.php

[AdvancedSetup]

Normally this should not be required, but in cases where maybe other software temporarily interfered or something else went wrong with the update you should temporarily disable your Anti-Virus and other Security software and once completed make sure you re-enable it.

Please try this on the computer that is having an issue.

1. Uninstall Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware using Add/Remove programs in the control panel.

2. Restart your computer (very important).

3. Download and run this utility. mbam-clean.exe

4. It will ask to restart your computer (please allow it to).

5. After the computer restarts, install the latest version from here. mbam-setup.exe

Note: You will need to reactivate the program using the license you were sent

Launch the program and set the Protection and Registration. Then go to the UPDATE tab if not done during installation and check for updates.

Restart the computer again and verify that MBAM is in the task tray and that you can run a quick scan and all is working as expected.

[dus]

@lordpuffer

Like @YoKenny1 said.

Which security softwares are you running on computer ? Firewalls ? Antivirus ?

Are you doing scan with others softwares opened ? Like web browser or another software ?

Swandog46 said " If the operating system sees the program needs a lot of memory often (i.e. if there are many repeated updates), it will allocate more memory to the process in order to save having to do it later. This is an optimization by the Windows memory manager. (If the memory is needed elsewhere, it will accordingly be revoked.)" --- in this case ignore the example of updates ---

from: http://www.malwarebytes.org/forums/index.p...4938&st=140

Although the Malwarebytes process consumption is OK because decreased after scan.

Take a note if another process is consuming more after scan.

[lordpuffer]

What AdvancedSetup posted did not work .....My computer is still using a lot of memory after the scan and after I close MBAM.

Two things:

1) I am using the Free version of MBAM (I downloaded the current version just before from MajorGeeks, not from the link provided)

2) I am using the Paid version of Avast Antivirus...There is no Firewall except the one built in Win 7, and no other protection is running

[AdvancedSetup]

Please show us some screen shots of what you're seeing.

[lordpuffer]

What would you like to see screenshots of? The way that I can tell my memory usage is by a Win 7/Vista gadget that shows memory usage. It takes it from the Task Manager. I don't think that will be helpful to you. Please let me know. Thanks.

[AdvancedSetup]

Well we'd like to see either logs or screen shot of a memory manager to show that either MBAMGUI.EXE or MBAM.EXE is taking up excessive memory.

[YoKenny1]

Snipping Tool: A useful Windows 7 Feature

http://geekswithblogs.net/ebrown/archive/2009/01/11/128558.aspx

Its a feature that has to be enabled but it is in Tablet PC settings:

http://www.mydigitallife.info/2007/08/17/install-or-enable-snipping-tool-in-windows-vista

[lordpuffer]

Here are 2 attachments of my Task Manager before running a MBAM scan, and 2 attachments after running the scan and closing the program:

[exile360]

Greetings

Please do the following:

• Click the button at the bottom of your Task Manager that says Show processes from all users
  
• Click on the Mem Usage column header to sort by ram usage
  
• Right-click on the copy of svchost.exe with the highest amount of usage and select Go to services
  
• Scroll through the list to locate all of the highlighted services (there's usually more than one per svchost process) and list the ones you find in your next reply.
  

Thanks

[lordpuffer]

Thank you.....However, should I do that before or after I run an MBAM scan? I already re-started my computer to get the memory back to normal.

[exile360]

Please do so afterwards so that we can figure out which service/process is eating up your ram after a scan is performed.

[lordpuffer]

Thank you....Here they are as an attachment:

[exile360]

Hello again

I believe I have discovered the culprit. It looks like it is Superfetch, which was my original suspicion and the reason I had you check it.

Most likely MBAM is using quite a bit of ram when a scan is performed and once it completes, Superfetch (listed as SysMain) is reallocating memory to whatever processes it believes you will execute next based on its constant monitoring of your usage history. In other words, if on Tuesdays at 8PM you normally run an MBAM scan and then proceed to play Solitaire while surfing in Google Chrome, it will reallocate the memory from MBAM to Solitaire and Google Chrome. If however you change your normal behavior and instead play Chess and surf with Internet Explorer, it will then page out the used Superfetch ram to your hard drive and load the processes that you have now chosen to execute (Chess and Internet Explorer), which will require loading from the hard drive and thus your perceived system responsiveness will be reduced until SuperFetch catches up to you .

One true test would be to run a truly ram intensive application after performing a scan with Malwarebytes' and then exiting said application. A good choice would be a video editing application, a high level photo editing application, or an intensive 3D game. Then exit said application and you should see the amount of used ram suddenly drop dramatically. This happens because all of the excess, unused ram that was being occupied by SuperFetch was reallocated to the ram intensive program you just ran and exiting the program returns that memory that it was using back to idle status until SuperFetch starts loading up what it thinks you will likely run next based on your past usage.

I've observed this on my own system as well in many scenarios (I use Vista Ultimate x64 with 3Gb of Ram).