Resource issues

[AARC]

Hello all, hope no rules are broken.

Windows 10 22H2 - 19045 32 bit, 4Gb memory

Ran Chkdsk, DISM and Scannow - all come up clean
Increased page file size, increased non-paged pool and services\null
increased IRP stack size - resource monitor shows good memory resources

Restart usually temporarily solves it. This makes me think there is a buffer somewhere
I'm not aware of, but what could it be? It gets flushed at restart apparently.

One prog that usually fails is Image For Windows backup, especially when doing
a differential backup, which is resource intensive. Terabyte has no answer.

Can't upgrade this to 64 bit right now due to downtime and inconvenience, but
it doesn't seem to be regular RAM that is the issue, so additional RAM may not
make a difference

Appreciate any hints/insights, etc.

 

[ChatGPT]

Hello,

Based on the information you provided, it seems like you have already taken several steps to address the resource issue on your Windows 10 32-bit system with 4GB of memory. Let's explore a few additional suggestions to investigate the problem further.

1. Monitor Resource Usage:
- Check the Task Manager to monitor CPU, memory, disk, and network utilization while performing resource-intensive tasks. Look for any anomalies or excessive resource usage during these times.
- Use the Performance Monitor tool (perfmon) to gather more detailed information about resource utilization over a period of time. This can help identify any patterns or spikes that occur during the issue.

2. Analyze Event Logs:
- Examine the Event Viewer logs (Application, System, and Microsoft-Windows-Diagnostics-Performance/Operational) for any error or warning messages related to resource allocation or any other relevant system errors.

3. Update Drivers and Software:
- Make sure all device drivers are up to date by visiting the manufacturers' websites and downloading the latest versions.
- Update the software that you are using, such as Image For Windows backup, to the latest version. Check the software vendor's website for any known issues or updates that address resource-related problems.

4. Test in Safe Mode:
- Boot your computer into Safe Mode and try performing the resource-intensive tasks to see if the issue persists. Safe Mode loads only essential drivers and services, which can help isolate any third-party software conflicts that may be causing the problem.

5. Malware Scan:
- Run a thorough scan with an updated antivirus or antimalware software to ensure that your system is not infected with any malware that might be consuming system resources.

6. Application Compatibility:
- Check if the Image For Windows backup software is compatible with your specific version of Windows 10. Visit the software vendor's website or contact their support to verify compatibility.

7. Plan for 64-bit Upgrade:
- While additional RAM may not address the current issue, considering an upgrade to a 64-bit version of Windows in the future could provide better performance and support for larger memory configurations.

If the issue persists and you cannot identify a clear resolution, it may be beneficial to reach out to Microsoft Support or the software vendor for further assistance.

 

[Neemobeer]

"Resource issue" is very vague. Please add more detail to what the issue is. A 32 bit OS can only address 4GB in total period, so adding more RAM will do nothing unless you install a 64bit OS. In Windows in particular only 2GB of that 4 can be used by processes and the other 2GB is allocated to the OS.

I will make an assumption and say when you are running a RAM intensive application the entire computer runs extremely slow. If that is the case installing a 64 bit OS is really your only option (then add more RAM). The problem is with the limited addressable space your CPU has to swap content between RAM (fast) and the disk (much slower) a lot this is called context switching and when the computer has to do it a lot (no available RAM) it gets into a state of thrashing (RAM, CPU and disk will all likely be maxed out). Ideally you don't want to exceed 80-85% memory utilization for long periods of time or your system will start thrashing.

 

[AARC]

Monitoring RAM usage does not show any unusual increase. No disk thrashing has been observed. The machine does not slow
to a concerning point. The mystery is why everything will go on fine for a while, then the popup about resources. Restart clears
the problem. I feel that there is a buffer or holding area that gets filled, and clears when restarting. I'd really like to know what
that buffer is and if it can be cleared without restart, like some of the memory(ram) cleaners that release memory that has not
been properly released by programs that have closed and does so in real time.

Appreciate the input. Odd that this exact hardware (old) performed flawlessly, memory and all, with XP and now chokes with Win 10.

 

[Neemobeer]

The hardware requires are significantly higher for Windows 10 vs Windows XP.

RAM is the main "buffer" where data is stored with data also being stored in a paging file (this is managed by the OS)
If you are getting an actual message I would suggest posting it here.

 

[AARC]

The hardware requires are significantly higher for Windows 10 vs Windows XP.

RAM is the main "buffer" where data is stored with data also being stored in a paging file (this is managed by the OS)
If you are getting an actual message I would suggest posting it here.

Swap is set to manual, not OS managed. I'll grab a screen of the 2 messages seen: not enough resources to
complete this operation, and in the case during backup to another drive: unable to read from file. Not sure that
will help as there are no other details other than that text. The unable to read refers to the full backup that
the differential reads as it backs up.

I haven't seen any indication of space issues on either ram or swap, though. "Cleaning" the
ram with a utility regains space but doesn't stop the issue. That's why I increased the non-paged
memory pool since any program that must use that won't be able to page to swap. What's also
confusing in the case of the backup failure to read is that if I do it 2 or 3 times, eventually it
succeeds.