Windows – Low memory message on Windows 7 SP1

commit-chargememorywindows 7

I have a big problem with a computer that is getting a Low memory message. The specifications of this computer are:

  • Windows 7 SP1
  • 32-bit Operating System
  • 4 GB RAM

The computer is getting the following message every 4 or 5 days:

Your computer is low on memory
To restore enough memory for programs to work correctly, save your files and then close or restart all open programs.

After this message appears the computer starts to run very slow and we need to restart it. The problem is that the computer it’s in a production environment and has to monitories the activity of a PLC constantly.
The actions that we did trying to fix this memory problem but without success are:

  • Stop all the applications that use a high volume of memory (SQL Server, Wonderware InTouch HMI SCADA, Reporting Services, VMWare)
  • Reinstall the operative system and all the software.
  • Scan for a virus issue without success.

Checking the event viewer we found the following suspects messages:

  • Application log

Warning: PerfDisk; Unable to read performance data for the Disk performance counters.

  • System log

Warning: Windows successfully diagnosed a low virtual memory condition. The following programs consumed the most virtual memory: view.exe (4560) consumed 37871616 bytes, DASSIDirect.exe (2904) consumed 21807104 bytes, and perfmon.exe (5868) consumed 18018304 bytes.

Error: The Vstor2 P2V30 Virtual Storage Driver service failed to start due to the following error: The system cannot find the path specified.

Checking the memory used in Resource Monitor window we found that the Commit charge increases constantly till arrives to 100% aprox. And the Memory Modified increase the same way. The Memory in Use stays at the values 1GB aprox.

This Commit charge increase is normal? It doesn’t have to decrease when internal processes are finished

Best Answer

Virtual memory is pagefile, increase your pagefile size and see if it makes a difference. It should solve your problem. You are running out of virtual memory, so closing programs frees this up, as would rebooting.

Basically virtual memory works like RAM by using part of your storage space. So when RAM runs low, virtual memory moves data from RAM to an allocated space on your hard drive called paging file. Where it is then available as if it were also RAM.

On windows 7 sp1 there are a few ways to access the virtual memory settings. Here is a link explaining how Click me

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