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    clean ram usage without restart

    Discussion in 'Windows OS and Software' started by hpl912, Apr 23, 2008.

  1. hpl912

    hpl912 Notebook Consultant

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    Is there a way to clean (reset) the ram memory usage without restarting windows?
     
    hpl912, Apr 23, 2008
    #1
  2. powerpack

    powerpack Notebook Prophet

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    For what purpose?
     
    powerpack, Apr 23, 2008
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  3. flipfire

    flipfire Moderately Boss

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    No, you need to cut the power to the RAM to completely clear it out
     
    flipfire, Apr 23, 2008
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  4. Budding

    Budding Notebook Virtuoso

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    Yeah, basically what happens when you boot your computer is that your Operating System loads the necessary files it needs to run into RAM from disk, which takes time. If you were to clear the contents in RAM without shutting down your Operating System, your PC will crash.
    A reboot effectively empties the contents in RAM and reloads the necessary files from disk into RAM.
     
    Budding, Apr 23, 2008
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  5. Jalf

    Jalf Comrade Santa

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    Depends on what you need. If you want to reset all bits in your RAM, turn off your computer, and leave it off for some 5 minutes.

    If you simply want to free up memory, just close the applications you don't need. It's that simple. When an application closes, Windows reclaims all the memory that was allocated to it.
     
    Jalf, Apr 23, 2008
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  6. doctorsrk

    doctorsrk Notebook Geek

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    Some applications/services will continue to run in background even when you close it, example Adobe reader
     
    doctorsrk, Apr 23, 2008
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  7. frazell

    frazell Notebook Deity

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    Then give it the slam by ending the process in Task Manager. There isn't any way I know of to free up "used" memory...

    If an application has it allocated it is allocated...

    You can get some freeware ram utility that will only give you a placebo effect by filling up all your free RAM and pushing everything else off to your HD. Once that novelty wears off though you'll notice the only app having fast responses to that is the ram utility.

    Jalf said the rest too well :D
     
    frazell, Apr 23, 2008
    #7
  8. coolguy

    coolguy Notebook Prophet

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    Yes, but this will render your computer unusable.
     
    coolguy, Apr 23, 2008
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  9. surfasb

    surfasb Titles Shmm-itles

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    You could kill the process in Task Manager.

    Or you could just log off and then log back on. That will go through the restart process minus all the drivers and the kernel. Don't confuse logging off with fast switching profiles. Fast switching will not log you off your profile, and it will not unload all the programs you have started since the beginning of that profile session.
     
    surfasb, Apr 23, 2008
    #9