How to fix a memory leak

[Virtualmemory]

on my original 1st post (please read)

now i believe the problem is related to a memory leak from a program i installed then uninstalled and it failed to release my memory therefore resulting in lost bytes. sorry if im in the wrong thread, (Please Dont Lock this) i need help

 

[Virtualmemory]

okay i have no clue how this website works so sorry guys just really need to get to the bottom of this... the thread where yall said post the HIJACK info at is closed so where do i post the hijackthis log at

 

[Virtualmemory]

Logfile of Trend Micro HijackThis v2.0.2
Scan saved at 3:38:48 PM, on 4/8/2011
Platform: Windows XP SP3 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v8.00 (8.00.6001.18702)
Boot mode: Normal

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\wscntfy.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\taskmgr.exe
C:\Program Files\Trend Micro\HijackThis\HijackThis.exe

R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Page_URL = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=69157
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Search_URL = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=69157
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search,SearchAssistant = http://home.peoplepc.com/search
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search,CustomizeSearch =
R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Local Page = C:\WINDOWS\pchealth\helpctr\System\panels\blank.htm
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Local Page = C:\WINDOWS\pchealth\helpctr\System\panels\blank.htm
O2 - BHO: (no name) - {02478D38-C3F9-4efb-9B51-7695ECA05670} - (no file)
O2 - BHO: AskBar BHO - {201f27d4-3704-41d6-89c1-aa35e39143ed} - (no file)
O2 - BHO: RealPlayer Download and Record Plugin for Internet Explorer - {3049C3E9-B461-4BC5-8870-4C09146192CA} - C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Real\RealPlayer\BrowserRecordPlugin\IE\rpbrowserrecordplugin.dll
O2 - BHO: SSVHelper Class - {761497BB-D6F0-462C-B6EB-D4DAF1D92D43} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin\ssv.dll
O2 - BHO: Java(tm) Plug-In 2 SSV Helper - {DBC80044-A445-435b-BC74-9C25C1C588A9} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin\jp2ssv.dll
O2 - BHO: JQSIEStartDetectorImpl - {E7E6F031-17CE-4C07-BC86-EABFE594F69C} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\lib\deploy\jqs\ie\jqs_plugin.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Anti Trojan Elite] C:\Documents and Settings\Queen BEE\My Documents\Downloads\crack\tjender.exe :NO
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [ctfmon.exe] C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin\npjpi160_19.dll
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Sun Java Console - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin\npjpi160_19.dll
O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {e2e2dd38-d088-4134-82b7-f2ba38496583} - C:\WINDOWS\Network Diagnostic\xpnetdiag.exe
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: @xpsp3res.dll,-20001 - {e2e2dd38-d088-4134-82b7-f2ba38496583} - C:\WINDOWS\Network Diagnostic\xpnetdiag.exe
O16 - DPF: {6A060448-60F9-11D5-A6CD-0002B31F7455} (ExentInf Class) -
O20 - Winlogon Notify: pmnlifeD - pmnlifeD.dll (file missing)

--
End of file - 3177 bytes

 

[LookinAround]

Hi Virtualmemory

Several things
1) Please understand that everyone here volunteers their time and effort. So depending on who's on the forums at any give time and their background/experience it can be several to many hours (even days) before someone reads the post with info/background who can respond

2) If you want to be checked for malware see here for Virus/Malware Removal Instructions

3) As to your memory questions: First, you're misunderstanding terminology.
> You have 256MB of physical memory (i.e. your RAM)
> Your "virtual" memory is actually contained on disk space (so windows swaps programs and stuff between your physical and virtual memory
> You can see here and here for more info on the difference and how to change your virtual memory size

You can also see here and scroll down to the section about Performance Monitoring the system to understand each task manager term under Perfomance (e.g. Physcial Memory vs Commit Charge)

Having a smaller commit charge is actually a good thing. But still increase your virtual memory if needed (that will take up more disk space but you have pleenty free space)

 

[DelJo63]

Memory Leak: the act of GETTING more memory than is being RELEASED.
This frequently occurs where shunks of memory are necessary for control structures
or i/o buffers. To make this as simple as possible, let's assume the program GETS two
areas and returns only one, and does this 100 times. One hundred areas will be kept
due to the failure to return both areas.

This occurs ONLY with bad programming, and if that program runs long enough, it will
cause itself to fail.

Regardless, once a program quits or fails, the entire address space (ie the memory) is
returned for availability to other programs - - even if there were memory leaks.

Uninstalling or reinstalling a program will not impact the Virtual Memory or real memory
of your system.

> You have 256MB of physical memory

is a physical limitation but not one that forces a program to create memory leaks.

 

[LookinAround]

<snip>
Regardless, once a program quits or fails, the entire address space (ie the memory) is
returned for availability to other programs - - even if there were memory leaks.
<snip>

@jobeard: I'm not 100% sure about this, but i don't think shared memory allocations are released when a program terminates thus could cause memory leaks

@Virtualmemory: the above comment is primarily "geek speak" tech detail. As I also don't think you likely have a memory leak either (but probably do need to increase your virtual memory if you're seeing Virtual memory low messages)
/* edit */
@virtualmemory: as i'll add, even assuming worst case you ran a program w/memory leak.. once you uninstalled it any memory leak wouldn't persist across a system reboot

 

[DelJo63]

the shared DLL references keep count of active users and process termination decrements by one all used by this program.
Only when use count goes to zero do they get unloaded -- and obviously they're still needed
which is not a leak

 

[Virtualmemory]

Thanks for all the input guys. I'm still puzzled on how this all happened. 5 days ago my pc was running fine. i had at least 800,000k on my commit charge but it shrunk to 240,000k <peak. I have tried all the steps on https://www.techspot.com/community/...lware-removal-preliminary-instructions.58138/ but these steps dont help, since any program I try to run automatically shuts down. Right now my commit charge stands at 166440k out of 246004k, but like i was saying 5 days ago my commit charge had 800,000k everything was fine until i installed a program called uniture memory booster. I quickly uninstalled it after running it only once, and thats where my problem started. Thanks for all the great feedback and I would appreciate more help if possible. I know you all dedicate your time so thank you all

 

[Virtualmemory]

@LookinAround Smile because your link you provided just boosted by commit charge up to 508114k now i can try the step by step virus removal steps. You Guys are the best! thank you very, very much.

 

[LookinAround]

Glad to hear you're making progress.. I'd add a couple notes:

1. In general, i'd strongly advise you stay away from registry cleaners. The more "aggressive" the cleaner the more likely it will only screw up your system. And just not worth it. That said, the only registry cleaner i'll use/trust is CCleaner. On the one hand it only does "basic" cleanup, on other hand i've never had any issue with it on any computer (mine or others)

2. I'm also very skeptical of any "memory booster" product as being more snake-oil if not even just being excuse to unknowingly install malware. As you likely already know, 256MB memory is really pushing the bare minimum these days. Double check RAM pricing (can be very cheap) as the best way to boost your performance if at all possible

3. One other performance tweak you might try (if you haven't yet) Rt click My Computer->Properties->Advanced->Performance Settings. Then turn off all those visual affects you don't really need or want

 

[Broni]

Your computer is definitely infected and one of the reasons is, you don't have any AV program running.
Create new topic in malware forum and state your issues.

 

[Broni]

Also, as other said, 'memory booster" and any other "magic" tool will do nothing to cure your problem.
You have to clean up the infection and add more RAM.
XP with 256MB of RAM will always crawl.