Cleanmem: cleans syst. file cache ?

[ruinebabine]

Cleanmem v.1.4.0 update

Originally Posted by [URL="http://www.pcwintech.com/node/145"

AUTHOR's page[/url]]

Cleanmem now also clears the file cache of the system. The same way CacheSet does ( http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/s.../bb897561.aspx )
I made this update after I noticed some things on my system. Every time I played a heavy game or did a full drive backup my system would be a total snail afterwards.
I checked the memory usage, cpu and everything, nothing was being used up. But every time I even so much as tried to open a window it would crawl and I would see my hard drive light fully light up for a good 5+ sec.
So I new the problem had to be with the hard drive in some way. After doing a ton of research I came across cacheSet. When I used it I had seen my cache was over a few hundred MB's!
As soon as I cleared it the system came back and the sluggish feel was gone. After researching why this happens it turns out when the cache becomes to full or large the hard drive is used MUCH more than normal, thus why everything was slowing down and my hard drive was working over time.
The file cache is stored into memory, so when it doesn't clear itself that's also wasted memory. so when it is cleared that memory comes back to the system as well.
So with this update no more sluggish system after heavy file transfers and gaming :-)

Originally Posted by [URL="http://majorgeeks.com/Cleanmem_d5972.html"

MAJORGEEKS[/url]]

First, the reason why I added the clean file cache to Cleanmem.
On both my Windows XP and Vista computer every time I did a full system backup, or did some heavy gaming my systems turned into snails. I'm sure a lot of you out there have been through this. Even opening a minimized window was horribly slow let alone opening up new programs. even if you left the system going for a bit it wouldn't fully recover and the only way to get the system back was to reboot. This drove me nuts!
So I started looking into it, after my system would get this way I would check my memory (I have 4gb) cpu (quad core) and page file. NONE of them where hardly being used. I was scratching my head. Where is the slow down coming from? So when I tried to simply open my minimized Firefox it was taking forever to redraw on the screen. I look down and see my hard drive light fully lit up! my hard drive was working like mad. Aha! that's where my bottle neck is coming from. but, if the page file is barley being used why is my drive working so hard now? So now I knew where to look.

During my research I came across this, CacheSet http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/s.../bb897561.aspx
So I read the page thoroughly, download the program and ran it, as it was running my cache was at about 250mb's. (this was when my system was a slug after a full system backup)
I clicked the clear button, cache went down to 4mb and climbed and stayed at around 25mb. Big difference. So time to see if it made a difference in the system.
And WOW my system was responding like normal again. I could open things like I had just rebooted and the hard drive was no longer thrashing around doing simple tasks.

So I wanted to add this to Cleanmem. But I knew good and well I had better be prepared to explain things :-)
I came across 2 other pages during my research into it.
http://smallvoid.com/article/winnt-system-cache.html
and
http://blogs.msdn.com/ntdebugging/ar...uch-cache.aspx

So now when Cleanmem runs, both the processes and the file cache and cleaned. Recovering even more memory and performance. Again now, you wont see tons of performance on a normally running system, but it does keep things in shape. Just like Cleanmem always has.

But some will probably argue that it's only snake's oil, and while others will say why not just use Mark Russinovich's CacheSet... Any ways, it seems to work benefits for me when tested on my oldish hardware.

EDIT This is also now available as a zipped standalone file (11.8kb).

[L815]

I will be one of those arguing to use CacheSet. Sysinternal tools have always worked flawlessly for me. :]

[ruinebabine]

Well, L815, I cannot see any argument to debate with your short statement because I am probably as big a cheerleader as you of all sysinternals great tools... Btw, did you try Cleanmem, by any chance?

[L815]

I haven't, but will eventually. I'm sure it's a good tool!

[munckman]

Originally Posted by ruinebabine

Cleanmem v.1.4.0 update




But some will probably argue that it's only snake's oil, and while others will say why not just use Mark Russinovich's CacheSet... Any ways, it seems to work benefits for me when tested on my oldish hardware.

EDIT This is also now available as a zipped standalone file (11.8kb).

Good topic ruinebabine,

I do not know if Cleanmem's approach is radically different than others (as they claim) but when I click it using the Portable version; it's quick and most importantly, the programs that have been cleaned do not lag when using them once again. Granted, the only reason that I try such programs is that I'm lacking in the Memory and CPU department. Yes , I know that both are now very affordable.

With the portable version, I'm not sure how to set it up to run periodically. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[ruinebabine]

Originally Posted by munckman

With the portable version, I'm not sure how to set it up to run periodically. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I guess you would need to use windows Task Scheduler or some 3rd party's similar tool, or build some kind of batch file if you're adept at it. I myself only run it on demand, when my pc seems to feel for a manual re-crank up!

[Baldrick]

If you download and run the Setup file then it automatically sets up a Scheduler entry to run CleanMem every 30 minutes. This is what I have done and to be frank I hardly even notice it is there and running. PC is now running smoother and there does not seem to be the need to 'crank it up' periodically as there used to be.

If you download the .zip version you have to set up your own 'scheule' by whatever means you prefer.

Even running the setup only consumed 161Kb as the majority of it are the VB 6 runtimes required (which are part of XP anyway).

[majoMo]

Also glad here with this handy tool. Great to app. that doesn't clean their unused working set itself. Thus CleanMem allows to have a clean ram avoiding memory leak when the source is the app. that doesn't clean their unnecessary working set. (CleanMem isn't to solve troubles/bugs that some app. have with their high ram/cpu usage).

Like it use "EmptyWorkingSet" Function - and not the "SetProcessWorkingSetSize" Function - it doesn't affect the virtual memory paging behavior of a process. It doesn't hurt the system never.

#1-The ignore list that can be used, could be useful to some processes. #2-With the .zip version you can to do a task in Task Manager, to run all 30 min.. So you don't need to install their setup.

I'm glad with it performance - using it with Process Lasso and my PC is running smoother.

The new feature - clears the file cache of the system - seems interesting. I don't know yet exactly how their benefit can be measured/tested however.

[munckman]

Originally Posted by ruinebabine

I guess you would need to use windows Task Scheduler or some 3rd party's similar tool, or build some kind of batch file if you're adept at it. I myself only run it on demand, when my pc seems to feel for a manual re-crank up!

Yes you are correct, Task Scheduler will do it but for me it was a little bit confusing. You need to set up a schedule then go back into that schedule and then modify it...

Cleanmem is my new favorite "tool" !!! And yes, Snake Oil Salesmen just love me. But in my own defense; I fully understand this.

I ended up utilizing the installer version. Just because. After running it visualized; it seemed fine and I wanted to try it for reals. It seems to just do what it purports and nothing else.

Bottom line:

It is safe; for me.

It does what it claims; for me.

When I check Task Manager it makes me feel good. HaHa

All I can say is if this type of topic interests you; the Snake Oil Salesmen will be contacting you soon.

Overall 2 thumbs up; from me.

Please point out any deficiencies of my my new favorite toy. More importantly, please point out if I "Missed the boat" entirely.

Cleanmem is definitely not snakeoil and even for the paranoids, this tool is far safer than the myriads of regcleaners people use on day to day basis to hose their systems. If you read the explanation, Cleanmem's functioning is well explained by the author and there should be no doubts to its abilities.

[boonie]

I've been using it for some time (portable version). Like this little app a lot. Haven't set up a schedule, I just put a shortcut in my start up folder and delayed it's opening until everything is running. I've also got a shortcut on my Quick Launch, and click it periodically when I'm using memory hungry apps (Firefox, Photoshop).

[majoMo]

CleanMem v.1.4.1 realeased.

Now you can use the ignore list to disable the newest feature 'clear file cache'.

[LockBox]

Way back when, here was Shane's simple explanation as to how CleanMem works:
-------------
(From Shane)
PLEASE READ: How Cleanmem Works
Ok for once and for all I am going to explain in detail how Cleanmem works, why it works and how it can & can not make a difference in your system.

Every now and then as I go across the net I find forums and pages talking about Cleanmem, and to be honest I am truly surprised to see the people throwing fits about the program being a memory cleaner and how if it is a memory cleaner it must not work! Yet they never even try it. Then when I come across pages like on www.raymond.cc who actually took the time to try it and test it makes me feel like my work is appreciated by my fellow geeks & techs as he took the time to try it, he didn't judge before hand. Yet reading comments on his site you will find people shocked it works and others saying it cant work and they didn't try it.

I also get emails of people asking me how it works, and so I decided to make this section to explain how Cleanmem works. So now any questions should be answered and all the people out there who don't even bother testing the program will have no room to talk. Its amazing how a free program I originally made for my customers has been such a headache and a pleasure at the same time. You've got to love the internet.

So now lets start with how Cleanmem works. Cleanmem is very small as it doesn't need to do much. First off Cleanmem doesn't clean the memory from the processes itself! It asks Windows to do that. When the program starts up it grabs a list of running processes. It then grabs the ID of each process and calls the Windows API EmptyWorkingSet for each processes, Cleanmem of course checks the ignore list and skips those processes. Then Windows cleans the process, and once all the processes have been cleaned Cleanmem closes itself.

Well that's the part that seems to freak some people out, if the memory is being cleaned then the process itself will suffer! the memory will be pushed to the hard drive! the world will end! And guess what they are wrong. So let me explain why. The API call only removes memory no longer being used by the process. It doesn't touch memory in use. Here is an example from a visual basic programming stand point.

Dim I as long

I = 20000

Done. Now 'I' has been set as a long number, it has now taken a spot in memory. It then loads the 20000 into memory. At the end of the call the memory is no longer used but still being taken up by the program because I didn't clean it up! A lot of programs do this, they take memory but don't always cleanup after themselves. Well the API is like a little house cleaning. It removes all safe unused memory. When the process runs the function again the memory is then taken again without any difference in performance to the program because it would do it anyways, it wont reuse the old memory, this is why you see program climb and climb in memory usage as you use them. So why let all the unused memory just sit there?

Here is an example, I loaded of my Age Of Conan game, it was using about 600mb of memory, when I run my Cleanmem the memory only lowers to about 500mb, and the game doesn't miss a hit, why? because that 500mb of memory was currently being used and windows didn't touch it, only the memory left over was removed, which isn't going to touch the games performance since the memory wasn't in use. This is also why the page file doesn't grow, cause no memory is being moved away from the process.

Will you see performance increase? Yes if a lot of your memory is being eaten up, plus keeping the processes cleaner adds a small performance increase when dealing with memory. But if you have a butt load of memory like I do you wont see amazing increases in performance, but if your running low on memory it makes a big difference.

If you have a lot of memory why use Cleanmem? Well I use it cause I like my system running tight and clean. Just because my system has a lot of memory doesn't mean I want things sucking it all up if it isn't even using it. That's why I made Cleanmem sort of a set it and forget it. I never need to worry about a program having memory leaks or not cleaning up after itself.

So what I did with Cleanmem was take a built in Windows API and made it easy and automatic to keep no longer used memory free. The program is free, the setup is easy and life is good. So if for some reason you don't want to use Cleanmem, that's fine. I'm not trying to push a free program on people, I could care less if someone doesn't want to use it. But for those of you that do use it I'm glad you find it useful and I'm here if you have any questions or needs.

A quick note on the API call itself. This is the same API used by Microsoft in its empty.exe in the Windows 2003 Resource kit. This is also the same api that all .Net programs use by default when you minimize them and their memory lowers. So now instead of being just for .Net, Cleanmem lets you use it on all your programs.

I hope this answers all questions and helps people understand once and for all about Cleanmem.

Take care!
Shane
-------------------------

[ruinebabine]

Originally Posted by majoMo

CleanMem v.1.4.1 realeased.

Now you can use the ignore list to disable the newest feature 'clear file cache'.

Thanks majoMo.
And I would like to add that this new feature and the Ignore list is also included in the new zipped portable version.

[majoMo]

@ ruinebabine, sorry if I not to realize well: do you want to disable the 'clear file cache' feature?

If so why? Some special reason?

Noticed also that the new zipped portable version comes with files that allows user to add to the task shedule automatically (useful and I'm thinking in munckman'post).

@ Gerard Morentzy, the "Shane's simple explanation" is enlightened. Liked to read that.

Like CleanMem works like Microsoft "empty.exe" file their action is innocuous to the system. If it was using a tool like Microsoft "clearmem.exe" file - I never should to use this excellent Shane tool!

[ruinebabine]

Originally Posted by majoMo

@ ruinebabine, sorry if I not to realize well: do you want to disable the 'clear file cache' feature?

If so why? Some special reason?

No, I do not want to disable that. It was just to let know to the interested ones that this option is also available whithin the portable version.

Noticed also that the new zipped portable version comes with files that allows user to add to the task shedule automatically (useful and I'm thinking in munckman'post).

Yes, you got it, and it was mainly the point of my post

[majoMo]

Thanks ruinebabine. I understood the english now... I'm always learning english ever and I appreciate all the clarifications.

[ruinebabine]

Originally Posted by majoMo

Thanks ruinebabine. I understood the english now... I'm always learning english ever and I appreciate all the clarifications.

No problem majoMo.

EDIT: English is not my first lingo either. So each of our own english writings were probably somehow both clashing together (does this sentence even making sens?)!

[majoMo]

Originally Posted by ruinebabine

So each of our own english writings were probably somehow both clashing together (does this sentence even making sens?)!

Yes it does!!!

I think that it will be very useful a app. to clean not only the mem, like CleanMem - but also the english language clashings...