Spike in "Explorer.exe" Mem Usage

XP (sp2).....updated
768 MB of RAM
NO visual styles/Windowblinds
NO desktop icons (only Recylcle Bin)
NO widgets or sidebar (just using wallpaper)
Using "Quick Launch" toolbar w/ just 2 icons present
Running "Taskbar" + "Folder Windows" as seperate process (via tweak)
Programs at start-up: KIS 7, WinPatrol, AD Muncher, cFosSpeed and SRS Audio Sandbox.
XP services (manually tweaked)
-----------------------------

I've noticed in the past few weeks that the memory usage of explorer.exe is getting higher and higher.

It was always pretty stable around 13-15 K....and slowly it creeped up to around 17-18 K. Now it's running around 26-28 K (on computer start-up) and reaches around 35 K after an hour or so of computer use (ie internet browsing).

Does anyone know what might be causing this spike in "explorer.exe"........and is there a way to REDUCE the mem usuage (either via settings/tweaks or a software)?

Thanks.

 

Hi Birdman

1)
Are you sure that your services setup is correct?
Check if the "Indexation service" is started... If so: stop it and disable it.

2)
May be KIS ? recheck the parameters ...

3) Did the maintenance was done? CHKDSK, disk cleanup, defrag. ?

4) Don't expect to solve this probleme or any other with the so-called "Memory Optimizer" : read this article of Mark Russinovich

The Memory-Optimization Hoax

http://www.windowsitpro.com/articles/index.cfm?articleid=41095&cpage=1

 

Hi Climenole....thanks for your quick reply.

To answer your questions:

1) I'm pretty sure that my services are set up correctly. Most of the info (what services to set to manual or disable) I got here on Wilders.

The "Indexing Service" is DISABLED.

2) How do I check the parameters in KIS? Though I do not think that KIS is the cause of this issue (using KIS for 2 years now)....I would like to check it out nonetheless.

3) YES the maintance was recently done (yesterday in fact).

4) Thanks for the link.

 

That seems normal for explorer to be running around there. Mine fluctuates from 22-38MB. Check the system events, that might give you a clue.

 

Only ERRORS that showed up are over the past week or so (random):

Dhcp (event 1002)

DCOM (event 10005)

Service Control Manager (event 7001)