Wednesday, February 1, 2017

Windows - How can I flush modified memory?


This is a follow up on my previous question, here:
Windows modified memory without a pagefile


I have no pagefile and a lot of modified memory according to resource monitor (Win 7 x64). The answerer to my original question said that the modified memory must be written to the "backing store" and when I asked if he meant files on the disk he said yes. So I have Sysinternals' RamMap program and I've tried the option 'Empty Modified Page List' but nothing changes.


Right now I'm using gigabytes of modified memory and it seems it's always that way with VMWare Workstation (several VMs open) and Firefox (ton of tabs open). How can I flush the modified memory, and is there any way to make Windows do that more often short of enabling a pagefile?


Thanks


EDIT - I've since discovered the source of several gigs of modified memory came from running Sysinternals' Process Monitor. When I closed Process Monitor I got back a few gigs. That modified memory does not show in the process list in RAMMap.


Answer



Windows can't write them to the disk, because they are still in use. The only way to "free" this memory is to enable a pagefile, so that the modified pages are written to the pagefile. Here they can be restored into the RAM when they are needed again.


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