Reinstalling Windows

[Uncle Liam]

I've tried searching various forums but frankly it's just just computer geek talk in computer geek language. Nothing wrong with that I guess.

Anyway, I bought a HP Laptop a few months ago and whilst I could just take it back (I have the reciept right in front of me) I'm currently working in Doha, so unfortunately nipping to PC World isn't much of an option.

I've got a memory leak. I've tried everything within reason. All kinds of processes shut down, start up items stopped. I've barely got anything running right now apart from Chrome. My laptop is currently running at 59% memory with just Chrome and Skype, and it's only that low because I've performed a system restore. It will gradually creep up as the night wears on and the laptop will be totally unworkable in a few hours. It's so bad, I can't even run Skype.

Also, I downloaded two items from Itunes only to be told my disc drive was full. There is currently 453Gb of free hard drive space on this laptop! So I can only presume it's going into another drive.

So basically, I need to reinstall Windows on this PC. I haven't got a clue how to do it. I'm not that arsed about partitioning m Hard Drive because all my docs are backed up on Google Drive, I tunes match, or on my external HD anyway.

So any suggestions?

[The Nal]

Do you have the media disc?

[eFestivals]

you sure you've not got a virus? I reckon it's worth scanning the machine, just in case.

Otherwise it sounds like it's a hardware problem, and a re-install won't do any good.

[Uncle Liam]

Do you have the media disc?

Nope, and I don't have a disc drive on this laptop.

[Uncle Liam]

you sure you've not got a virus? I reckon it's worth scanning the machine, just in case.

Otherwise it sounds like it's a hardware problem, and a re-install won't do any good.

Definitely no virus, or malware, or anything like that. It's been scanned multiple times.

My research indicates a memory leak. My mate has just accessed it remotely and messed around with it a bit, and it's performing better now so we'll see how we get on.

[Spindles]

You can always install windows into a separate directory and allow the dual boot option, to see if the problem persists in a clean install. That way, if the new install fixes your issues you can copy across anything you want to keep easily and just remove the old install afterwards.

Edited October 8, 2014 by Spindles

[The Nal]

If you don't have a windows media disc it could be difficult.

You could always get it via - *cough* - alternatives avenues.

[eFestivals]

You could always get it via - *cough* - alternatives avenues.

Something which is likely to make things worse - lots of the downloadable copies are virus-infected, as i've discovered when i've tried.

What i've done when I've found myself without an install disc is gone to the local little computer shop and asked them to cut me a copy, which they've been happy to do for a few quid. As it's no good without a valid licence number, it's not like they're stealing anything from Microsoft.

[t8yman]

does this sw*nky new laptop not have a "factory restore" option, i thought that was pretty commonplace these days, does it display a c: and a D: in my computer? the D: being a recovery partition?

you will need a portable usb HDD to move all of your docs on to (or a cloud and a fast upload) then perform the restore.

[t8yman]

love how "s w a n k y" gets censored on efests!

Edited October 8, 2014 by t8yman

[eFestivals]

love how "s w a n k y" gets censored on efests!

lol - the result of an old filter I set up, along with the filter in the forums software being a bit crap.

[Guest]

what's a memory leak?

[Spindles]

It's usually something in software, where an application or process keeps taking more and more memory, never relinquishing what it has already filled. Usually software stores only what it needs to refer back to, so overwrites or removes unneeded data, sometimes things go wrong and it just keeps filling up more and more memory space. Modern OS's use virtual memory (writing memory data to a big file on the hard drive, clearing the memory for other use and then reloading it when the program needs to access it) and this can slow a machine down to a halt over time.

Edited October 8, 2014 by Spindles

[eFestivals]

It's usually something in software, where an application or process keeps taking more and more memory, never relinquishing what it has already filled. Usually software stores only what it needs to refer back to, so overwrites or removes unneeded data, sometimes things go wrong and it just keeps filling up more and more memory space. Modern OS's use virtual memory (writing memory data to a big file on the hard drive, clearing the memory for other use and then reloading it when the program needs to access it) and this can slow a machine down to a halt over time.

memory leaks in software for the likes of windoze don't really happen any more (it's not impossible, but it's unlikely). If the memory is being gobbled up and there's no virus on the machine, it's likely to be a hardware fault of some kind.

[Guest]

I like the expression.. memory leak. I think I have one... in my head

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

I like the expression.. memory leak. I think I have one... in my head

I have one in my head too, and it's gushing Niaguraly. I'm trying to stem the flow with Post It notes but am losing the battle.

PS - I only came onto this thread because I thought it would be about re-installing windows into the fabric of a building.

As regards to IT matters could the loss of memory be due to the fact that the computer is tired?

[windy_miller]

memory leaks in software for the likes of windoze don't really happen any more (it's not impossible, but it's unlikely). If the memory is being gobbled up and there's no virus on the machine, it's likely to be a hardware fault of some kind.

Simply not true. It is very easy to write a program that leaks memory, and its very easy to do it by accident (being a programmer I should know). It makes no difference if its Windows, Linux, OSX, whatever.

If memory is being gobbled up, then Task Manager will quickly tell you which process is using it all up. Hit Ctrl+Alt+Esc, to bring up Task Manager, then go to the "Details" tab. Click on the column headings and click on "Select Columns". Put a tick next to "Memory (private working set)" and click OK. Then sort task manager by that column and you will see what is using up all your memory.

Edited October 13, 2014 by windy_miller

[eFestivals]

Simply not true. It is very easy to write a program that leaks memory, and its very easy to do it by accident (being a programmer I should know). It makes no difference if its Windows, Linux, OSX, whatever.

If memory is being gobbled up, then Task Manager will quickly tell you which process is using it all up. Hit Ctrl+Alt+Esc, to bring up Task Manager, then go to the "Details" tab. Click on the column headings and click on "Select Columns". Put a tick next to "Memory (private working set)" and click OK. Then sort task manager by that column and you will see what is using up all your memory.

Doesn't it depend heavily on what is used to write the program? I'm under the impression that just about all of the "for windows" programming tools handle all of the memory issues for the programmer.

I've certainly never had any memory issues in the various bits and pieces I've written for windows (mostly in Delphi) in the last 15+ years, and i've had to write nothing of any memory handling either. Perhaps that wouldn't be the case if there was more to the programs I've written, tho some of what i've done has been quite complex stuff (a full retail system including stock control).

I wasn't trying to suggest that a memory leak is impossible, tho it does seem to be an unlikely scenario for any bit of software that a person is likely to be using nowadays.

Referring back to the OP's original post, if his problem is a memory leak that's being caused by a program, then i can't see how a re-install of windows would make any difference with that. Either the software he's running has a bad programming issue or it doesn't, but windows will keep on reacting the same to it.

Which is precisely why I posted to say that I thought a hardware problem is most likely. It's certainly been the cause of the only memory leak problem I can remember happening to me since the early days (quite possibly betas) of Win95.

(and I used to run an awful lot of cheap and shitty software when I used to work for a software distributor that only dealt with cheap and shitty software).

[windy_miller]

Doesn't it depend heavily on what is used to write the program? I'm under the impression that just about all of the "for windows" programming tools handle all of the memory issues for the programmer.

I've certainly never had any memory issues in the various bits and pieces I've written for windows (mostly in Delphi) in the last 15+ years, and i've had to write nothing of any memory handling either. Perhaps that wouldn't be the case if there was more to the programs I've written, tho some of what i've done has been quite complex stuff (a full retail system including stock control).

I wasn't trying to suggest that a memory leak is impossible, tho it does seem to be an unlikely scenario for any bit of software that a person is likely to be using nowadays.

Referring back to the OP's original post, if his problem is a memory leak that's being caused by a program, then i can't see how a re-install of windows would make any difference with that. Either the software he's running has a bad programming issue or it doesn't, but windows will keep on reacting the same to it.

Which is precisely why I posted to say that I thought a hardware problem is most likely. It's certainly been the cause of the only memory leak problem I can remember happening to me since the early days (quite possibly betas) of Win95.

(and I used to run an awful lot of cheap and shitty software when I used to work for a software distributor that only dealt with cheap and shitty software).

If the program is written in C# (.NET) or Java, then it will do automatic memory management and garbage collection. If it's written in C++, then the programmer has to do all the memory management. I would say that at least 90% of the software running an an average windows box is written in C++.

I am interested to find out what is top of Task Manager's memory usage table.

[eFestivals]

If the program is written in C# (.NET) or Java, then it will do automatic memory management and garbage collection. If it's written in C++, then the programmer has to do all the memory management. I would say that at least 90% of the software running an an average windows box is written in C++.

C++ "for windows" did memory management too, didn't it? It's a very long time since I used it, and I didn't ever use it much, but my memory is that it did.

I much preferred to use Delphi as Borland was well ahead of Microsoft in almost everything (most of the major MS programming products were developed by ex-Borland bigwigs, and a lot of Borland technology was licenced to Microsft for them).

(I still use Delphi now, tho it's changed names in its more-recent incarnations).

[eFestivals]

It doesn't sound like a hardware fault though.... The only things hardware related I could think of would be maybe your CPU running too hot or something. Is all your memory reporting correctly etc ? Memory is quite reliable these days, if its reporting correctly in Windows its usually fine.

if the RAM is damaged then that can (or at least could, in previous windoze versions) display itself as a memory leak - it's something I've come across in the past (tho such a long time ago I can't remember the details).

[Guest]

I have one in my head too, and it's gushing Niaguraly. I'm trying to stem the flow with Post It notes but am losing the battle.

PS - I only came onto this thread because I thought it would be about re-installing windows into the fabric of a building.

I thought it would be for double glazing

[windy_miller]

C++ "for windows" did memory management too, didn't it? It's a very long time since I used it, and I didn't ever use it much, but my memory is that it did.

I much preferred to use Delphi as Borland was well ahead of Microsoft in almost everything (most of the major MS programming products were developed by ex-Borland bigwigs, and a lot of Borland technology was licenced to Microsft for them).

(I still use Delphi now, tho it's changed names in its more-recent incarnations).

Microsoft released "C++/CLI" or "Managed Extensions for C++" which was built on the .Net framework and did automatic memory management, though I don't know anyone who ever used it. If you wanted to do .Net stuff, it far easier just to use C#. Microsoft have since abandoned it anyway.

Note that "proper" C++ is a standard that has nothing to do with Microsoft, (though Microsoft do release a C++ compiler). It is usable in just about any operating system you can think of. When I said that 90% of software is written in C++, I am talking about proper C++, not Microsoft's "Managed Extensions for C++".

Delphi was just Borland's version of Pascal, and it did not do automatic memory management. You were still responsible for freeing any unused memory.

http://delphi.about.com/od/oopindelphi/a/memoryleak.htm

[eFestivals]

Microsoft released "C++/CLI" or "Managed Extensions for C++" which was built on the .Net framework and did automatic memory management, though I don't know anyone who ever used it. If you wanted to do .Net stuff, it far easier just to use C#. Microsoft have since abandoned it anyway.

You're a youngster*, aren't you?

(* compared to me, at least)

C++ for windoze pre-dates .NET by quite a long way, so it couldn't have been built on the .NET framework, at least not in the days i'm talking about.

Delphi was just Borland's version of Pascal

it was a bit more than just that.

Pascal, like C (and later C++), was a non-graphical 'independent' programming language (I first learnt it to use on a DEC VAX, which ran a flavour/version of unix).

and it did not do automatic memory management. You were still responsible for freeing any unused memory.

http://delphi.about.com/od/oopindelphi/a/memoryleak.htm

All of the programming* I've done with Delphi has fallen in to the first part of what that article states, so as far as i'm concerned it did do automatic memory management.

You can build complex programmes in Delphi without ever needing to create custom classes.

* that's not quite true. I was briefly involved in a project that did use custom classes - tho quite unnecessarily. I replicated the same functionality without custom classes, and it ran significantly quicker too.

[eFestivals]

Doh! That'll be because I wasn't aware that there was a product called that.

I pretty decided that it was best to ignore MS's programming efforts when I discovered just how crap Visual Basic was. If Microsoft were much good, they wouldn't have had to hire the people whose tools I was using anyway to create their own.

Edited October 15, 2014 by eFestivals