Comments on: CyberNotes: Windows Memory Usage Explained

By: Randy

Randy — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 03:37:40 +0000

@KC, you said to Harry:
———————–
@ Harry, the “Private” label may be a bit confusing but it is not meant to represent the exclusively private parts of the memory. It represents how much memory a program is using excluding memory that is shared by other programs.

Building on the articles example: The children may be using 7 crayons each (in total), but when they decide to pack up and go home they take their own (private) 5 crayons with them and no the two that the other kid shared with him.
———————–

More precisely, the “Private” label is not meant to represent the exclusively private parts of the memory. It represents how much memory a program is using excluding memory that other programs SHARE WITH IT.

In other words, a program may be sharing some bytes of its “Private Working Set” with OTHER programs, but that STILL counts as part of its TOTAL “private bites” – what does NOT count are the bytes OUTSIDE of its “Private Working Set” that other programs SHARE WITH IT.

Good analogy, suppose Randy and KC each have five crayons. BEFORE we come together to pool our resources, we each have FIVE “private crayons”. AFTER we leave and go home, we each have FIVE “private crayons”. But while we are being good friends and SHARING together:

KC still has five crayons that belong only to him, and which he will TAKE HOME with him when done. Ditto with me, Randy. So, if I SHARE two crayons with KC,those don’t count as part of his “five private crayons”, because he won’t get to keep them when he goes home. Likewise if KC my buddy SHARES two crayons with me, little Randy, those don’t count as part of my “five private crayons”, because I won’t get to keep them when he goes home.

I think this analogy reflects the DYNAMIC nature of memory management: Because, I cannot count on KC my buddy’s two crayons to be SHARED with me forever. For example, KC’s parents may call him home for supper, while I want to KEEP COLORING. Likewise the “shared memory” that is granted by the memory manager to me from other programs, might, in the process of more CPU cycles, be “called home for supper” by the memory manager.

But if I, as a program, wish to “keep coloring” – keep on running – then I will be left with my original “Private Bytes”. So, ‘Private’ means, only the memory that belongs to me and I KEEP, no matter if KC gets called home for supper before I wish to cease coloring: no matter if I as a program wish to keep on running after those previously “shared bytes” (shared crayons) are GONE because KC’s parents (the memory manager) called KC home for supper, and KC took HIS private crayons (private bytes) back home with him.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 13:26:00 +0000

Hi! I’m not an expert… I hope you can help me in understanding the following mem usage issue. I made a comparison with my colleague (same windows xp, connected to the same company net, with the same configuration)and the mem usage of the same processes is much bigger in my PC then his one.
i.e. explorer.exe (no windows open) 24000 vs 127000
acretray.exe 333 vs 3201
etc.

Thanks Ciao

By: kolyan

kolyan — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 12:09:59 +0000

I prefer AnVir Task Manager

By: Bigun

Bigun — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 04:08:11 +0000

Very nice job explaining some of the memory values reported by applications that monitor the computer resources. Since task manager is one of the main mini-applications used your examples, there are a few terms used in task manager to express memory that you have not commented on. Perhaps it is a matter of semantics, i.e., the same “value” that you expressed but you may have used a different “term” for name..

My examples include:

“Commit charge” and its use in the ratio given on the process page of Task Manager

” Commit Charge: 1190M / 5412M ”

” Kernel Memory

By: KC

KC — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 07:21:48 +0000

@ Harry, the “Private” label may be a bit confusing but it is not meant to represent the exclusively private parts of the memory. It represents how much memory a program is using excluding memory that is shared by other programs.

By: Harry

Harry — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 16:24:02 +0000

The example gets me confused! Each kid owns 5 crayons, shares 2 of them. The non-shared part is only 3 crayons. If the private bytes is not shared, then it should be 3 crayons for each kid, why 5 as you indicated here. Each kid owns 5, among them non-shared part is only 3. Can you clarify my confusion?

By: TWM

TWM — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:57:51 +0000

So whats Commit size in relation to this? I thought it was the process size, including any that had been swapped out?

If I want to report the total amount of space my process is using which should I use?

By: Robin

Robin — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 09:48:43 +0000

Nice article..Thanks!

By: Windows??????????? - ???? « ?????

Windows??????????? - ???? « ????? — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 09:47:28 +0000

[...] ??Process Explorer?????????????Windows Memory Usage Explained Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)IQ Testæ–°å‰å£«å–é†‰äº† [...]

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Wed, 15 Apr 2009 01:28:42 +0000

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