Advice Windows Explorer memory usage.

[Access Denied]

Interesting problem for you. Interesting in the fact that I don't have access to the computer in question.

My friend has just informed me that Windows Explorer has, for the past month, been spiking memory usage when she's cycling through files and folders and the memory is not coming back when she stops. She's not a complete technophobe so she knows what she's looking at in Task Manager.

Unfortunately, she's at Uni in Wales and I'm in East Sussex. She also doesn't currently have internet access unless she's at Uni and Teamviewer won't connect while she's there.

She informs me that she hasn't updated any programs or Windows and doesn't think she's done anything else to cause this issue. Tbh I could probably fix it if I had access but I can't so I'm turning to you lot for ideas.

Cheers muchly.

 

[Bob007]

Indexing file corruption. Try turning off indexing of the system drive, reboot and turn it back on.*
Media Service in windows 7 use to do something mad like that as well.*

*Sorry, not a lot to go on. Either or both might be worth looking at over and above the norm AV/anti spyware update and scan.

 

[Access Denied]

Update, early indications are that it only happens when she accesses her external HDD. She didn't add anything new to it before the issue started occuring. The indexing thing could be a cause, I'll get her to look into that.

 

[Bob007]

Something like an export from hyjackthis might help you/us better understand whats going on.

 

[Zarjazz]

If the external HDD has lots of pictures & videos explorer can uses a lot of memory when caching all the thumbnail and previews.

 

[old.Osy]

Also, external drives generally "sleep" until accessed, and as we all know, any previously mounted resource that is unavailable for a while gives Windows headaches.

 

[Access Denied]

So it turns out that upon further testing, it only happens when she's cycling through files on her External. Unfortunately it's a TB drive and she has nothing else big enough to temporarily transfer her files over to. Oh well, nothing more I can do. Suggested she take advantage of the fact that she's in UNi and a grab a Computer Science grad to have a look.