Finding Windows NT Memory Leaks


  • Start PMON from NT Resource Kit.
  • Monitor paged / non-paged pool usage. If these increase over time, there
    is a memory leak.

  • Monitor commit counters. If this increases over several hours, there is a
    probable leak.

  • Monitor the Commit Charge column. The process with the leak will increase.
Depending on the severity of the leak, you may have to monitor once/hr
for several days.

To release the leaked memory, use Resource Kit utility:

empty { PID | progname }

where PID is Product Identification number. EMPTY frees the working set of a
task or process

Microsoft TechNet related articles:

How
to Use Dh.exe to Troubleshoot User-Mode Memory Leaks

How to Use
Poolmon to Troubleshoot Kernel Mode Memory Leaks

Using
Performance Monitor To Identify A Pool Leak

MS-DOS-Based
Apps Starting Non-MS-DOS-Based Apps

WM_DDE_EXECUTE
API Causes a Memory Leak in the WOW Subsystem

SetTimer()
API Causes Memory Leak in the WOW Subsystem

Memory
Leak in Ntfs.sys

Memory
Leak in SERVICES.EXE Causes Performance Degradation


There are many examples. Many are fixed in various service pack releases.
Many are not. If your box gets sluggish or unreliable, this is an area worth
checking.

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