Topic: Recover memory in Vista

[Costa]

The SuperFetch service is a good idea to use of the system, except for games

I'm not big fan of Vista. While accepting some of its features and functions most innovative, in general, not only is there nothing that stands out from underneath the surface, but there was no gain in performance compared to Windows XP, at least enough to justify upgrade.
However, some people have used the "ride" from Microsoft and done at once the update.
So it makes sense to explore some of these features that have increased the control of the operating system. Regarding the memory, SuperFetch service stands out clearly.
It is a service update PreFetch Windows XP that can actually increase performance for most users, at least for those who follow a kind of ritual on the computer - in other words, always open the same applications every time you start Windows. Thus, SuperFetch will find them and put them previously cached so they can be quickly loaded.

For such situations is a very interesting tool. As for users who use the PC to play or that simply do not follow a pattern in the sequencing of open applications, the SuperFetch service can even slow down performance. This is because uses vital memory to cache applications will not use, which means it could eventually be playing with half the RAM on the machine.

Disable SuperFetch

01 Start by checking how much memory is being sacrificed for SuperFetch. The simplest way is to do Ctrl + Alt + Del and select Start Task Manager. Go to the Performance tab to see how much physical memory is being used. Generally, the graphic should be in the middle, which means about 1 GB..

02 For more details on how the memory is being used, click Resource Monitor. Here, you have access to the general way they are distributed. You can also see where are the points of depletion not only of RAM but the CPU, hard disk and network.

03 SuperFetch is a system service. So you can find it in the Services tab, in the Task Manager of Windows. To disable, click Services or go to the command prompt and type services.msc. Double click on SuperFetch to see the properties. In the Startup Type, select Disabled, and reboot the system.

Please, if you see any typo, tell me how to fix my english
Farewell

[BluenoseJake]

I gotta disagree with you on disabling superfetch.  Superfetch is part of Windows memory managment unit, and will instantly release any memory it using if an app needs it.  Until then, there isn't any reason not to let it do it's work, I think it comes in pretty handy, especially starting up heavy pigs like OpenOffice or Visual Studio.  No reason having 2 or 4 Gigs of ram sitting there using electricity, without doing something useful.   I find that there is somethings that Windows will be faster and smarter at than most humans, and Memory Management is one them.

I also find it hard to imagine that there are many users who randomly open different apps.  Most users do the same things all the time, Browse the web, send email, use office apps, development apps, downloading apps, games and so on.  Nobody just sits around picking different apps at random to do the same things.

[Costa]

The SuperFetch service is a good idea to use of the system, except for games

[BluenoseJake]

It doesn't change anything.  It really depends on how much ram you have.  Most gamers have more than enough ram.  This is just one of those tweaks with dubious value.  Any new systems comes with 3 or more Gigs, and most nowadays come with 4.  Ram is cheap.  Time is not.  If you only have 1 Gig of ram, then you aren't probably a gamer anyway, and then superfetch can really help you out.

[bigguy]

There's nothing really saying that if you disable it or leave it enabled that there is going to be a real performance hit in any way. if you open alot of programs all the time instead of just using your computer for one or two things then it's best to leave it alone.

[Talvace]

In my opinion I think I would leave it alone in light of whats been written in this this thread, however i do think applications sometimes have a tendency to hold onto ram even after they have been closed. I experienced this a long time ago while using xp pro, I found an app called freeram xp pro that worked wonderfully and verified its ram usage using taskmanager. I have yet to experience the same issue using vista.

[billyevil]

Just to add to the topic of recovering memory, it may help some people to disable or turn to manual some of the many services that run in Windows Vista automatically and needlessly sometimes. I know many of you already know of this site, but for those that are unaware, BlackViper is a trusted resource of mine when trying to find out exactly which services are safe to disable or set to manual. He has gone to a great deal of trouble going through each one and finding out not only what each does, but what is a safe option. While this is not for all people to use, and can leave a system unbootable, I do believe it is useful and thought it prudent to post the link to his guide on the Windows Vista services below. I suggest that anyone using this on their home computer stay with the settings that are under the designation of Safe. Disabling or setting to manual some of these services may offer up more resources for gaming and an overall better computer experience.

BlackViper's Vista Services Guide

[bigguy]

Looks like a site worth checking out for sure.