Clearing Inactive RAM APP?

[2012Tony2012]

Originally Posted by Sayer

OP said they were using Firefox. Firefox is a huge memory hog (on every platform). Installing more physical RAM is always a better solution than trying to juggle virtual memory in Mac OS X.

Unless you have a MacBook Air or Retina you can install more RAM. The minimum RAM Macs come with really is a minimum. I usually end up doubling whatever RAM the Mac came with.

Firefox is only using around 250MB, is that a lot? I heard Safari also has memory hog issues. So what's the solution?

[MisterKeeks]

Originally Posted by 2012Tony2012

Firefox is only using around 250MB, is that a lot? I heard Safari also has memory hog issues. So what's the solution?

Please post a screenshot of your Activity Monitor screen.

[snberk103]

Originally Posted by 2012Tony2012

....
Firefox says : Real Memory size 160MB and Virtual Memory size 3.37GB. What is VM and why does it state 3.37GB RAM seeing firefox is only using 160MB real RAM?

Next time, before clearing the memory with that "Free Memory" app, Quit Firefox. And I don't mean just close it, but Quit it. Then reopen and see if the problem persists. If Firefox is behaving badly and leaking memory, then that should clear it. When you were rebooting, you were also Quitting Firefox... So you may have been doing more than you needed to.

If the memory issue goes away when you Quit and reopen Firefox, then it's time to look at what is happening with Firefox. What extensions and add-ons does have it have, etc etc

If the memory issue doesn't go away with the Firefox Quit and reopen cycle, then I suspect the problem is with something else you have installed. What people have been telling you is correct, OS X manages memory very well. You should not have to run an app like Free Memory, if OS X is running properly. This does not mean that your problem does not exist... but if it does exist then there is something unusual happening with OS X, and it may be better to figure that out rather than just treating the symptom. Specifically, what other little apps, add-ons, enhancers, etc have you installed to make OS X run better? It will almost certainly be one of those...

Luck.

[2012Tony2012]

Originally Posted by MisterKeeks

Please post a screenshot of your Activity Monitor screen.

http://i49.tinypic.com/2m2xkxh.png

What's using the 1.69GB RAM?
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Originally Posted by snberk103

Next time, before clearing the memory with that "Free Memory" app, Quit Firefox. And I don't mean just close it, but Quit it. Then reopen and see if the problem persists. If Firefox is behaving badly and leaking memory, then that should clear it. When you were rebooting, you were also Quitting Firefox... So you may have been doing more than you needed to.

If the memory issue goes away when you Quit and reopen Firefox, then it's time to look at what is happening with Firefox. What extensions and add-ons does have it have, etc etc

If the memory issue doesn't go away with the Firefox Quit and reopen cycle, then I suspect the problem is with something else you have installed. What people have been telling you is correct, OS X manages memory very well. You should not have to run an app like Free Memory, if OS X is running properly. This does not mean that your problem does not exist... but if it does exist then there is something unusual happening with OS X, and it may be better to figure that out rather than just treating the symptom. Specifically, what other little apps, add-ons, enhancers, etc have you installed to make OS X run better? It will almost certainly be one of those...

Luck.

Didn't work, closing firefox didn't reclaim all the used RAM. If I don't run FreeMemory or reboot then it starts swapping out and claiming I have no free RAM left to be used.

[snberk103]

Originally Posted by 2012Tony2012

http://i49.tinypic.com/2m2xkxh.png

What's using the 1.69GB RAM?
----------



Didn't work, closing firefox didn't reclaim all the used RAM. If I don't run FreeMemory or reboot then it starts swapping out and claiming I have no free RAM left to be used.

At the point it starts swapping, and you are getting frustrated... post that Activity Monitor screen. The one you have posted is showing no issues that I can see.

[MisterKeeks]

Originally Posted by snberk103

If the memory issue goes away when you Quit and reopen Firefox, then it's time to look at what is happening with Firefox. What extensions and add-ons does have it have, etc etc

+1. Try opening Firefox in safe mode.

[Hasn'tbeensober]

Will memory paging occur if I have plenty of RAM left?