# Internet Explorer memory usage just keeps expanding



## billermo (Aug 24, 2007)

This has been occurring in the past 2 or 3 weeks. With Internet Explorer (7) on, after awhile its memory usage (as seen in Windows Task Manager) just gets larger and larger until it finally locks up, at which time it's not even possible to view Task Manager any more in order to end its process or shut the application. I have to force a shutdown to start using the computer again. 

I notice that when I first open IE7, it seems to hover around 120 - 130 mb of memory, this with 2 tab windows open. Not sure if that is normal or not. Compare to Firefox with about 80mb, 3 tabs open. Last night after it had been open a few hours, it was up over 370mb, without much activity going on.

So first, I'm not sure if the 120-130 mb it uses at first is normal. So this part I'm not sure is a problem or not.

Next, the increase in memory over time really appears to be out of the ordinary, and this really seems like it's a problem.

What is going on here? I didn't seem to have this problem before. Not sure how to fix it.

Any info or help appreciated.

Thanks


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## Go The Power (Mar 5, 2007)

Hello,

Please do this and see if IE does the same thing:

Click *Start*, *All programs*, *Accessories*, *System tools* and click on *Internet Explore (No Addons)*


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## RossBarnfield (Aug 13, 2007)

Yeah, run it with no add-ons, or just be normal and convert to using Firefox, which, incidentally is the greatest browser around.


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## billermo (Aug 24, 2007)

I did have a couple of add-ons. The anti-phishing thing that comes as an option with IE7, and also SiteAdvisor. It shouldnt' be either of those, should it? Any way to figure out which add-on is the culprit, because I'd like to keep using those two. 

I do use Firefox. I use both browsers for different things. 

Thanks


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## Go The Power (Mar 5, 2007)

Please do this
*
Produce a list of IE add ons*


Click *Here* to download *StartUplist*. Save it to your desktop.
Extract the files.
You should now have *StartupList.exe* double click on it.
Wait until it is complete.
Right click on *Browser Helper Objects (BHO)*, click on *Save Node and all sub nodes as..* then when the save box appears type in *BHO.txt* and click *Save*.
Now right click on *ActiveX Objects*, click on *Save Node and all sub nodes as..* then when the save box appears type in *ActiveX Objects.txt* and click *Save*.
Then right click on *Internet Explore toolbar*, click on *Save Node and all sub nodes as..* then when the save box appears type in *IE toolbars.txt* and click *Save*.
Last one, right click on *Internet Explore buttons/tools*, click on *Save Node and all sub nodes as..* then when the save box appears type in *IE buttons.txt* and click *Save*.

Open up the folder where *Startuplist.exe* is stored and locate thes files, please post them in your next reply:

BHO.txt
ActiveX Objects.txt
IE toolbars.txt
IE buttons.txt


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## billermo (Aug 24, 2007)

OK here are the files you asked for.


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## Go The Power (Mar 5, 2007)

> The anti-phishing thing that comes as an option with IE7, and also SiteAdvisor. It shouldnt' be either of those, should it?


It dont think these are the problems.


I thinkt he problem could be with McAfee or PCtools, but that is a guess. We need to do a trial and error to find the problem BHO.

Please do this:

*Disable a add on Internet Explore 7* 

Open *Internet Explorer*. 
Click the *Tools button*, click *Manage Add-ons*, and then click *Disable Add-ons*. 
Click *McAfee* (It could be named *scriptproxy*), click *Disable*, and then click *OK*.

Close IE. Open it back up again. Does the CPU rise?


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## billermo (Aug 24, 2007)

I've just disabled scriptproxy, so now I will have a chance to see if it affects IE's behavior. 

With IE left on overnight, memory is now up at 490mb, but it is still functioning. 

Two questions: 

1. what does scriptproxy do exactly? By disabling it, am I disabling a good portion of my virus protection? 

2. what is a normal level of memory for IE7 to be using after a few hours connected? or after a whole day? I actually don't know for sure if my IE is behaving normally or abnormally. 

I'll report back to see if the ballooning memory situation changes. 

Thanks again


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## Go The Power (Mar 5, 2007)

The memory usage will change depending on how many add-ons are installed and so on. It shouldn't be anywhere near 490mb, it should be around 70-120. That is an estimate as I dont like IE and avoid using it as much as possible :winkgrin:



> what does scriptproxy do exactly? By disabling it, am I disabling a good portion of my virus protection?


It is part of Mcafee it does give you a bit of extra protection.

Please enable the add-on again. Then follow these steps:
https://knowledge.mcafee.com/article/549/KB47302_f.SAL_Public.html


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## billermo (Aug 24, 2007)

I re-enabled scriptproxy inside IE 7 but I'm not sure which part of the directions at the McAfee website you mean that I should do. If you are referring to the 'workaround' at the bottom, I can tell you that there doesn't appear to be any file named 'scriptproxy.dll' on my system, not in the McAfee VirusScan directory nor in any other. There's no directory called Network Associates.


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## SMOOT (May 28, 2009)

billermo said:


> This has been occurring in the past 2 or 3 weeks. With Internet Explorer (7) on, after awhile its memory usage (as seen in Windows Task Manager) just gets larger and larger until it finally locks up, at which time it's not even possible to view Task Manager any more in order to end its process or shut the application. I have to force a shutdown to start using the computer again.
> 
> I notice that when I first open IE7, it seems to hover around 120 - 130 mb of memory, this with 2 tab windows open. Not sure if that is normal or not. Compare to Firefox with about 80mb, 3 tabs open. Last night after it had been open a few hours, it was up over 370mb, without much activity going on.
> 
> ...


I now, too have a similar problem but it doesn't matter what browser I use, it happens to all of them. I get the same glitchy screen and frozen browser issues daily. Usually at myspace's mobsters app. I haven't been able to resolve this issue.


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## billermo (Aug 24, 2007)

SMOOT said:


> I now, too have a similar problem but it doesn't matter what browser I use, it happens to all of them. I get the same glitchy screen and frozen browser issues daily. Usually at myspace's mobsters app. I haven't been able to resolve this issue.


You should post a new topic about it here: 
http://www.techsupportforum.com/f10/

I now know that IE and Firefox have a tendency to do this due to memory caching issues. The new Google browser called Chrome has a backend that attempts to deal with this problem in a better way than IE and FF do now. 

Basically, the longer you have your browser open and opening new webpages (and if you have something like Google News, ESPN or Slate open, those will automatically refresh) then your memory will just keep going up and up. If left on overnight, memory use will be huge by the morning, and the browser likely to freeze up as soon as you touch it. 

Chrome deals with this by having every individual tab cache separately, so only one individual tab is going to balloon its memory, and it won't affect the other tabs, which all run as separate processes. So you can fix the problem by just closing that one tab. The browser itself won't freeze up. Only one tab will. (though if you have Google news AND ESPN open, then both those tabs will keep increasing in memory use -- but static webpages won't)


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## atifaslam (Jan 10, 2010)

billermo said:


> OK here are the files you asked for.


this user gave you the files so wat to do next? i got it to here but it continues to increase memory. im a DOTA player and all people keeps scolding me as i keep lagging ingame.I also get many IE in my taskmanager.1 is 50mb and others 20mb and 10mb.

need help from a computer pro pls


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## billermo (Aug 24, 2007)

Hey this is a really old thread -- you should start your own new one from scratch. There's a good chance your problem's different than mine. There shouldn't be many IE's in task mgr, I didn't have that problem. There's always a chance you have some kind of infection (virus, spyware, trojan, etc) -- having multiple IEs showing up in Task Mgr sounds like a red flag. 

I use Google Chrome these days, btw, not IE any more.


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