RAM too High...Invisible Process is stealing my RAM

Help Me I WANT TO USE MY COMPUTER!!! I've had my computer for a while now and am almost OCD with watching my CPU usage, as well as RAM usage. I have 6gigs of RAM. So yesterday out of nowhere my Ram spikes up to 95% from its usual 20% and causes EVERYTHING to slow down to a crawl. It stays there anywhere from 5min-30min before it drops back down. It starts at boot up, then drops down to normal, Then for no reason it will jump back up again. I don't have to start a program it will just go up on its own. None of the processes are that high (nothing over 250,000k) and none of them are changing. The Processes keep the same value whether the Ram is high or not. I've used process explorer and nothing is unusual. When I restart the computer it goes to the screen where it lists all the programs waiting to close before you can log off, but there are no programs listed it's like there is an invisible process eating my RAM and I can't stop it. I've read tons of forum posts but still have found no answer. Help me obi-wan, your my only hope.

Well, you are right in that it seems not to show what is using the increased memory. But the way you describe it, it seems like it might be some type of backup or virus scan or some process needing temporary storage.

Did you start Process Explorer as Admin?

Have you tried shutting some things down, or suspending certain processes? I was trying to see if holding the mouse over the memory window would show what was using the most, but it doesn't appear it works that way.

I will have to look it over tomorrow and see if I can find some way to get you better info.

Are you using a WD external HD with Smartware by chance? It's a real resource hog. I only used it once and uninstalled it.
Joe

I have 4gb of RAM, 20%-23% is used when its idle and not doing anything, is this normal ?
I've tried shutting down services but it didn't yield much of a free up. I'm using 64 bit win7.
I had the RAM usage down to 15% - 19% on 32 bit win7, I'm not sure if I can get it down to that on 64 bit. Anyone's advice would be very helpful, thanks.

Your RAM usage seems to be higher for not just one thing, but many. Lets take wmpnetwk.exe in Process Explorer. Mine shows a little over 9,000k and yours shows 17,000k. Is the Windows Media Player doing anything during this time or using network resources?

The svchost.exe at the top with 205,000 K, can you tell what is running in it? Hold your mouse over it to see a listing.

Have you run any other anti-virus programs, like Malwarebytes?

And you can, in Process Explorer, suspend some running tasks by right clicking. Doing some that way may freeze your system and force, but you may find what is involved in your problem.

@joes-i use WD external HD but do not connect it till i need to use it.
@saltgrass- I did start process explorer in Admin mode. i never use windows media player, more of a vlc type of guy. i moused over the svchost and the service it says is superfetch. i searched my HD for it and its a PS1 file type located in C:\Windows\winsxs\amd64_microsoft-windows-performancediagnostic. I've run AVG antivirus.

My Superfetch (SysMain) is running in a svchost with several other things. If yours is running by itself, you might right click the svchost and suspend the process.

You can also disable Superfetch in the Services.msc panel so it won't start.

But since some of your things are using two or 3 times the normal memory, something seems to be going on. All I can suggest is to shutdown whatever you can to see when the memory usage drops.

Does this happen in Safe Mode?

Something that might not be related, but when I see electronics seeming to "run away", I tend to think heat? Any chance any of your system is getting hot?

I have several svchost working but the superfetch one is the one using the most resources. the problem is nothing changes. svchost has the same value whether the ram is low or high.

So you have suspended that svchost using Process Explorer?

In your attachment, you show Steam and several other applications running. Shutting all that off has no effect?

You might also look at Resource Monitor on the memory tab and the graphical presentation on the bottom, what does it show is using memory there?

And as long as we are doing things, maybe open an administrative command prompt and type sfc /scannow to see if your system files check out.