CleanMem - apparently a memory optimizer with a difference...

[Darwin]

I'm almost afraid to ask this question here, given my own role in some of the mem optimizer threads over the past three years, however, I'm curious if anyone has tried, and/or has an opinion about CleanMem? I discovered it this morning while trying to find information about WinXP Pro Sp-3 and explorer.exe, which has trebled in memory usage (over Sp-2). There are no proper reviews that I can find, but the author claims that CleanMem works differently:

This doesn't work like other memory cleaners that do nothing but force windows to free up memory by using up all the avail. memory.
This old trick then causes your system to lag big time!

Cleanmem works in a matter of about 5 sec. It uses a windows api call that is in Windows 2000,xp,2003,Vista & 2008
that tells windows to cleanup the workspace of a processes thus freeing up any memory the process no longer needs. Other memory cleaners end up forcing the memory into the page file slowing down your system.
This tool does not. The API call frees up unused memory from programs, when a program needs the memory again it can simply take it back instead of forcing the memory out of ram and into the page file.

CleanMem - apparently a memory optimizer with a difference...

[y0himba]

If it uses the Process Idle Task command it does nothing really. 

[Select]

%SystemRoot%\system32\rundll32.exe advapi32.dll,ProcessIdleTasks

Just tells Windows to process tasks that are set to be run when the computer is idle.  From what I have seen, Cleanmem doesn't do anything here.  In Vista you can use the command line "Freemem" which works quite nicely.  It comes with Vista.

[housetier]

I know one memory optimizer trick that works: buy more ram!

[Darwin]

I know one memory optimizer trick that works: buy more ram!

-housetier (August 20, 2008, 10:36 AM)

Heh, heh, that's been my line for a couple of years now (I am a reformed memory optimizer, though  ). Thanks for the replies - was just curious about whether or not there is any substance the claims being made.

[f0dder]

Let me guess, it uses ToolHelp32 to enumerate all processes, then does SetProcessWorkingSetSize(hProcess, -1, -1) on each one of them?^#1

Basically useless then, although not as über-retarded as doing alloc-all-memory. It does still mean, however, that all processes will have their working sets trimmed, which very likely means flushing stuff to your pagefile. Including the apps you are currently using, which will then have to re-read their stuff back from the pagefile.

Windows does automatic process-trimming when it needs to, and it tries to only trim the least-recently-used pages of memory... which should generally mean a smoother ride.

If you need more free memory, buy more RAM. Don't fall for placebo tricks.

edit: #1: I was close - it uses EmptyWorkingSet(), which is the same as the SetProcessWorkingSetSize trick. The application is written in VB6, btw.

[Darwin]

Thanks, f0dder! When I saw the claims being made, I was very skeptical (as noted, I am a reformed memory optimizer!) and posted here. Glad to see my gut feeling supported by some knowledgeable analysis 

[majoMO]

Useful info, f0dder.

Thanks.

Similar process to trimm ram is used by SweepRAM perhaps?