Limewire steals all my memory
 

I didn't used to have this problem and all of a sudden when I have Limewire running I can't run iTunes, or Internet Explorer. They both barely function as if there is no memory left for them to operate. Any ideas? I keep updating to the newest Limewire and no go yet. I am running OS10.2.2, iTunes 3.1, IE5.2

You're leaving out one very important piece of information.

Mark
2.7.7/10.2.2, iMac G4/800, 1GB

I believe you mean the computer itself. Good point.
G4/400, 640mg. 2.7.7 (just tried 2.7.9-no better)

It always ran perfectly until just recently. Maybe the 10.2.2 update??

Does it happen after a fresh restart?

There's an application called Process Viewer in Applications/Utilities, it might be useful to run it and see how much memory is being swallowed by LimeWire (and your other applications). Try sorting by memory, then find an interesting process, select it, show "More Info" and take a look at the sizes shown in the "Statistics" tab.

From a fresh restart on my computer, LimeWire sits in 48MB (whoa!) resident on a computer with 1GB and 40MB on a computer with 384MB. Neither exhibit a large amount of paging.

It may not be memory-related at all, in fact. If you've got a large number of shared files that LimeWire needs to scan, your drive may be clanking away and your computer may seem sluggish - symptoms similar to those of excessive paging when memory is exhausted.

Mark
2.7.7/10.2.2

It's not RAM that Limewire is hogging, it's CPU cycles.

What I mean by that is the % of processor that's being used by Limewire. Right now, with Limewire in the background with no active searches, it's behaving itself at about 20%. (That's on a Yikes! (PCI graphics) 400 @ 450 Mhz.) As soon as I start 4 or 5 searches that percentage can grow to about 70% or 80% quite easily. That's not entirely Limewire's fault; part of the problem is the Java virtual machine which Limewire runs atop of.

I did have some problems with Limewire a while back where it would basically suck up all available CPU cycles and make my entire machine almost unusable. I haven't had any of those problems with OS X 10.2.2, Java VM 1.3.1, and Limewire 2.7.9.

Hope this helps....

I just upgraded my G4/400 to 1.4G of memory. I wanted to do that eventually anyway. It did NOT solve the limewire issue. Nothing else can be running or even launched while limewire is running. Like I said, I never had this problem before 10.2.2. Could something have changed with this update? I have an Powerbook 667, and a G4.867 and experiencing no problems with limewire.

I'm having a similar problem and I wonder if it isn't disk related -- I've suspected problems with the disk with other applications.

Running LimeWire 2.7.3 on a G4/400MHz with 512MB memory, OS 10.2.1.

Usually, with LimeWire running, I can run other applications including mail and/or browser without difficulty (except that communications are slowed, of course).

Other times, LimeWire so totally dominates the computer that I can't even launch other applications. I get a rotating colored "beach ball" for any operation. Even Forced Quit takes forever to launch and execute.

Executing LimeWire and restarting sometimes helps.

I brought up Process Viewer as Marcus suggested above and the results are very interesting.

Ours may indeed be a CPU problem, but NOT from LimeWire (at least not directly). Over the last ten minutes LimeWire has claimed between 20% - 40% or the CPU, my browser 5 - 25%, and Window Manager 30 - 70%!!!

Window Manager??

I've played around a bit running various applications together and singularly. If you see Window Manager at all, it's very briefly and at 5% CPU at most. Once LimeWire is loaded, Window Manager moves to the top of the CPU column and stays there.

Just now, I brought up a third large application (AppleWorks). Window Manager jumped up to 85%. It took nearly 5 minutes until I could exit AppleWorks and return to this post. Window Manager continued to sit at 82% for another minute or two, then returned to 31%.

I suspect we're seeing a LimeWire - OS X conflict. Maybe LimeWire defines its windows in a non-standard fashon.

Any ideas?

For some reason, one time yesterday I got Limewire to run smoothly with my other applications for about an hour! First time! Then all of a sudden the problem started in out of nowhere, spinning beachball forever on iTunes, internet etc. Finally once beachball stopped I closed Limewire and everything instantly started working perfectly again.

I am running the exact same programs on two other MACs, and not having this problem. (G4867, PB 667) I wonder if it is related to the G4/400 processor?

But why this time was it fine for an hour of extensive use? In that hour I was downloading extensively, playing iTunes and using the internet. Usually the problem starts immediately when limewire is launched.

You're singing my song:

This morning Limewire [actually Window Manager] so dominated my CPU that I had to use Forced Quit to kill all the other applications.

I went out for several hours, leaving LimeWire running, now the computer is behaving normally. LineWire has about 20% of the CPU; Window Manager is 5% or less.

Makes no sense.

Did I memtion I'm running 2.7.3

Broad searches that receive many results can slow you down to a large extent.

Becoming an Ultrapeer can consume a lot of your resources. Check the Connections tab.

Thanks
-greg

No good, Greg.

Your answer does NOT address the problem.

If my computer were acting as an Ultrapeer of if I were conducting a board search [which I don't], I would see the CPU load creditted to LimeWire, not Window Manager.

At this very moment, with no searches in progress, LimeWire is holding 15% of the CPU and Window Manager 70%

This is clearly a LimeWire bug.

Janet.

Hi, I am the original post of this thread ( previously "unregistered"). So just continuing, now registered as "digidan". thanks

Thanks Janet for folloowing through. You are obviously more advanced than I in these matters. I appreciate it.

Downloading in, or using of Limewire isn't the problem. All I have to do is launch Limewire, and everything else almost stops naer dead, immediately. As a matter of fact, trying to launch any other program while Limewire is running is impossible too.

Is it possible that my G4/400 processor could be an issue?

I am using 10.2.2, and have been updating my other software as anything becomes available. Could it be another software conflict?

Thanks for the continued attempts to solve this.

Dan

Dan,

Look at the yesterday's post from CptChipJew. He claims to have solved the problem.

I haven't tried his solution yet -- I probably won't have time today, but I'll get back to you when I know something more.

Try my solution. It works. I posted it yesterday. Reply with your results to it so I can get an idea of why it works.

This is happening not because of searching, or because of ultrapeer technology (greg), but because LimeWires loading program is doing something really stupidly wrong. So, the solution is to load the file yourself.

I've just noticed one possible problem that will result in system slowdown.

Anytime I have Limewire open with its window showing and in the background, and have another window in front of its window, the "Window Manager" process jumps to a steady 50%-60% %CPU usage. (This is on a Yikes! G4 400@450 w/ 1GB RAM). Window Manager is the process that's responsible for creating and updating the image that's shown on your screen.

Seems like something funky is going on with window refreshing. It could be a Java thing and not even be Limewire's fault. It looks like this is the problem that I've been experiencing for quite some time. It makes sense now, that the Window Manager process is hogging all the CPU cycles. That's why I'd never get the 1 second updates while running "top" in the terminal. Top may well have taken the sample but Window Manager was too busy with other stuff to show me. Running Quartz Debug (one of the Developer Tools applications) confirms this and shows Limewire's window and the layered window constantly being updated.

My recommendation is to keep Limewire's window in front of everything else, and when you need to switch to another application (the Finder for example) hit Command+H to hide Limewire's window. Then to switch back to Limewire, click its icon in the dock.

Hope this helps....

Well you found something mDouma46! I tried hiding Limewire and sure enough I have control back of the system. I don't understand why, since I am not technically inclined, but for now, at least I have a workaround. THANKS!

Hopefully some real fix will come along soon.

Dan :)

Dan & Chip,

I've tried Chip's solution and, so far, it's looking good.

First, the crazy behavor of Window Manager seems to have disappeared.

However, LimeWire is now claiming much more of the CPU: between 30 to 80% of my G4/400MHz.

BUT, LimeWire is no longer dominating the system. Just now I started up LimeWire, then Process Viewer, Netscape, AppleWorks, and Explorer and all were running normally.

This morning, before trying Chip's terminal trick, I couldn't get a single other application to run with LimeWire.

This is clearly a programming bug -- how does one file a bug report for this system?

Janus-

You're definitely 10.2.1 and not 10.2.2, right? I've been unable to reproduce any of these issues on 10.2.1, and many of the other users who have had problems have had issues with 10.2.2.

Thanks.

Adam,

Yes, 10.2.1

I sent my reply to Dan & Chip when I was still running LimeWire 2.7.13

Since them I've installed 2.8.0 Beta. I've posted my coments on the Beta in another thread. I my opinion its unuseable under OS X in its current state.

Limewire steals all my memory
 

Just caught this thread. Can confirm the same findings and solution, which I arrived at independently a week or so ago. Hiding solves the problem. (G4 Powerbook 800, 512 Ram, OS 10.1.5).

On another topic: I've been trying to get Virtual PC installed. The VPC DOS 2000 works fine, but whenever I try to download one of the various disc images of VPC Windows XP, 2000 or 98, the disc images either don't mount or mount but won't copy to the hard drive (disc copy error 36). Any suggestions? Can I just use a regular Windows OS install disc or do I have to use the VPC version? And why can't I get the files to mount. I don't have this problem with other Limewire downloads.

I too can confirm all these problems... G4 400 with 1GB RAM... Running the newest lime wire and latest update from Apple 10.2.2. SLOW AS SHIZNIT! I have been using limewire for about a year now and never had this problem... Also I have not seen any posts here from anyone at limewire to let us know if they are going to get a fix together for this...

Looks like it is Iswipe for me till this gets fixed. :)

Later

I am with you. No more Limewire for me. Totally incompatible with my MACS. I download each update every few weeks and hope. But no changes. Limewire used to work great and I loved it. I have found other programs now and won't be touching Limewire again until a real fix is found.

I was the originator of this thread many weeks ago.