Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Skype, Outlook 2K7 and the missing 40MB of memory
For weeks I've been aggravated by the same error message: "A data file did not close properly the last time it was used ..." from Outlook 2007 - but since the quick fix was just to let the system do the integrity check and then Shut Up and Go Away, I didn't tackle it.
Until now. The tipping point was when I closed down Outlook and then 10 minutes later, discovered that it's still hogging 100-plus MB of system memory. When it's not even supposed to be running any more. There's also low-level CPU activity, but I've closed Outlook, I'm not defragging, my VPN's dropped, in fact I even disconnected from the grid to see if this would change things. It didn't.
Plenty of Googling around eventually leads me via those wiseguy Mac users advising me not to use Outlook (like I suggest not using Leopard right now, dude) to "yet another MS blogger" - but that's false modesty as this YAMSB has an answer that helps get to the nub of the problem. It's not Outlook, it's the plug-ins, stupid. From here it's a downhill race and simple process of elimination until I discover that Skype is to blame - at least for the memory-hogging. Skype has the "useful" function of importing my Outlook contacts so I can call them via Skype instead of a POTS system (I don't, usually).
A bit of task killing and a restart later and Outlook is "only" using 44MB of system memory. That by itself is a start. You need to be online with Skype and have Outlook running to stop Skype sharing.
However, Outlook is still refusing to shut down properly. Running in safe mode is much faster, well, at least by Outlook standards - except that it tries to "synch" those lame standard installed RSS feeds with my hand-picked ones at start-up (the answer is NO!! Get out of here and never come back again. Ever).
Now Outlook is running at a super-lean 13MB, and it's quite fast. Amazing. Skype isn't running, by the way. So I re-run OFFDIAG, the Office diagnostics program, which usefully tells me it fixed one problem, although it won't pony up the details even in advanced mode. (Sigh) As ever it's "package 36 of 36" that takes the longest to run.
Next is another reboot, with Skype consigned to the sandbox. Let's see what happens next. At least I got some of my memory back :-)
UPDATE: What happens next is that Outlook runs faster - and closes down as it should. Problem solved. Next: well, I suppose other Vista performance issues. Just like XP, after six months or so the whole system slows down, due to crowded logfiles ad infinitum. Also I have my eye on the 3-plus GB that Google Desktop is taking up, as I'm trialling software called SmartDesktop which could, theoretically, give me that 3GB back. Watch this space.
Until now. The tipping point was when I closed down Outlook and then 10 minutes later, discovered that it's still hogging 100-plus MB of system memory. When it's not even supposed to be running any more. There's also low-level CPU activity, but I've closed Outlook, I'm not defragging, my VPN's dropped, in fact I even disconnected from the grid to see if this would change things. It didn't.
Plenty of Googling around eventually leads me via those wiseguy Mac users advising me not to use Outlook (like I suggest not using Leopard right now, dude) to "yet another MS blogger" - but that's false modesty as this YAMSB has an answer that helps get to the nub of the problem. It's not Outlook, it's the plug-ins, stupid. From here it's a downhill race and simple process of elimination until I discover that Skype is to blame - at least for the memory-hogging. Skype has the "useful" function of importing my Outlook contacts so I can call them via Skype instead of a POTS system (I don't, usually).
A bit of task killing and a restart later and Outlook is "only" using 44MB of system memory. That by itself is a start. You need to be online with Skype and have Outlook running to stop Skype sharing.
However, Outlook is still refusing to shut down properly. Running in safe mode is much faster, well, at least by Outlook standards - except that it tries to "synch" those lame standard installed RSS feeds with my hand-picked ones at start-up (the answer is NO!! Get out of here and never come back again. Ever).
Now Outlook is running at a super-lean 13MB, and it's quite fast. Amazing. Skype isn't running, by the way. So I re-run OFFDIAG, the Office diagnostics program, which usefully tells me it fixed one problem, although it won't pony up the details even in advanced mode. (Sigh) As ever it's "package 36 of 36" that takes the longest to run.
Next is another reboot, with Skype consigned to the sandbox. Let's see what happens next. At least I got some of my memory back :-)
UPDATE: What happens next is that Outlook runs faster - and closes down as it should. Problem solved. Next: well, I suppose other Vista performance issues. Just like XP, after six months or so the whole system slows down, due to crowded logfiles ad infinitum. Also I have my eye on the 3-plus GB that Google Desktop is taking up, as I'm trialling software called SmartDesktop which could, theoretically, give me that 3GB back. Watch this space.
# posted by Nesjo : 19:30
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