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Looking for some answers on The Memory Leak Issue.
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RPGDot Forums > Morrowind - General

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qwert_44643
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Joined: 11 Jan 2002
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Looking for some answers on The Memory Leak Issue.
   

Hello All,
The last couple rumps throught the forums ive seen something about the game having a memory leak and i for one am kinda unclear on exactly what this and im willing to bet theres a few others out there that dont know either.
So i was hoping someone could clear my confusion up as well as maybe stating the best ways to deal with it.
I know when i first got the game and was running it on my low end system it was exceptable but now it seems the longer i play the slower the framerates get(is this the memory leak).
Thanks for all the replys in advance,
qwert
Post Fri May 17, 2002 7:22 pm
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Hyperion
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Joined: 07 May 2002
Posts: 122
   

Do you want to know what a memory leak is or what the memory leak in MW is? I'll take the first question since I don't know (nor am I willing to find out) the answer to the second. I'll try to explain this in laymen terms, but it would help if you would take a 4 month course in Computer Programming

During the course of writing any signifacnt system you usually come to points where a portion of your system needs to grab a chunk of memory. Once you grab it, no one else can use it until you give it back. It is very easy to forget to give it back. Now if this only happens once, it's usually not a big deal. But normally when you forget to give the memory back once, you'll forget over and over again. This creates a leak. Think of memory as water in a bucket. If you forget to give back the memory, you effectively punch a whole in the bottom of the bucket. Every time you fail to give it back, a litttle bit of memory leaks from the bucket. The ultimate result is that your system runs out of memory. Another problem is memory fragmentation which can produce an effect simlar to a memory leak.

Was that explanation good enough?
Post Fri May 17, 2002 8:14 pm
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qwert_44643
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Joined: 11 Jan 2002
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Yeah it helped i know more now than when i posted the topic so can you give any suggestions on how to deal with this to make your gaming experience a lil more enjoyable?
Thanks for replying,
qwert
Post Fri May 17, 2002 8:22 pm
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Hyperion
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Joined: 07 May 2002
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Add a crap load of memory to your comp (which would only delay the inevitable) or wait for a patch that addresses the issue.
Post Fri May 17, 2002 8:32 pm
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a quick little addition - you can read a chunk of memory simultaneously, but writing to it at the same time is a bad idea - most languages won't allow it. depending on the language, it is very easy to create a memory leak. suppose you manage the inventory for a large storage area. the only way you can find an item is by checking your list of items for the location in the room. now suppose you accidentally loose part of your list (dog ate it, spill coffe on it, or whatever), there will be a portion of that space that is used but not on the list, and you don't know which it is. on a computer, since the memory that is used has no reference to who owns it, that memory is lost until you close the program - and sometimes only if you reboot. (if you are running a language that has automatic garbage collection - you might be able to get it back).

for the right brained people
a->b->c->d->e
you can't find out what e is if you don't follow the list.
now, I am done with c, so i will delete it
tmp = b->c
a->b->d->e then delete c then tmp. this is alright, but
delete c and a->b->null - d and e are now lost - you now have a memory leak. this is just one way you can create them.
Post Fri May 17, 2002 8:36 pm
 
SuperCowMan24
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so by playing morrowind im messing up my computer? you have GOT to be kidding...
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Post Fri May 17, 2002 9:29 pm
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coradin
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Joined: 06 May 2002
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No you arent messing up your computer. As I understand the "leak" is within the specific program (Morrowind in this case) itself, it doesnt spread system wide.

Essentially it keeps using up RAM without giving it back until its constantly searching your HDD for information causing slowdowns. Someone please tell me if I am off base here.
Post Fri May 17, 2002 9:49 pm
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Joey Nipps
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Memory leak is not damaging your computer
   

No damage is being done. You are not "leaking" physical memory only memory addresses. That is why a reboot will clear the problem - until it leaks again.
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Post Fri May 17, 2002 9:50 pm
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SuperCowMan24
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hmmmm... im confused could you explain it to me simplerly?
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Post Fri May 17, 2002 9:51 pm
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Joey Nipps
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Look at Hyperion's post above
   

Hyperion did a fine job with a simple explanation (see a few posts earlier in this thread).
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Post Fri May 17, 2002 9:55 pm
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SuperCowMan24
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yaaaaaaaa but i dont understand it............
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Moo. Just do it, purse your lips and let out a MIGHTY MOO!

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Post Fri May 17, 2002 10:04 pm
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Val
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Then take a 4 month course in Computer Programming.
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Post Fri May 17, 2002 10:13 pm
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SuperCowMan24
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the patch will probably be out by then so..... ill pass... thanks tho
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Moo. Just do it, purse your lips and let out a MIGHTY MOO!

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Post Fri May 17, 2002 10:15 pm
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Lordr31z
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Joined: 11 May 2002
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mmmmk... Yes morrowind has a bad mem leak. I can literally watch the program goto the hard drive more and more the longer i play. This sux but i bet if this game were online they would have a patch for it already.
Post Fri May 17, 2002 10:23 pm
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Hyperion
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Joined: 07 May 2002
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quote:
Originally posted by SuperCowMan24
so by playing morrowind im messing up my computer? you have GOT to be kidding...


No physical damage is being done. In WinXP, each process space (i.e. the place in memory that MW operates) is insulated from the other processes (i.e. Applications) that are running. So if MW sucks all the memory, all you need to do is kill the process which is exactly what heppens when it dumps to desktop. I am not sure how well the processes are insulated from each in other operating systesm.


Last edited by Hyperion on Sat May 18, 2002 12:09 am; edited 1 time in total
Post Fri May 17, 2002 11:29 pm
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