How to Trace a Memory Leak

Memory leaks can cause computer systems to be unstable.

Memory leaks in a program can cause system slowdowns and even system restarts. Finding the program that has a memory leak is paramount to resolving the problems that it's causing.

Definition

A memory leaks occurs when a computer program uses memory but does not release the memory back to the system when the program has finished using it. This results in memory being locked into the program and other programs in the system being unable to use the locked memory.

Identification

Most times, the easiest way to identify a program that has a memory leak is by monitoring the system processes that the computer is running. In Windows, this is done via the Task Manager, and in the Leopard operating system, it is the Activity Monitor. When the activity level is examined, the program using the highest amount of system resources is usually the memory leak program.

Prevention/Solution

Repairing a memory leak is usually not done by anyone other than the creator of the software. If a program on the computer is having problems with a memory leak, notify the program manufacturer. In some cases, updates to the program in question are available for download to correct the memory leak.

References

• Microsoft Support Developers Network: How to Find a Memory Leak
• Microsoft Support: How to Use Umdh.exe to Find Memory Leaks