Degrading disk performance after prolonged uptime

[j7n]

I am experiencing poor disk or cache performance after Windows XP has been up for 20 or more days. Loading a web browser now takes a long time, during which there is unusually heavy disk access.

System has 3 GB of RAM, out of which 1 to 2 GB is in use. An unfragmented 2 GB Swap file (partition) is also enabled. Rebooting the system greatly improves performance, compared to closing all processes and reopening them. Is it possible to flush the cache without a reboot, or tweak it so that the problem doesn't occur?

Some stats about current memory usage

Under System->Performance I have currently set:

Adjust for best performance of: Background services

Memory usage: Programs

UpTime 5802845 sec (67 days, 3 hours, 54 min, 5 sec)

[HarryTri]

Is it so difficult to reboot once in a while (recommended)? 67 days?

[Andromeda43]

Unless this is a specially built SERVER, it was never designed to run 24x7.

Home PC's are built with Hobby Grade components specified for a minimal duty cycle of maybe 8 hours a day, followed by a shutdown.

There are actually things in Windows that can only be done during the shutdown procedure, like re-writing the registry to the hard drive.

As witness by the OP, the longer a system is left running, the more negative the performance. (that goes all the way back to the early days of the IBM PC)

Even if the PC is used for receiving Fax's and needs to be left on Overnight, it should be taken down once a day anyway.

Just sayin'

B)

[jaclaz]

Even if the PC is used for receiving Fax's and needs to be left on Overnight, it should be taken down once a day anyway.

I will re-state how I run an install of NT 4.00 since more than 10 (ten) years 24/7 and the reboots are made only for maintenance purposes, probably less than 4 per year.

The only issue I had, and that somehow was solved (though I cannot really say how exactly) some years ago by tweaking some registry entry was a "strange" accumulation of mouse movements (the machine actually runs almost exclusively a "DOS" program, in which interaction is through the keyboard only) which made after several months the mouse unresponsive.

Of course NT has less services than XP running (and most probably I actually disabled what I do not need), but still the "reboot once a day is needed" is way more than needed IMHO.

Apart that machine, my "everyday use" PC is also not switched off/rebooted often, i.e at stretches comparable with the 60 days or so, but I did never notice such a degradation in performance.

jaclaz

[j7n]

I eventually got to reboot the computer. It feels much 'snappier' now, for a lack of a better term. I have 2 desktop computers running 50-150 days without between reboots. They're stable. Except this issue that when they have to access lots of files from a hard disk, they behave as if out of memory: unresponsive and writing to the disk a lot. I'll keep investigating.

[vinifera]

IMO removing swap file would prevent this behavior

and you have enough RAM to compensate lack of swap file

even tho its on its own partition its a still constant needle jumping all around (I assume you don' have SSD)

and windows always is trashing something into swap file

Edited February 11, 2014 by vinifera

[Ponch]

Unless this is a specially built SERVER, it was never designed to run 24x7.

Home PC's are built with Hobby Grade components specified for a minimal duty cycle of maybe 8 hours a day, followed by a shutdown.

I doubt the quality of the hardware components are in any way "reset" by a shutdown/reboot. It's a software problem, well known with Windows.

[jaclaz]

Maybe this helps , since the dawn of time I setup Windows NT's with the swap file as "Manual" (aka non Windows managed), FIXED size and on it's own partition (wherever possible also on a different disk drive).

jaclaz

[tomasz86]

How about the HDD itself? Is it full and / or heavily fragmented? Is it in good condition (SMART, temperature, etc.)?

I also don't reboot my Windows XP at all unless absolutely necessary, and use hibernation instead of shutting down so it's basically equal to being on 24/7. No performance issues here.

Edited February 13, 2014 by tomasz86

[ROTS]

I know XP accesses part of the Hard drive ( that 9x does not ) I do not know if this is with all NT platforms, but XP seems to do alot of heavy loading. The "Sleep" feature is meant to be used with hardware that supports it, granted keeping a computer on 24/7 and treating it like a workstation, means you have to respect the hardware.

9x, XP, WV , W8, ME, 2000, NT all have sleep, but is the hardware meant for it?

[TELVM]

... Is it possible to flush the cache without a reboot ... ?

From Vista onwards that can be done with Sysinternals RAMmap clicking on 'Empty' => 'Empty Standby List' .

Most unfortunately RAMmap doesn't run on XP . You may try this: ClearMem.exe

[RJARRRPCGP]

ClearMem is so old school that it appears to have a compatibility issue with more than about 512 MB of RAM installed.

It's from the Windows 3.1x period, LOL.

[Jody Thornton]

Is it so difficult to reboot once in a while (recommended)? 67 days?

Windows 9x/Me were the last operating environments that I needed to ever do that with. Most NT class operating systems usually can stay up and running for three weeks plus, maybe even lots longer. I only restart after Patch Tuesday.