Outlook makes winword.exe to eat memory

[MockY]

I have a huge issue right now with my Terminal Server. Every time a user is launching Outlook, an instance of winword.exe is also launched. That is all good since I assume that it's the default behavior. However, every instance eats about 90MB of memory, making a Terminal Server with 50 users impossible to run.

This has not been an issue before so I wonder what caused this and how to make it stop. Anyone?

Thanks

 

[MockY]

Forgot to include the fact that I am talking about the Office 2003 suite.

 

[fumei]

Look in Outlook Tools > Options > Mail Format. Most likely Word is set as the Outlook editor.

faq219-2884

Gerry
My paintings and sculpture

 

[tf1]

The problem is that when Word is used as the email editor, once you edit an email so that Word is launched, it very kindly stay memory resident in order to minimise any delay when you go to edit your next email.

The obvious solution is to turn off the use Word as Email editor, but this will upset a fair number of users <g>. They will tell you to install more memory.

I am pretty sure that there is a registry hack to stop Word staying resident, but you will need to ask a real TS guru - which I am defintely not.


Regards: tf1

 

[MockY]

Disabling Word as the default editor only solves that specific issue. When Word is launched by itself it uses just as much memory, so I have to switch default word processor in all cases. Don't really want to do that.

I made some more tests and this is what I concluded:

When Word is launched, the memory usage is about 90MB. However, when I minimize it, Word goes down to normal level and actually stays there even if I maximize it and use Word like before. When I did that, I opened Outlook while word was opened and lo and behold, no issues with word. I closed Word and it stayed on a normal level. However, Outlook now hogs the memory, so I did the same thing here: Minimize it and maximize it...and yes, it went down to normal levels.

I noticed this is the deal with every application. IE7 for an example is the same. Memory usage is around 50MB. When minimized and maximized, it went down to normal levels around 15MB.

To be required to do this is ridiculous, so now I am very curious how this an even occur and how to prevent the user to be forced to minimize their applications before they can use it properly without running the server into a halt.

 

[tf1]

I'll be interested in this too. It is not normal. Usually reserving 50MB per user is more than sufficient memory in TS. So there is something else doing its dirty work here. But what?


Regards: tf1

 

[MockY]

It seems to related to the Normal.dot file. When this file is present, Word takes up about 70MB automatically and the user must minimize and then maximize the Word window in order for it to consume normal levels of memory. However, if this file is gone (normal.dot), Word behaves like it should and no minimize/maximize is required. However, this file is recreated every time Word is closed and it goes back to behaving abnormal next time it is opened.

I am baffled and wonder why this is happening and where to go from here.

 

[MockY]

If I run Word with the /a switch, Word runs just like it should. So how do I go about to permanently tell Word to open up with the /a switch?

 

[tf1]

You cannot/should not as this is opening Word in Safe Mode: users won't be able to make any changes. In Safe Mode, Word is in its default install mode bypassing normal.dot, macros, templates and any add-ins. As it works fine in Safe Mode, it suggests that there is an incompatible add-in causing the problem.

However, the minimise/maximise action shrinking the memory usage must be the clue to the problem. But I just can't work out what it is at the moment. But I suggest checking to see which add-ins are present.



Regards: tf1

 

[MockY]

I wished I had an add-on or macros that cause this. However, Word is only used temporarily to read documents and write emails in Outlook. So I have no need for any add-ins, templates, macros, or the normal.dot file.

So since the cause of the problem seem to be a mystery and unsolvable, I could force the /a switch to be in effect when ever Word is launched. That would take care of most of the issues, though not fix the problem. It would act like a pain reliever. But I have no idea how to force the /a switch on an initiation of winword.exe.

 

[tf1]

If Word is working correctly when you use the /a switch, it proves that there is nothing wrong with Word. It has to be a third party element.

If you edit everyone's startup to include the /a switch, it won't be effective when they double-click a document from outside Word. SO although it is a tempting solution, finding the problem is the only real solution.

I've emailed an ex-colleague who is experienced with TS, but I probably won't get an answer until after Easter now.


Regards: tf1

 

[fumei]

So I have no need for any add-ins, templates, macros, or the normal.dot file. "

You may have no need for any, but that does NOT mean there are not any there. tf1's suggestion is a good one, Check for any.

As for normal.dot. You are out of luck there. You may not need it, but Word does.

faq219-2884

Gerry
My paintings and sculpture

 

[tf1]

I've talked to a colleague whose field includes expertise on TS and Citrix remote working. He is not envious of your problem! He immediately suggests that it has to be an add-in too. He also said that when you minimise the screen in TS, it unloads unwanted dlls from the users' allocated memory. This suggests that something on your server is loading a dll which is hogging the memory, even though it is not needed: it then gets flushed from meomory when the remote user minimises the application.

He suggests that it will be necessary to analyse what is resident in the Users allocated memory both before and after minimising/maximising to try to ascertain what is being unloaded.


Regards: tf1

 

[MockY]

Thank you so much for your active help in finding a solution to my issue. Time is valuable and I am hugely thankful that you donate some to me.
I have looked and I can't seem to find any add-ins. However, I think that I am looking in the wrong place. Where are the locations where these add-ins would reside, both for Outlook, Excel, and Word?

 

[fumei]

The issue Word, is it not? So Tools > Templates and addins.

Note however, that seeing COM addins (as opposed to other addins) is not available, be default. You must add the menu item COM Add-Ins..., to Tools. See Help.

I would check for them under as many conditions as possible. You should also follow tf1 suggestion.

"He suggests that it will be necessary to analyse what is resident in the Users allocated memory both before and after minimising/maximising to try to ascertain what is being unloaded."

faq219-2884

Gerry
My paintings and sculpture

 

[tf1]

See how to find add-ins

http://www.word.mvps.org/FAQs/Customization/CheckIfAddinsInstalled.htm

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA011514521033.aspx

Regards: tf1

 

[MockY]

I got tired of this guessing game so I cloned the server so that I can do what ever on the clone without anything bad happens. As it turns out, AVG 7.5 File Server Edition was the culprit. The reason why I missed this before was that disabling it was not enough. I had to actually uninstall it, something I didn't want to do on the production server. Once gone, everything seemed to work like it should. Installing it again makes the issue reappear. I have contacted the AVG support to see what they say. If they have no idea why, then I simply have to go with another Anti Virus software.

 

[tf1]

Yes, I can see the problem being caused by AVG. If you are forced into changing AV, then I can highly recommend ESET NOD32. But as server level AV doesn't come cheap, I suggest contine exploring AVG support to see if they have a fix first.


Regards: tf1