The developer has just recently released version 2.0 beta which adds native 64-bit Windows support. Users should keep in mind that it is still a beta version and not a final release.

Minimem when started displays the list of running processes on the operating system. It is then up to the user to select the processes that should be optimized by Minimem. The application displays only processes with a memory usage of at least 15000 Kilobytes. Users who want to see all processes can uncheck the option directly in the main interface.

Take a look at the Firefox process before and after the optimization. Please note that the memory will climb again but since the application optimizes the processes every 30 seconds it usually means that the resource usage is lower on average than without the optimization.

Minimem will not optimize the foreground process by default, and not at all if the available RAM is larger than 300 Megabytes. Both options can be deactivated or modified.

So what’s new in the beta besides the 64-bit support? Take a look at the changelog below.

Support for native 64 bits Windows OS; separate download file available
Memory colored indicator as tray icon, in addition to memory info in the tray icon tooltip
A last minute bug in this feature also got fixed and the build has been reloaded to our server on January 1 at midnight, EST time.
Localization of the application, with multiple languages available (feedback welcome to improve the translations!)
Engine optimization, so it uses even less CPU
More RAM thresholds available, for more granularity in their selection
Full rewrite of the architecture, hence the beta version because some bugs may still be there

Probably the biggest change is the engine optimization so that Minimem uses less cpu when running. Minimem 2.0 Beta is available from the developer webpage directly. Please take note that it is available as a 32-bit and 64-bit version. The program requires the Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0.

Minimem is available as a portable and installer for the Windows operating system. It can optimize all running processes of a Windows operating system. Unlike other programs of its kind it offers the user the choice to select the processes that should be memory optimized.

Minimem will only display processes that use more than 15 Megabytes of computer memory. It is possible to change the value to predefined values between 5 and 100 Megabytes. The memory limit can be turned off as well to display all processes in the interface.

Some or all of the active processes that are shown in the interface need to be moved to the left side which indicates that Minimem should optimize them. This gives the computer user excellent control of the optimization process.

Minimem will optimize the computer memory of the selected processes ever 30 seconds by default. This can be changed to several predefined values between 5 and 1200 seconds as well. Minimen will not optimize the active process by default. The program will also skip optimization of the available computer memory is larger than 300 Megabytes. These settings can also be changed in the program interface.

The memory optimization works surprisingly well. Users will see huge memory drops for some of the selected processes, e.g. a drop from 230 Megabytes to 90 Megabytes for a Firefox process or a drop from 33 Megabytes of computer memory to 9 Megabytes for the Winamp process. All of that without a noticeable drop in performance or a rise in virtual memory.

How does the optimization work?

It optimizes memory by removing as many non-necessary memory pages as possible from the selected processes. It does so at regular intervals which can be user-defined as well and every 30s by default, though uses an advanced pooling mechanism to ensure the CPU usage of Minimem remains low at all times. This then optimizes your applications which can load those pages back whenever they need, and makes your overall system perform much better whenever it is memory limited.

Not all applications benefit in the same way from the computer memory optimizer. Web browsers and other memory hungry programs will benefit the most. Minimen is available for the Microsoft Windows operating system. It requires the Microsoft .net Framework 2.0. It is a highly recommended computer program for users who want to optimize their computer memory.

What if there was a tool that would optimize the computer memory without using the virtual memory trick? A tool that would use the Windows API to reduce the computer memory use of any running process without interfering with system performance or stability?

Cleanmem (via Easily Reduce Memory Usage on All Running Processes in Windows) is that software program. The software developer provides a portable and a installation version of his computer memory optimizer on his website. Both versions work fine on 32-bit and 64-bit editions of Windows 2000, Windows 2003, Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008.

If the user installes Cleanmem it will automatically add itself to the Task Scheduler in Windows running in 30 minute intervals. The portable version would have to be executed manually which is also possible for the installer version. Simply entering cleanmem in the command line will do the job. The file will be stored in the system32 directory during installation.

The first screenshot below is a snapshot of the Windows Task Manager. The second a snapshot of the same Task Manager after executing Cleanmem.

A process that needs more memory than it has after memory optimization will simply allocate additional memory. It is not uncommon to see the computer memory of some applications rise to about the level that they have been before. Many however will keep a reduces computer memory size, especially those that are currently not in focus of the user. It basically frees up the memory of applications that are currently running but not in use.

The software developer provides an ignore list with the software program that can be used to exclude applications from the computer memory optimization.