Expresscache uses too much RAM (all laptops with expresscache are affected)

darkchief
darkchief Member Posts: 5 New User

Dear fellow Acer users,

 

I have a question regarding the Expresscache software which makes your system hybrid (SSD + conventional hard drive). 

 

Expresscache uses 1GB RAM in the non-paged pool (You can see this in the performance -> memory section of you task manager). This is quite a high usage imo. According to the information i have found, the RAM should be used less as the system needs more RAM. But unfortunately when I play a game I often get a warning from Windows that my system doesn't have enough RAM left, while the the non-paged pool is still at 1.2GB. When I uninstall expresscache I see the expected drop of 1GB in RAM usage, as the non-paged pool goes down to 200MB. When I reinstall expresscache, it goes up again. 

 

I suspect that there is a bug in the software and it should be upgraded, as Acer probably has paid for it, they should have an updated version for it too. A google search gives me that the latest version is 1.3.2. I even see that Lenovo is providing there users 1.3.110 while we are stuck at 1.0.100.

 

Would anyone, preferably from Acer of course, explain why it is like this and why they won't provide an updated version. 

 

This probably affects all of your consumers, thinking that Acer products are slower than and inferior to others due to this problem. I guess Acer will also benefit significantly by solving this problem.

Answers

  • Try here:

    http://arstechnica.com/civis/viewtopic.php?t=1221747 

    One poster said he got rid of Expresscache and it solved the problem. 

  • darkchief
    darkchief Member Posts: 5 New User
    Getting rid of expresscache isn't the problem. Avtually, that is very easy, I just need to uninstall it via programs & features in the control panel.

    With this laptop a ssd cache came with it and i want to keep using it for that purpose without comprimising other resources of the laptop (the RAM).

    At the same thread you have send me it also says that an updated version of expresscache will solve with this problem, apparently it is caused by a bug as I suspected. So Im searching for an update. Acer should provide us one if it isnt being too lazy.
  • darkchief
    darkchief Member Posts: 5 New User

    Uhm the link you gave me has version 1.0.64, even if there is 1.0.94 one, this is still lower than the current one, which is 1.0.100. Also don't be mistaken by downloading a random 1.3.xxx one, because these are probably vendor specific, meaning that it won't install on Acer laptops.

  • boscorelly
    boscorelly Member Posts: 30

    Tinkerer

    Hi,

     

    have tried just now SanDisk EC : will not install because SD SSD is not present.

     

    The Lenovo EC 1.3.110 installed fine. I'll try ont my laptop tomorrow.

  • darkchief
    darkchief Member Posts: 5 New User

    I just tried the Lenovo EC 1.3.110 as well. It installed fine like you said, but it doesn't work, as expected.

     

    When you open cmd with administrator function and type "eccmd -info" normally you get information regarding the cached data and other stuff. But when you do this with the Lenovo EC 1.3.110, you will get an error saying that the "product is not licensed to run on this system." 

     

    So in fact you might think it is running fine, but it probably isn't. If you are, i would be very interested in how you were able to bypass this problem, as the current version is using 1.2GB non-pooled RAM, which is way too much.

     

    With kind regards, 

  • boscorelly
    boscorelly Member Posts: 30

    Tinkerer

    Hi,

     

    you're quicker than me Smiley Tongue

     

    I've tried it on my desktop so, can't do anything more, and was planing to try on the laptop today or in the weekend.

     

    So, if it's checked somewhere, there is 2 solutions :

    - impossible to have an updated version

    - disassemble the exec file to find the licence

     

    I've contacted Condusiv, and they send me back to... Acer ! Smiley Sad

     

    Is there another laptop from Acer using ExpressCache ?

     

    I'll also try to contact acer.

  • darkchief
    darkchief Member Posts: 5 New User

    I have a different laptop than yours so there must be a few laptops out there with expresscache installed. But my guess is that they all have the same version (the old version). I contacted Acer once telling them that expresscache takes a lot of RAM and send some screenshots to prove it, then they wanted to take a close look at the laptop self by making me send it to them. As I need my laptop daily, I couldn't do this. This happened around a year ago, perhaps they have become more knowledgeable, so I hope you can get something from them.

     

    Kind regards,