High use of Memory by ESET Internet Security

[AlSky 4]

Hello,

I use ESET Internet Security 14.0.22.0, and some days ago I found out that ESET Service (ekrn.exe) was using constantly 820-821 Mb of Memory (RAM). I uninstalled the product with the uninstaller in safe mode, reinstalled it, but didn’t help: after the reinstallation the use of RAM was ‘only’ 264 Mb (and still it seems to me high), but in only 24 hours it raised up to 279, 288, up to 306 Mb right now. If this continues so will reach again in few days 800 Mb. Let it more time and who knows what use of RAM will reach.

Since reinstalling doesn’t help, I’d like to know why is this happening and what to do to fix it.

Thank you,

Al

Edited March 30, 2021 by AlSky

[Marcos 5,146]

Please carry on as follows:
- in the advanced setup navigate to tools -> diagnostics and click Create to create a dump of ekrn
- collect logs with ESET Log Collector
- upload the generated archive to a safe location and drop me a message with a download link

Also please post a scree shot of the task manager where you see ekrn consuming CPU. Make sure that the column headers are visible.

[AlSky 4]

2 hours ago, Marcos said:

Please carry on as follows:
- in the advanced setup navigate to tools -> diagnostics and click Create to create a dump of ekrn
- collect logs with ESET Log Collector
- upload the generated archive to a safe location and drop me a message with a download link

Also please post a scree shot of the task manager where you see ekrn consuming CPU. Make sure that the column headers are visible.

Thank you so much for answering. Sorry, my ability to communicate in English isn’t good and there are technical concepts that I don’t know well, could you explain with images the options that I have to select in Tools – Diagnostic, please? I know how to make a Log Collector, but no how to create a dump of ekrn. Thanks in advance.

Here the image of use of RAM. Right now it ranges from 303-306 Mb.

Edited March 30, 2021 by AlSky

[itman 1,710]

I guess its also as issue of what process you're using for Eset service memory usage. Win Task Manger shows 46 MB. Process Explore show 55 MB. In either case, I have never seen this service use so little memory.

Now I just had to do a system power up and restart from a power failure which cleaned out everything Win wise. So I will also monitor this for a memory leak. On average on my system, this Eset service has been consuming around 140 MB.

[AlSky 4]

11 hours ago, itman said:

I guess its also as issue of what process you're using for Eset service memory usage. Win Task Manger shows 46 MB. Process Explore show 55 MB. In either case, I have never seen this service use so little memory.

Now I just had to do a system power up and restart from a power failure which cleaned out everything Win wise. So I will also monitor this for a memory leak. On average on my system, this Eset service has been consuming around 140 MB.

Dear sir, I appreciate your input. The fact is that you admit that this ESET service has never consumed more than 140 Mb in yoir computer. I can say that I have never used more than 200 Mb, often less. And now, for some reason, it consumes considerably more. And the screenshot was made with programs closed, including File Explorer. There must be some malfunctioning.

I hope the Administrator Marcos will answer after sending him the Log Collector.

[AlSky 4]

Keeps increasing the use of RAM. All programs closed and if yesterday night it was 304 Mb, now it's 326 Mb. Just increasing the use without aparent reason. I could understand if it increase and decrease with the use of programs, but it is just increasing and never decrease to previous levels.

 

[itman 1,710]

There definitely appears to be an ekrn.exe memory leak here. My memory use has been climbing steadily this morning with it currently at 94 MB.

[AlSky 4]

4 hours ago, itman said:

There definitely appears to be an ekrn.exe memory leak here. My memory use has been climbing steadily this morning with it currently at 94 MB.

Possibly it is what you indicate, the important thing would be to know what is the cause and what is the solution applicable to the problem. I'm waiting for Marcos's response to the Log Collector I sent him as requested.

[MartinPe 10]

7 hours ago, AlSky said:

Possibly it is what you indicate, the important thing would be to know what is the cause and what is the solution applicable to the problem. I'm waiting for Marcos's response to the Log Collector I sent him as requested.

I do have the same problem. It goes about 800mb to 1gb and then drop after a long time to 300mb. Just for fun, Alsky, do you have and AMD CPU? Wonder if the AV works differently from Intel. Seeing from the high usage, I changed my nvme to the new PCIE-4 one. Didn't reinstalled Eset. 

[shocked 60]

i have an AMD cpu. however i kinda doubt that the program would behave so differently between AMD and Intel

[MartinPe 10]

8 minutes ago, shocked said:

i have an AMD cpu. however i kinda doubt that the program would behave so differently between AMD and Intel

Cool, I was afraid it would have been the case.

[AlSky 4]

7 hours ago, MartinPe said:

I do have the same problem. It goes about 800mb to 1gb and then drop after a long time to 300mb. Just for fun, Alsky, do you have and AMD CPU? Wonder if the AV works differently from Intel. Seeing from the high usage, I changed my nvme to the new PCIE-4 one. Didn't reinstalled Eset. 

Hello. Mine is Intel. Since mine doesn't drop but keeps increasing the use of memory probably it's a leak memory problem. Anyway, I'm waiting for the answer of the administrtor Marcos.

Edited April 1, 2021 by AlSky

[itman 1,710]

I really don't know what to make of this ekrn.exe memory usage issue.

Win Task Manager currently shows 45 MB usage for Eset service.  However, Process Explorer shows Private Byte memory usage for ekrn.exe as 102 MB. So there is a significant discrepancy in memory usage between the two.  -EDIT- Got it straightened. I was using the wrong Process Explorer metric. You have to use Working Set Private Bytes to show actual physical memory usage. 

In any case, I don't see anything pointing to a memory leak in ekrn.exe.

Edited April 1, 2021 by itman

[AlSky 4]

4 hours ago, itman said:

I really don't know what to make of this ekrn.exe memory usage issue.

Win Task Manager currently shows 45 MB usage for Eset service.  However, Process Explorer shows Private Byte memory usage for ekrn.exe as 102 MB. So there is a significant discrepancy in memory usage between the two.  -EDIT- Got it straightened. I was using the wrong Process Explorer metric. You have to use Working Set Private Bytes to show actual physical memory usage. 

In any case, I don't see anything pointing to a memory leak in ekrn.exe.

I also don't know what to do with this issue. On my side, I would accept for a 100 Mb RAM usage. It was usually 140-180 Mb up to 200 sometimes. Right now it's very superior and it's still growing. I hope soon there will be some answer from Administrator.

Good luck!

[itman 1,710]

"Looks like I spoke to soon." I also have a least one cause for the high memory usage.

I ran an Eset Smart scan. After the scan and for sometime afterward, ekrn.exe memory usage remained at 211 MB. Both signing off/on and subsequently, shutting down and starting the PC w/Win 10 fast startup enabled, resulted in  ekrn.exe memory usage reduced to 177 MB. It was only when I rebooted the PC did ekrn.exe use approximately 40 MB of memory. Also, this rapidly increased to 92 MB where it stands now.

Bottom line - Eset is not releasing ekrn.exe memory after an off-line scan.

Edited April 1, 2021 by itman

[itman 1,710]

Another possibility here is that ekrn.exe is a "memory hog." By this I mean its allocating its memory usage based on the amount of free RAM available on the system. I have 8GB of RAM with never more than 25% or so allocated at any given time. This type of ekrn.exe memory use is preferable to it going the page file which would slow down its performance.

How much ram is installed on your system and what percentage of it is allocated when you observe this high memory usage by ekrn.exe?

[AlSky 4]

12 hours ago, itman said:

Another possibility here is that ekrn.exe is a "memory hog." By this I mean its allocating its memory usage based on the amount of free RAM available on the system. I have 8GB of RAM with never more than 25% or so allocated at any given time. This type of ekrn.exe memory use is preferable to it going the page file which would slow down its performance.

How much ram is installed on your system and what percentage of it is allocated when you observe this high memory usage by ekrn.exe?

Hello. I have 5 Gb of RAM, but the point here is that the use of RAM byekrn.exe stays stable and grows. If the high use of RAM was punctual and due to some activity (scan, for example) and then it would return at normal levels, I wouldn't worry. The problem is that it uses a high percentage of RAM constantly and keeps on growing, it never diminishes at normal levels. (For me, I consider normal up to 200 Mb in situation of no scan, scanning I understand it can reach more, perhaps 300 Mb. But It's using more than 340 Mb without scanning and with all programs -browsers, players, Office, Task manager- closed.)

[itman 1,710]

1 hour ago, AlSky said:

The problem is that it uses a high percentage of RAM constantly and keeps on growing, it never diminishes at normal levels.

Do you keep the PC powered up 7/24? Also in this category is if you just let the PC enter sleep mode when not in use and never perform the Win shutdown.

As I previously posted, Eset is not releasing its memory usage after for example, a SMART off-line scan.

What I have observed on my PC is when it is shutdown for the night and upon startup the next morning with Win 10 fast startup enabled, ekrn.exe starts up with low memory usage. So it might be an related to keeping the PC powered down long enough so RAM is thoroughly flushed.

[AlSky 4]

6 hours ago, itman said:

Do you keep the PC powered up 7/24? Also in this category is if you just let the PC enter sleep mode when not in use and never perform the Win shutdown.

As I previously posted, Eset is not releasing its memory usage after for example, a SMART off-line scan.

What I have observed on my PC is when it is shutdown for the night and upon startup the next morning with Win 10 fast startup enabled, ekrn.exe starts up with low memory usage. So it might be an related to keeping the PC powered down long enough so RAM is thoroughly flushed.

I know that a computer running permanently accumulates a use of RAM that becomes higher with the time passing (although, in the absence of software failures, the solution is as simple as switching off the computer and switching it on after a while). But no, it isn't my case. My computer is working around 6 hours per day (sometimes 7 hours). Just the time I need for my tasks.

So, the problems is another one.

[itman 1,710]

3 hours ago, AlSky said:

My computer is working around 6 hours per day (sometimes 7 hours). Just the time I need for my tasks.

I have had my PC on all day and ekrn.exe memory use is currently 52 MB.

Do you have Eset's Idle-time scan option enabled?

[shocked 60]

today is the first time i've seen ekrn at around 60mb. ever since september when i bought the product it has been steadily at 200mb (some times above or below). 200+- is my everyday normal.

i started a quick scan and ended it after a couple of minutes, the memory upped to 80-90+ and had stayed there for more than 10-15 minutes.

i strongly believe there's a memory leak here and it's so random the devs have difficulty finding it.

[Marcos 5,146]

4 hours ago, shocked said:

i strongly believe there's a memory leak here and it's so random the devs have difficulty finding it.

The above doesn't indicate a memory leak. In case of a memory leak memory use would continually climb above 500 MB and would not be freed.

It is normal that during a scan and a couple of minutes after a scan memory use is slightly higher.

[AlSky 4]

5 hours ago, Marcos said:

The above doesn't indicate a memory leak. In case of a memory leak memory use would continually climb above 500 MB and would not be freed.

It is normal that during a scan and a couple of minutes after a scan memory use is slightly higher.

Hello, Administrator Marcos. It's normal that ESET product has a high use of RAM during scan, but what about using permanently more than 300 Mb and growing? That's the point.

[AlSky 4]

20 hours ago, itman said:

I have had my PC on all day and ekrn.exe memory use is currently 52 MB.

Do you have Eset's Idle-time scan option enabled?

Hello and sorry for my delay answering you. No, I have disabled the Eset Idle-time scan option. So, the cause should be other one. It's really strange.

[itman 1,710]

My memory usage has been in the 95 MB range all day after increasing from 40 MB or so at system startup time. However, this is double the amount observed yesterday.