WDFME.exe RAM hog

Did you get a legitimate answer? I have same question and problem.

Was anyone with this issue able to try this:

http://community.wdc.com/t5/WD-Smartware/WDFME-exe-RAM-hog/m-p/311104#M4177

and verify if the computer still operates slowly?

Brandon,

When I check the VSS Service as per you instructions (below)…

I find that he VSS service is already STOPPED anyway - and that it is set to ‘manual’ - evidently this service cannot be the problem if it is never running but I am still getting the memory hog problem

Should I start this VSS service?

Btw - I have been using my PC constantly since boot-up for approx 1 hour now - the memory usage is up to 78% and WDFME is using 4.3Gb! (I have 8Gb RAM in this PC)

I will now end the WDFME process… and memory is back down to 24%!!

2 weeks ago

For the people that are having this issue, can I have you test something?  Disable VSS.

Open the services.msc snap-in and double click on “Volume Shadow Copy” in the services list and select “Disable” in the dialog box.

While looking at the services list, then right-click the WD File Management Engine and click “Restart”.

BBBBBrandon wrote:

Was anyone with this issue able to try this:

 

http://community.wdc.com/t5/WD-Smartware/WDFME-exe-RAM-hog/m-p/311104#M4177

 

and verify if the computer still operates slowly?

VSS isn’t even started on my computer. And I have this problem. I use chrome NOT IE or Firefox, and don’t even have backups setup, I use it to store extra files. 

My computer has come to a screeching halt.

Interesting note: I killed all the WD processes, then restarted, and then no problem. But everytime I reboot, it starts dragging down my computer. 49% CPU usage, and not even accessing the drive. CRAZY! And this looks like it has been a problem since 9/2011. That’s a long time for a problem like this.

1 Like

jcinsd wrote:


BBBBBrandon wrote:

Was anyone with this issue able to try this:

 

http://community.wdc.com/t5/WD-Smartware/WDFME-exe-RAM-hog/m-p/311104#M4177

 

and verify if the computer still operates slowly?


VSS isn’t even started on my computer. And I have this problem. I use chrome NOT IE or Firefox, and don’t even have backups setup, I use it to store extra files. 

 

My computer has come to a screeching halt.

 

Interesting note: I killed all the WD processes, then restarted, and then no problem. But everytime I reboot, it starts dragging down my computer. 49% CPU usage, and not even accessing the drive. CRAZY! And this looks like it has been a problem since 9/2011. That’s a long time for a problem like this.

UPDATE: I killed the processes, and restarted, they stopped hogginh for about 5 mimutes, then kicked into high gear again. So, stopping, then restarting did not fix. Yeesh. This is depressing that this is not fixed.

1 Like

This has been a problem for months now. I finally uninstalled all the WD software. I keep checking back in here to see if there’s a fix, but so far nothing seems to work. When I got the WD emails about buying for Christmas, I laughed and bought two Seagate disks for my family for Christmas. I won’t buy another WD disk until this issue has been resolved.

I’m also experiencing this problem on my Gateway NV59, i3-330M, 4 GB memory.  Ram usage runs anywhere from 2-3GB rendering my laptop unusable.  Would sure appreciate a fix.

Was having the same problem.

After reading your comments – checked performance – 4.2G memory usage – luckier I was have 8 G – but there was still the sudden, everything dies no response, can’t even get task manager to run to kill the .exe

Contact WD – I did get a fast response – install update 1.5.1.6

However I mentioned that I already done that using the software up-date  button under help and 1.5.1.6 was showing up as the latest software

I suggested, they agreed – totally uninstall – I then always reboot the system – and reinstall.  The uninstall package date seems to be the same date as what the system had down loaded earlier.  So I suspect its the uninstall that may have done the different

Did that – CPU usage down to 1% at the moment when nothing else is active – whereas before was 16%+ – Memory usage at  3.2, but then I have a lot of other stuff running.

When I first restarted the package, CPU usage went to 52% when it decided to update initally, but it actually seems to be running as low priority as the mouse etc still responded. 

I oftern restart my system two / three times a week so the 52% initial C PU usage could be a problem

This comment – goes dead a couple of times a day – will see what happens as I use it today

Unfortunately I will confirm that the update still goes into total hog mode at regulare intervals.

It appears to be copying all the files to the external rather than just those have changed.

Seems to get particularly unco-operative when starting up new processes – e.g. word or the browser to type in this message

Me too - have to kill the process every day as I want to use the backup software occasionally so have left it installed. The software isn’t free and is supplied with the hardware as advertised. In the UK, under the sales of goods act, the product should be fir for purpose, and if WD are not going to fix it I have the right to my money back, or to report them to the local trading standards office who can have the product removed from the market in the uk

Are you lisetning WD support?

This has been hanging about far too long. You are obliged to fix it

Having just bought My Book Live, Im getting the same problems as everyone else here. I wish Id read this board before buying!!!

I have noticed other problems but I obviously dont know if these are secondary problems caused by the ‘RAM hog’ (CPU hog) issue. Has anyone else noticed the same or similar problems whilst using SmartWare …

  1. When using the latest version downloaded from website, the content gauges remain showing some files as having been backed up even though the associated backup files have been deleted from MBL via dashboard. Now when I select start backup, it seems to creae a new backup file but only statrs backing up from where it left off. Does anyone know how to make Smartware backup start from the beginning again?

  2. Having had enough of the latest version of Smartware, I uninstalled this and went back to the version from the disk that was supplied with the drive. (1.4. ?.?). Here, all of my files on disk were categorised as system files and hence backup wont back up anything! Does anyone know how to get SmartWare to recategorise the files?

Im keen to know if these issues are a factor of the software hogging all of the system resource or it these issues are problems in their own right.  If it is the latter then that makes it all the more likely that I will return the purchase as being unfit for purpose.

Many thanks

Ole_Pete_Backup had a good suggestion…

You can create a .cmd file to stop the WDFMEService and a .cmd file to start the service when you need it.

Saves time going to the services panel every time.

Probably a good idea to set the WDFMEService to manual instead of automatic startup first.

Then…

Do the following (My example on Windows 7 64 Bit) your software location may vary.

Once you have finished with a backup…and want to recover CPU back from the WDFMEService…

Simply stop the WDFMEService via a .cmd file as per below:

Create a file with notepad (WDstop.cmd) for example with contents like this:

cd C:\Program Files\Western Digital\WD SmartWare
net stop “WDFMEService”

(Note: you need to double quote the name of the service)

Save the file where you want and create a shortcut to it.

Then, when you want to stop the WDFMEService (after a backup is finished and stopped) just double click on the shortcut.

Conversely: To start the WDFMEService prior to setting a backup going…

Create a file with notepad (WDstartup.cmd) for example with contents like this:

cd C:\Program Files\Western Digital\WD SmartWare
net start “WDFMEService”

(Note: you need to double quote the name of the service)

Save the file where you want and create a shortcut to it.

Then, when you want to start the WDFMEService just double click on the shortcut.

A real CPU resource saver.  :manhappy:

Oh…BTW:

Since the WDFMEService hogs CPU anyway… You may as well _ untick _ the “run backup when computer is idle” check box in software settings.

This seems to speed up the backup even though no more CPU is consumed with this setting compared with the software performing no action anyway! (Go figure) :dizzy_face:

2 Likes

Anyone that is having a high memory issue can you tell me the following (it would be helpful for verification):

  1. Is Bit Locker turned on?
  2. Are you backing up encrypted files/folders?
  3. Are you backing up compressed files/folders?
  4. Can you also collect the list of VSS providers that are installed on the systems and provide? From an administrative command prompt type:  vssadmin list providers
  5. Are your source partitions are Fat32, exFat, or external USB drives?'

We are currently targeting a major overhaul for the 1.6.x version, there will not be a 1.5.5.x as referenced in my previous posts.  This release should follow the release of 1.5.4.x that features a new installer.

My system: WinXP, 2Gb Ram

My WSSmartware Settings: Backup selected files/folders only… and there are only a handfull of those

To answer your questions:

(1) No (not applicable?)

(2) No

(3) No (zip files, maybe)

(4) (5) Unknown (I’m not near that computer)

  1. No (Win7 Prof 64-bit - apparently doesn’t have bitlocker…)

  2. not as far as I am aware - maybe am backing up My Docs (is this encrypted automatically by my Windows login?)

  3. there are some zip files nested within the folders that are being backed up

  4. Just the one - MS Software Shadow Copy provider 1.0 - version 1.0.0.7 - HOWEVER, I KNOW THAT VSS SERVICE IS *NOT* TURNED ON (it requires a manual start)

  5. Source Partitions is NTFS

Hope this helps - fingers crossed re: a fix, as am getting fed up with having to stop the WDFME process so I can get down from 98% RAM Usage to 9%… (makes my PC run faster! - its got 8Gb RAM)

Anyone that is having a high memory issue can you tell me the following (it would be helpful for verification):

  1. Is Bit Locker turned on?
  2. Are you backing up encrypted files/folders?
  3. Are you backing up compressed files/folders?
  4. Can you also collect the list of VSS providers that are installed on the systems and provide? From an administrative command prompt type:  vssadmin list providers
  5. Are your source partitions are Fat32, exFat, or external USB drives?'

We are currently targeting a major overhaul for the 1.6.x version, there will not be a 1.5.5.x as referenced in my previous posts.  This release should follow the release of 1.5.4.x that features a new installer.

__________________________________________

I just spent the last hour reading on these forums about all the issues with the WDFME.exe.

Norton lets me monitor Cpu usage over time. Each spike in this graph is due to WDFME.exe. Note that the occurence is about every 6 minutes. I have the drive disconnected but smartware is still operating. I tried to disable the service in task manager but was “not allowed” by the system. I have 8 GB ram running Vista home prem. 64 bit. It would be nice to have the ability to turn the file management on and off when desired. I’ve installed the lastest updates and check regularly. I have no problem with the actual backups , only this high CPU usage. Even if the frequency of the usage was reduced to every 15 or 20 minutes it would be easier to live with. Has there been any progress on resolving this issue?

  1. No (Win 7 home premium 64)

  2. No

  3. No, except some ZIPs somewhere on my drive

4.:

C:\Windows\system32>vssadmin list providers
vssadmin 1.1 - Verwaltungsbefehlszeilenprogramm des Volumeschattenkopie-Dienstes

(C) Copyright 2001-2005 Microsoft Corp.

Anbietername: “Microsoft Software Shadow Copy provider 1.0”
   Anbietertyp: System
   Anbieterkennung: {b5946137-7b9f-4925-af80-51abd60b20d5}
   Version: 1.0.0.7

C:\Windows\system32>

  1. NTFS only

4GB RAM, WDFME uses more and more over the time until memory usage is up to 95+ %, >2GB for WDFME. CPU usage is not that high though.

I’ve set the WDFMEService to Manual to be able to work with my notebook…

Yo! WD!  

When are you fixing this dire problem of severe memory drain?  

I’m on the BB Geek Squad  – speaking privately here, not for Best Buy –  as well as hanging inside PC’s for a very long time: (1985:  https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/gZMGAOzwBOUEvifJj6LdfQ)..)

I haven’t seen RAM drain like this for at least a decade.

Moreover, your GUI is abysmal.  How could a company of your stature put out software so shabby.  Has not the Steve Jobs’ perfectionism success sunk in?

Although it is my irritation, and that of my Squad colleagues, most of whom also purchased your new backup boxes that motivates this posting, I do believe I can point you in a better direction on your GUI.  Cut me a contributing spot on your design team.

Doug   http://bit.ly/DHwikiBio

Having same issues…

Uninstall WDSmartware and my pc performance back to normal.

WDSmartware is not SMART [deleted].

  1. No

  2. No

  3. No

  4. vssadmin 1.1 - Volume Shadow Copy Service administrative command-line tool
    (C) Copyright 2001-2005 Microsoft Corp.

Provider name: ‘Microsoft Software Shadow Copy provider 1.0’
   Provider type: System
   Provider Id: {b5946137-7b9f-4925-af80-51abd60b20d5}
   Version: 1.0.0.7

5.No