WDFME.exe RAM hog

Please remove this.

Thank you.

@ BBBBBrandon from WD Staff post from about a week ago in this thread:

I am a technical support manager with over 30 years experience in technology, sw and hw engineering and  technical support with 20 of these years in technical support management. This issue should be raised to the highest levels possible within the WD management structure by the technical support manager responsible for all the various hw products sold with WD Smartware.

Current Workaround: Note I am disabling the WDFME service in Services control panel and starting the service for backup. There are other workarounds mentioned in this post thread, and some that  have not been mentioned, but this is the one I selected.

All of the workarounds leave customers exposed to data loss (except for the ones that suggest buying or using other free automated backup sw) because automated backup is not occurring and has made backup essentially a manual process where users need to remember to perform backups. A prime reason / feature that current users and potential customers consider buying your various products of this type—automated backups.

This has made backups a manual process to a certain extent rather that automatic whenever I dock this particular laptop to its docking station in my home office where I keep my WD My Passport Essential SE drive for this particular laptop. A major feature of many of your drive products is AUTOMATION, and they must  keep pace with your competition who supply products that are able to provide the automation feature out-of-box without needing to use other backup SW—competition like other hw drive makers having very similar products.Also you must keep pace with alternative competition such as cloud computing  subscription backup services like Carbonite for example, which may be more expensive over time, but offer other advantages that certain users may want or need.

I am awaiting a solution. My patience will run out shortly. At this point,  I have stopped recommending your product to my friends and technical colleagues looking for a backup solution, or additional storage space given a small scale solution is required for their particular need/application. I may restart my recommendations if this problem is resolved very soon now.

I have added an RSS feed in my browser to this post and will be watching for a resolution to be posted by you  BBBBBrandon .

Now, replying to your, BBBBBrandon post from WD Staff, questions posted about one week ago, here are the answers to your questions:

  1. No. XP OS. Bit Locker is a feature of only the Ultimate and Enterprise editions Vista and Windows 7 OSes and Windows Server 2008 and 2008R2 if you can believe wiki. Suggest editing your questions to indicate this fact so people don’t waste time running this down unnecessarily when trying to answer your question.

  2. No.

  3. Yes. Zip files

4. 

Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

C:\Documents and Settings\Ed_G>vssadmin list providers

vssadmin 1.0 - Volume Shadow Copy Service administrative command-line tool
(C) Copyright 2001 Microsoft Corp.

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

  1. No. NTFS.

I hope this information from me, and replies by other concerned users of your product, who are devoted enough to spend the time to collect this information for you, will help you and your sw development staff QUICKLY resolve this issue.

I’m having the same problem… System went back to normal as soon as I killed  WDFME.EXE process.

Set service to manual… and I’m now doing MANUAL backups…

Here are my details:

  1. No (Vista Business 32-bit Servive Pack 2) 

  2. Not that I am aware of…

  3. Yes 

4.) 

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.0.6002]
Copyright (c) 2006 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Windows\system32> vssadmin list providers
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

  1. NTFS.

WD: I think it’s also important for you to remember that not everyone has 8 Gb of RAM, and the latest and greatest CPU. Many of us only have 1-2 Gb of ram.

Another frustrated customer here. It takes at least an hour for my computer to “settle down” after boot-up into a usable state (as in open and closing applications without it taking minutes rather than seconds) since this last upgrade.

I’ve read through this whole thread (all the while wdfm.exe was literally sucking the life out of my resources) and can share that I use FireFox. It follows right after WDFME.exe in Task Manager under Processes in terms of usage. I’m posting this message right now using FireFox so I can’t swich to Chrome but I will check out this option.

To address the requested questions from a previous post (cited below) :

  1. No

  2. No

  3. Yes, there are some zips, gz and possibly tar

C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32>vssadmin list providers
vssadmin 1.0 - Volume Shadow Copy Service administrative command-line tool
(C) Copyright 2001 Microsoft Corp.

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

  1. NTFS: 147 GB with a 55 MB FAT partition and another 3.19 GB FAT32 parition on the hard (source) drive.

I’ve actually seen WDFME.exe at 97% CPU. Ack! Not that I’m in the habit of checking unless I’m having a problem but I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a resource hog.

Hope there’s a fix for this soon or I will have to shut down this feature and look for another option.

Seems like most companies can either get the hardware right but not the applications to run it (or vice versa). Are these mutually exclusive skill sets? It seems that Apple has found a way to around this.

Thx.

Laura

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.

This is really bad.  First, WD burned me when one of tir hard dirves failed after being in my pc for less than 1 year.  Now, my new external drive I use to backup my pc is dominating the whole computer and making it useless.  I have a fix - I am in the process of unistalling this software and will use the drive as a simple external drive where I drag and drop files for backups.  I am so extremely disappointed…

Very interesting point…

My Samsung np300e7a laptop (Win7 Ultimate - 6Gb RAM) does NOT suffer the same way that my dell desktop does (Win7 Dell XPS 3100 8Gb RAM i7 processor - see below)

On the desktop (Win7 Prof) the WDFME process, if left to run, will use up to 90% of available RAM (eg the desktop will run like a dog, I will stop the WDFME process, and the used RAM will then drop from 98% to 9%)

One the laptop, if I leave the WDFME process running, it never uses more than c25% RAM

Is this because the laptop has Win7 Ultimate? Or just because it has a different motherboard design?

Hope this helps

Alex

AlexRJ wrote:

  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.

__________________________________________


Thanks, your post here was very helpful.

As bad as this issue has been since inception, it really seems to have gotten much worse in the past few weeks. Now usage spikes to 40-65% when trying to startup IE8, etc. I have to disable this each time I restart. I would just remove the software but need the drive encrypted and this was easier than having to load another encryption package as well as backup option.

I mistakenly hoped that WD would sort this out. I can’t believe that in months, not days, they have done nothing to resolve this issue. Unbelievable.

I am having the same problem - HUGE amounts of memory ALL the time 262.488K as I write this.  I have often gone intio CTRL + ALT + DELETE to get to TASJK MANAQGER gone to PROCESSES, clickded on MEMORY USEAGE and WDFME.exe is ALWAYS top…  I end use" and all is OK for a while and then the **bleep** thing comes back…

I love the BACKUP process but am now desperate to get rif of the program…

Left messages with support but they are slow… [deleted]

My issue is a little different than the others posted here. WDFME.exe is more of a CPU hog for me. Currently it’s using 52% of the CPU, memory is at 28k. All I did was start IE 9 and open a website containing a live webcam of  wildlife.  WDFME immediately grabs the CPU. I’m running Vista Home Premium, 64 bit, with 4 GB of memory. The external WD drive isn’t  currently connected to my laptop. The process will continue to run like this until I stop the service. I can recreate this scenario time after time, it is a consistent bug!

WD staff, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask.

Could a staff member let us know if the new release or patch will be issued anytime soon?  If it’s going to be very long, I’m going to uninstall this software. As I said in my first comment, I can stop the services - but, I shouldn’t have to! 

I’ve been in software development and support for more years than I care to share and in my world, this bug would have been corrected ASAP… no matter how many long hours or days it took. I had one manager that always stated “There’s 24 hours in every day, work until you get it fixed. Our clients are our #1 priority!”. 

C’mon WD - step up to the plate!

Have been using WD Smartware on an XP Pro SP3 system with the same issues as everyone else.

Noticed that WDMFE.exe and WDRulesEngine.exe combined will use up 90-100% of the CPU, grinding my machine to a halt. This can last for two hours or so, after which it seems to settle.

I’m using version Smartware version 1.5.16.

A software fix is long overdue WD.

I should have added - it will settle after 2 hours or so if I leave ‘Backup’ on.

But even when I stop the backup in WD Smartware, it still runs. Right now, as I’m trying to do so some significant video editing, WDFME.exe is killing my machine. I have the Backup turned off in Smartware, but this process is still running and taking up to 96% of my CPU.

My PC is struggling to manage this and my video editing software and I can hear the fan screaming try to cool the CPU down. I worry that this thing is going to cause my core to meltdown as it keeps the CPU usage and therefore temperatures up for hours on end. Killing the process only seems to make it take hours to do the next backup.

It’s a joke and I’m totally over this software.

The WDFME process starts when you switch on the computer and runs even if you have not started WD SmartWare from the Quick View icon.

I’ve followed the excellent advice of Lucky_Phil (page 10 of the WDFME.exe RAM hog forum).  I’ve set WDFMEService to manual (using Control Panel, Administrative Tools, Services) and created switches using .cmd files on the Desktop as he suggested to turn WDFME on and off.

This does mean I have to backup manually, but at least I can use my computer in the meantime.  I normally just close all the applications and switch on WDFME and leave it for 20 minutes or so.  Alternatively you can open WDSmartWare and use the Backup Tab.  I then close WDFME before closing down the computer.

I’ve found that if I end the WDFME process before I ‘Turn Off Computer’ I will automatically delete the hidden etilqs files in the Windows Temp file which I presume is what WD intended.  If I go straight to ‘Turn Off the Computer’ they will not be deleted, nor are they removed by Windows Cleanup.  See the topic headed ‘WDsmartware building etilqs_ files in my windows temp folder - filling my drive!’ for more on this insidious problem.  I found I had over 1GB of these files but another user reported 35GB!

Finally I’ve found that Outlook is not backed up unless it is closed and then takes a few minutes to backup.  This is not immediately obvious and could leave you in trouble.

WDFME CPU hog for me 98-99% the last few days even when my passport drive is not plugged in. Running XP pro sp3. All was well when originally installed last weekend - but this weekend PC is unuseable. Can kill the process and appreciate those on here who have work arounds but fact is this then means you are doing manual back ups - not automated. It just doesn’t do what it says on the tin and a fix is needed from WD asap

Wilss, I’ve been watching this thread for a while now and it appears WD is in no hurry to fix this. I can definitely tell they’re not in the software business. I have a copy of Norton Ghost but haven’t installed it yet. Does anyone have any experience with it? 

I ended up uninstalling the most recent version and re-installing 1.5.0.17, which was the version that came with the first My Book Live I bought. . I should add that I have this software installed on a desktop running Windows XP and a laptop with Windows 7. It was only the former that caused the problem and required the roll back. The second My Book Live I bought came with an older version (not sure of the number) but was missing some features that I used. So I upgraded the laptop one directly from WD over the Internet.  I’m finding this one to be stable and not using an inordinate amount of resources. It is the desktop that I use the backup for so that’s why I had to roll it back.

In the Windows Task Manager under “Processes” you will see a list of all the applications currently running. If you click on the ones associated with WD and then right click you will get a menu that allows you to end or set the priority of the application. For those of you who can’t or don’t want to install a previous version you  may want to try to lower the priority of these appliations (in particular WDFME.exe, which seems to be the worst offender).

I’ve used the updates and am now on the latest v 1.5.1.6.  The problem is worse than ever.  I’ve opened up a support ticket but haven’t heard anything.  I could be done with WD products, this issue shouldn’t linger for so long.  Is there a fix coming anytime soon?

For What its worth…   Been using WDSmartware for a a year or so.    It kept my machine busy at times before.   I just updated it yesterday to version 1.5.1.6.    Its killing my machine now.   (win XP)    It seemed like it took for ever to finish the first backup with the new version.   After a reboot today, its been doing something to consume most of the resources for 4 hours.   I have selected backup when machine is idle.    Looks like it is finished now.   Got to go and do something before it fires up again!  

I have the high mem/cpu/disk usage problem. I am surprised a company the size of Western Digital doesn’t have (or hasn’t allocated) the resources to stop this problem in it’s tracks.

My stats:

Win 7 starter 32-bit (ASUS netbook)

2GB memory

My Book Live 2TB (firmware 2.10.09, SmartWare 1.5.1.6)

Issue:

I turned off all other applications to prove the point.

 

I bought the drive for the advertised features, one of which includes seamless backup. Furthermore, I don’t want to go through troubleshooting steps to make it work. That is Western Digital’s job. I hope a resolution is “on the way” and will be here soon.

Thanks in advance,

Charles