How to fix memory leak crashes

[Crissy Draper]

I found a simple fix for the CONSTANT crashes I was getting with SLV3. The problem was that even though I'm on Windows 7 64-Bit with 6GB of installed RAM, SLV3 is limited to 2GB and the client would build up active memory used FAST and crash within 10-15 minutes.

If you're experience constant crashes when SLV3 reaches anywhere from 1.2-2.0gb of memory usage try this fix.

Download Explorer Editor: http://www.ntcore.com/exsuite.php

1. Open CFF Explorer and then open your SecondLife.exe file. 
2. Go to the "File Header" section (under Nt Headers) and click the "Click here" on the Characteristics row. 
3. Check the "App can handle >2gb addressest" box, then click OK 
4. Go to "Save as", and then rename your existing SecondLife.exe (for backup - optional.. you can always just reinstall SL)
5. Save the current version as SecondLife.exe

Note: If you get a windows notification when you try to save the edited SecondLife.exe saying you don't have permission, just save it to your desktop then drag it to your SecondLiveViewer folder.

You'll have to repeat these steps every time there's a new Second Life release (replaces the edited .exe)

 

Credit for this fix has to go to someone on the SCII forums of all places:

http://us.battle.net/sc2/en/forum/topic/109981203

[Dilbert Dilweg]

Very interesting thanks for posting that. There has been several users baffled at this error in the second life answers http://community.secondlife.com/t5/forums/searchpage/tab/message?q=0xc0000005

[Cincia Singh]

This work-around probably won't be needed for long ... the Development Viewer has this setting already checked.

[Storm Clarence]

I have tons of issues with your post.  Perhaps a disclaimer that people are about to edit the only executable in the SL viewer world; if the developers did not want this fixed value then they would have designed a preference option in the viewer--(maybe there is a preference option I would need to look.)   An edit to the executable is NOT like an edit to source.  That being said, I was unaware that one could edit a header without access to source.  How many other programs use that header?  It is NOT anywhere as easy as 1-2-3.  I am a competent programmer and I would NOT just edit this file because you say so.  

I will not get into the issues of memory and memory allocation at the core... 

[Crissy Draper]

There is no reason applications should have <2gb limit on 64-bit. It's a limitation meant for 32-bit systems. It doesn't cause any issues as long as you have over 4gb of RAM (enough for SL + any background processes). I wouldn't have had to use this fix if LL would have fixed this themselves.. but they haven't... for months.

[Sephy McCaw]

Considering the viewer is a 32bit program not a 64bit yes it would be limited to such.... Also if it is a memory leak what would throwing more memory at it solve except for giving you maybe another 10 mins?

[Nalates Urriah]

This week saw the Beta viewer (3-4-1-265642) shifted to a different memory manager. Without knowing which version you were having problems with, we can't know if this is a worthwhile fix.

Both the main release and Beta viewers currently have low crash rates. The Beta and Development viewers have had high crash rates until this last week (41). But, the Beta viewer changed this last week and dramatically improved its crash rate. I have used both main and Beta for well over an hour without problems. So, your problem may not be in the viewer.

Oz Linden has stated the operating systems without the most recent updates have twice the crash rate of updated systems. Even those system without updates only have crash rates in the high 20's.