How can I remove NTKDaemon? It appears to have a serious memory leak...

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Answers

  • Kubrak
    Kubrak Member Posts: 2,772 Expert

    Still wonder, there are not more cases. What is different on your and OP's setup from majority others that do not have slightest problems like that?

    Such a huge memory leaks would be massively reported, if happening often and to many people.

    It more looks like, HW problem on your setup or corrupted file with those programs. Which is mostly also due to HW problem...

  • Tonegroove
    Tonegroove Member Posts: 5 Member

    For what it's worth.. hardware setup is basically:

    • Win10 Pro
    • Scarlett 18i20
    • Arturia KeyLab 88 MkII
    • 3 Monitors - 2 DisplayPort 1 HDMI
    • Typical mouse/keyboard

    I do use Cubase - at the time I think it was Cubase 11, but now on 12. After disabling/uninstalling (whatever I did), the problem is clearly gone, as the processes are no longer running. Yeah, I need to log into the software update tool, but I don't mind that to keep unnecessary processes running like this, and potentially causing problems.

  • BretAB
    BretAB Member Posts: 4 Member

    Hi Tonegroove,

    I believe I've found the cause of the memory leak; at least on my machine. It's hardware related, as follows:

    Just this morning I noticed that my Device Mgr was refreshing like every couple of seconds. So I find this article: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/windows-10device-manager-keeps-refreshing/85be52ef-414f-4a3e-8a62-d30ee74d6575

    I only read down a couple of posts in that thread and they discuss disabling and removing USB devices, and they also mention sound cards. The bell immediately goes off in my head and I remember that several years ago the audio chip on my motherboard developed a problem. The easiest solution back then was to disable the audio chip in the BIOS and install an eBay'd SB Pro audio card into a PCI slot.

    Earlier today, the NI startup items are still disabled to prevent the memory leak I experienced last week (see earlier post if needed). So for my test today, I first re-enable these NI "Startup" items. Next I take a trip to the BIOS for a look: Yes, somehow the onboard audio was re-enabled: Not good. But I leave the chip enabled and reboot back into Windows to check the Resource Monitor for leak evidence. It's confirmed: I see the enabled NI Startup items memory use is climbing and climbing and not stopping. There's the memory leak.

    I keep the NI Startup items enabled, reboot into BIOS, and disable that defective onboard sound chip (ie. that is the actual Fix).

    I reboot back into Windows and check Device Mgr: Joy! No more constant refreshing every couple of secs.

    Next I check Resource Monitor and all the NI processes stable with no increasing memory consumption.

    I have pics and even a video of the memory leaking, but I think these words should suffice.

    Tonegroove, I don't know if my workaround is applicable to your situation, but you might consider re-enabling your NI Startup items (use Autoruns), reboot and check Resource Monitor's Memory Processes (sort by name) and see if those NI items are climbing. If they are climbing, disable your onboard sound chip in the BIOS, then look at Resource Monitor's Memory Processes (sort by name), and see if it's still leaking. This should tell you if your onboard sound chip is flakey and should be disabled in the BIOS. Hth.

    As always, comments, suggestions, etc are appreciated.

    Regards . . .

  • Tonegroove
    Tonegroove Member Posts: 5 Member

    Well now.. what an interesting discovery! Well done.

    I'll need to do some troubleshooting and debugging on my end based on what you've found, but won't have time today. You've got me curious! In the meantime, however, I did check, and my onboard audio is disabled. Based on your findings I think it's possible that some of my other hardware might be triggering this bug. For what it's worth, here's the media devices that currently show up (in case it helps others). I'll do some experimentation later:


  • Kubrak
    Kubrak Member Posts: 2,772 Expert

    @BretAB @Tonegroove

    OK, so it is HW specific to your setup.... But still, it probably should not occure IMHO, it should be addressed in NI code, if possible.

    Your description might be suffitient, but still, it would be beneficial, if you open the Ticket on this huge memory leak, be it bug or "bug".

    @Matt_NI

  • Milkman
    Milkman Member Posts: 209 Advisor
    edited June 2022

    Because in the hands of an experienced sysadmin, reboots are not needed. You must reboot your systems all the time to "solve problems" eh. How long have you worked in the industry? 30 years here.

    You are reading the logged output wrong. Kilobits to Kilobytes, friend. The process never ate 21GB of RAM.

    If your math was true, again -- my screenshot. This would suggest my processes somehow expanded my system's 32GB of RAM to over 1,267GB of RAM. Please try to understand. Your systems may have other issues.

    What is the symptom you are chasing? Did you just view the task manager and assume there was an issue, or was there an interruption of something? Im trying to understand this.

  • Kubrak
    Kubrak Member Posts: 2,772 Expert

    1) It is KB in BretAB's screenshot, which means kilobytes, not kilobits. But even if the measure would be in kilobits, it would mean that NI services take, say, 2 GB of RAM. Still unacceprable...

    2) In your screenshot processes took 1.2 GB of RAM (if listed in KB - probable), or aprox. 0.15 GB (if listed in Kb - less probable). I have no idea, how you came to 1 200 GB....

  • Milkman
    Milkman Member Posts: 209 Advisor
    edited June 2022

    I have no idea how you think, or anyone in this thread thinks, that math makes sense. It is obvious, at a precise mathematical level, what conversion is being done incorrectly. It is obvious, at a precise hardware specification level, how much RAM is installed, and how the system is using that RAM.

    My system RAM would add up to "1,267GB" if I added those numbers together in the same way the OP is adding their numbers. Do you get what I am saying? That is why it doesnt make sense that it added up to 1,267, lol. That is my entire point. The math is wrong.

    This is all obfuscating the actual problem that the OP had/doesnt have.

  • Kubrak
    Kubrak Member Posts: 2,772 Expert

    @Milkman

    Once more. In your print screen you have 8 items taking very roughly 200 000 K each, right?

    200 000 K = 200 M = 0.2 G (again roughly, I use 1000 instead of right 1024)

    8x0.2G is 1.6 G.

    If the measure in print screen is in KByte, it is 1.6 GB.

    If the measure in print screen is in Kbit, it is very roughly 0.16 GB.

    How did you come to thousand times more (roughly)?

    And allocated memory may be higher than physical size of RAM. Easily the double, but if one allows that, it may be ten times more...

  • Murat Kayi
    Murat Kayi Member Posts: 429 Pro

    Because in the hands of an experienced sysadmin, reboots are not needed.

    Hey, no this wasn't about proper workflow. It just occurred to me that there's millions and millions of PCs around the globe running for no reason and felt dizzy all of a sudden. That's all. Continue. We're on a good path, I guess.

  • Milkman
    Milkman Member Posts: 209 Advisor

    omg Im done.

    I have said roughly three times that THAT IS BECAUSE THE WRONG MATH IS BEING DONE. I did THE WRONG MATH ON PURPOSE to show the silliness of this. I was MAKING A POINT about the silliness of this.

    Good luck with your memory leaks.

  • Kubrak
    Kubrak Member Posts: 2,772 Expert
    edited June 2022

    @Milkman

    You did the "wrong" math wrongly. That is my point.

    If OP converted units wrongly (mixing bits for bytes) the mistake would be roughly 10x (exactly 8x). Your example introduced mistake of two orders more 1000x.

    And thing also is, that second man with leak had values in his screenshot in KB, which is Kbyte.... So, in his case NI processes did take tens of GB.

  • Monochrome
    Monochrome Member Posts: 1,113 Expert

    Let's not fill this thread with further off-topic, guys. It's not helping the OP.

  • Kubrak
    Kubrak Member Posts: 2,772 Expert

    The thing is that Milkman indirectly expresses, that OPs problem does not exist, that he just grossly miscalculated and desinterpreted system information. And such a statement clearly is not right... But, OK, I will stop discussion with Milkman as it leads to nowhere.....

    ---------

    I guess, the only way to correct the issue is to open the ticket. NI has to look at that... Processes should not take such enormus amounts of memory even in case, that other parts of SW/HW disbehave.....

  • Monochrome
    Monochrome Member Posts: 1,113 Expert
    edited June 2022

    I mean... Both of you could fight it out via PM? Just saying... 😋

    No matter who of you two may be right on this, the discussion doesn't help the OP as it just derails the thread. If he thinks NTKDaemon is a memory hog (which appears to be, judging by the ~97% use of virtual memory), then so be it.

    @Tonegroove Any updates you can tell us?

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