window.open memory leak

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Bart Sipes - 25 Jun 2008 16:25 GMT

I am using IE7 on Windows XP SP2.

It appears that IE has a memory leak when using the window.open JavaScript
function. For the particular pages I am working with on our intranet it leaks
about 5.7MB per window that is opened and closed. Then, if I repeatedly
(~50-100 times)open and close windows via window.open, IE will either lock up
the web page (The browser is not burning up the CPU but all links, buttons,
etc become completely disabled on both the parent and child windows) or both
the parent and child windows just die and go away with the nice Windows thud
sound.

I have experimented with IE8 and found it to handle window.open better but
even it still leaks a little (for which I posted a comment in its
corresponding newsgroup).

I have spent hours searching for resolutions to this problem and have only
been able to find a few forum articles and a couple of KB articles:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/815323/ which has no resolution and
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/235674/ which only says this is a problem in
IE5 and to upgrade to 5.01 or later.

Is there anyone else who had come across this problem and can verify it?
Especially in the IE team, please?

Thanks,

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PA Bear [MS MVP] - 25 Jun 2008 18:09 GMT

Start with some basic troubleshooting:

1. Does this behavior persist if you start IE7 in No Add-ons mode? To start
IE7 in No Add-ons mode:

Right-click on the blue IE desktop icon and select Start without Add-ons; or

Start > (All) Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Internet Explorer (No
add-ons).

Troubleshooting and Internet Explorer’s (No Add-ons) Mode:
http://blogs.msdn.com/ie/archive/2006/07/25/678113.aspx

2. Does the problem persist if you Reset IE7 Settings (RIES)?
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/923737 <= Read before using!

3. If you uninstall (a) IE7 *exactly* per the link below (which
automatically returns you to IE6), (b) all toolbars and (c) all third-party
Windows Themes (including Window Blinds) and do NOT reinstall IE7, does this
behavior persist? If it does, do NOT reinstall IE7.

Uninstalling IE7
http://www.ie-vista.com/kbase2.html
[Only use the Command %windir%\ie7\spuninst\spuninst.exe if you cannot
uninstall via Add/Remove Programs!]

IE7 (Un)Installation and Anti-Malware Applications:
http://blogs.msdn.com/ie/archive/2006/10/11/IE7-Installation-and-Anti_2D00_Malwa
re-Applications.aspx

4. Required reading IMHO before reinstalling IE7:

Sandi's Installation Tips <= Steps #1-8, #10 & #11; take note of #12, then
STOP
http://www.ie-vista.com/known_issues.html#pre-install

I strongly recommend using
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/downloads/ie/getitnow.mspx as the
installation source, not Automatic/Windows Update.

Direct Download link:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=9ae91ebe-3385-447c-8a30
-081805b2f90b

Tip: Save the installer to your desktop, do not Run it.

5. Make *certain* that you check in at Windows Update immediately after
reinstalling IE7 to install any critical updates offered. If Optional
Updates category offers Root Certificates update, I recommend installing it
to take full advantage of IE7's additional security.

Signature

~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Desktop Experience - since 2002
AumHa VSOP & Admin http://aumha.net
DTS-L http://dts-l.net/

> I am using IE7 on Windows XP SP2.
>
[quoted text clipped - 24 lines]
>
> Thanks,

Reply to this Message

Bart Sipes - 01 Jul 2008 21:56 GMT

Thanks so much for your response. Sorry I have not responded sooner, for some
reason I didn't get sign up for updates on this thread. Please see below for
my responses to your troubleshooting steps.

And per what you said in Step 3 I am currently running IE 6 since the
problem still occurs with 6.

Thanks again, Bart

> Start with some basic troubleshooting:
>
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> Troubleshooting and Internet Explorer’s (No Add-ons) Mode:
> http://blogs.msdn.com/ie/archive/2006/07/25/678113.aspx

Yes, the leak still occurs in No Add-ons mode. After the first 3 open/closes
the leak amount is minimal but does slowly increase up to 100KB each time I
open and close a window. There was a similar pattern when I opened and closed
the windows in groups of three and sometimes IE even will reclaim a little
more memory :). So it appears that the majority of the leak is caused by my
add-ons.

> 2. Does the problem persist if you Reset IE7 Settings (RIES)?
> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/923737 <= Read before using!

Pretty much the same effect as in 1 with disabling add-ons. With opening and
closeing windows one at a time there was about a 4MB increase over 30
open/closes. Significantly better, but still leaking a little.

> 3. If you uninstall (a) IE7 *exactly* per the link below (which
> automatically returns you to IE6), (b) all toolbars and (c) all third-party
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> IE7 (Un)Installation and Anti-Malware Applications:
> http://blogs.msdn.com/ie/archive/2006/10/11/IE7-Installation-and-Anti_2D00_Malwa
re-Applications.aspx

Okay, very similar to after RIES. Somewhere around 5MB leak after ~30
open/closes.

> 4. Required reading IMHO before reinstalling IE7:
>
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
> Updates category offers Root Certificates update, I recommend installing it
> to take full advantage of IE7's additional security.

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