I'm having trouble with a PowerShell script I've written that's creating a JSON file. It runs into a system out of memory error after using about 15GB of memory, even though my machine has 512GB of RAM. Is there a way to change the default memory limit, or does anyone have a workaround? I tried some methods with ChatGPT but didn't have any luck.
5 Answers
Are you utilizing .NET's garbage collection in your script? Adding calls to force garbage collection could help manage memory better. Here’s a simple function you can use at the end of loops:
`function Invoke-GarbageCollection {
[System.GC]::Collect()
[System.GC]::WaitForPendingFinalizers()
}`
It sounds like you might be running into limitations with your operating system. Windows versions like Home or Pro typically cap memory usage at around 15GB. If you're using those, consider upgrading to a server edition. You could try changing the max memory setting for your PowerShell shell with the following commands:
`cd WSMan:localhostShell`
`Set-Item .MaxMemoryPerShellMB 15360`
`Restart-Service WinRM`
Just remember, this value is per shell instance, so if you have multiple connections, each one could be using its own 15GB.
It might be worth checking if there's an eternal loop or similar issue in your script. Sometimes, scripts can unintentionally run in a loop and consume a lot of memory without you realizing it.
I see what you mean, but the issue here is that it stops after about 15GB, not that it's crashing due to a loop.
You could try processing your data in smaller chunks instead of all at once. This method can help manage the memory usage better and prevent hitting that limit all at once.
Also, keep in mind that if you have multiple instances running, they can add up. For instance, if you're making 10 connections, each could utilize 15GB, leading to cumulative memory use.
Just a heads up, if you use garbage collection too often, it might slow down your script or even result in higher memory usage overall.