Why Does My .NET App Get an Out of Memory Exception Even with Ample RAM?

.NET Out of Memory Exception: Memory Limit Exceeded Despite Ample RAM

Encountering an Out of Memory exception in a C# application, even with ample RAM installed, can be perplexing. Let's delve into the possible reason for this issue.

.NET Memory Usage and Architecture

The behavior described suggests that the application is compiling in 32-bit architecture. Despite having 16GB of RAM installed, a 32-bit application is limited to using a maximum of 4GB of virtual memory.

To utilize the full RAM capacity, the application must be compiled for 64-bit architecture. By targeting 64-bit, the application can access significantly more virtual memory, effectively removing the 4GB limit.

Adjusting the Kill Switch

In Windows, there is no specific registry setting that acts as a kill switch for memory usage. However, certain factors can contribute to Out of Memory exceptions:

• Large Single Collections: The CLR has a limit of 2GB for a single collection (e.g., List). Exceeding this limit, even in a 64-bit application, can result in an exception.
• Virtual Memory Limitation: When a 32-bit application exceeds its virtual memory limit, the system attempts to expand its virtual memory. If this expansion fails due to hardware or system limitations, an Out of Memory exception can occur.

Solution

To resolve this issue, consider the following steps:

• Compile for 64-bit Architecture: Recompile the application to target 64-bit architecture, allowing it to access larger amounts of virtual memory.
• Avoid Large Single Collections: Split large collections into smaller chunks to avoid exceeding the 2GB limit per collection.
• Check Virtual Memory Settings: Ensure that the system has sufficient virtual memory to support the application's memory usage.

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