[BUG] Memory Leak: Steam and audiodg.exe

[Melody]

This audiodg.exe problem has been discussed with Microsoft, now another Windows Insider User reported the same issue again, so they ended up to the conclusion that this is a problem with Steam, so I'm reporting it here as well. The only thing in common all the users have, is that they have Steam running in the background when this problem occurs. People without Steam running in the background are not experiencing this issue.

ISSUE
When Steam is open for many hours, the Microsoft process audiodg.exe experiences a Memory Leak due to Steam probably not properly releasing audio resources.

OS
Microsoft Windows 10 build 17017.rs_prerelease.171010-1400
Microsoft Windows 10 build 17017.rs_prerelease.171010-1000
Microsoft Windows 10 build 16299.19
Microsoft Windows 10 build 16299.15
Other OSes untested

STEPS
• Keep Steam open for some hours.

RESULTS
• The Windows process audiodg.exe experiences a memory leak.
• The Windows process audiodg.exe will experience high CPU utilization when trying to play audio files.
Screenshot from a Windows Insider user: https://fud.community.services.support.microsoft.com/Fud/FileDownloadHandler.ashx?fid=ca67b7dc-46df-4ed2-8e6e-e7bddb8a53a3
• Whenever the user closes Steam, audiodg.exe turns back to around ~20 MB of memory usage and low CPU usage.

EXPECTED
Nothing wrong to occur.

ADDITIONAL INFO / PERSONAL OBSERVATION
Every time a Steam sound plays, memory usage of audiodg.exe slightly increases.

WORKAROUND
Disable Steam sounds: go to Steam -> Settings -> Friends and disable all the sounds. This way, you won't hear any sounds when people send you text messages, but also audiodg.exe won't experience the Memory Leak.

[Seven7]

Valve can't fix bug in Windows audio and thrid-party drivers and apps like Nahimic Audio Crapware, ASUS Audio Crapware, etc.

March, april M$ updates bring back all Win and drivers old bugs since 2016... Ancient Evil Awakened

Wait next updates, M$ and ASUS promise to fix it in one of the following updates... or not

For other there are really simple solution: No Nahimic - No Pain!
This branded B$ still based on standard Realtek HD Audio driver(that work perfect)

[hexaae]

@Seven7
These are bugs reproducible with Steam ONLY and are not generic crashes using 3rd party drivers. Read more carefully the thread next time. Read twice also the parts where users say that disabling Steam sounds there are no mem leaks and audiodg.exe crashes anymore please.

[Seven7]

I can reproduce bugs with Nahimic Crapware in games and soft NOT related to Steam client and Valve AT ALL. Nahimic allways was bugged, but it became a serious problem since february 2018 updates of Windows and Nahimic. When hotfixes removed or installed previous version of software - problem disappears.

Leak in audiodg known since 2016, M$ make few attept to fix it, but every six months, this problem returns as if they are using an old backup of the code repository... like ants after hibernation - they forget everything, that they have learned over the summer. (btw, the same nonsense happens with the Steam code, idk why)

Steam-client simply demonstrate the existing fundamental problems in M$ ecosystem, like litmus test

[Melody]

Seven7 původně napsal:

I can reproduce bugs with Nahimic Crapware in games and soft NOT related to Steam client and Valve AT ALL. Nahimic allways was bugged, but it became a serious problem since february 2018 updates of Windows and Nahimic. When hotfixes removed or installed previous version of software - problem disappears.

Leak in audiodg known since 2016, M$ make few attept to fix it, but every six months, this problem returns as if they are using an old backup of the code repository... like ants after hibernation - they forget everything, that they have learned over the summer. (btw, the same nonsense happens with the Steam code, idk why)

Steam-client simply demonstrate the existing fundamental problems in M$ ecosystem, like litmus test

All my systems don't have Nahimic at all, plus it only happens with Steam on some specific rigs. Please read older posts. Any other application (and I've tried a lot of them including professional ones) won't cause this memory leak. Again, read older posts, everything has been discussed even with a Valve developer.

[hexaae]

The funny thing is that sometimes randomly and rarely, still crashes due to Steam chat pop-ups in the bottom right (happens exactly when a notification pops-up, and only with Steam)... even with audio disabled.

Descrizione
Percorso dell'applicazione che ha generato l'errore: C:\Windows\System32\audiodg.exe

Firma del problema
Nome evento problema: APPCRASH
Nome applicazione: AUDIODG.EXE
Versione applicazione: 10.0.17763.348
Timestamp applicazione: a0a39b52
Nome modulo con errori: NAHIMICV3apo.dll
Versione modulo con errori: 10.0.10011.16384
Timestamp modulo con errori: 595e4369
Codice eccezione: c0000005
Offset eccezione: 0000000000379f91
Versione SO: 10.0.17763.2.0.0.256.48
ID impostazioni locali: 1040
Informazioni aggiuntive 1: 1719
Ulteriori informazioni 2: 171906201cee33643617b65633af2a8b
Ulteriori informazioni 3: 4351
Ulteriori informazioni 4: 435129bf1cb69277ef6da28be34d3011

Ulteriori informazioni sul problema
ID bucket: d27ab1abe4c7a53e85463278b1dcdcec (1532968217127738604)

[StormhawkV]

Can this issue freeze my rig? I'm experiencing a lot of crashing for quite some time now but only when I run Steam. I'm not entirely sure as others told me my hard drive might be damaged and sometimes I crashed shortly after closing Steam.

My eventviewer is full of errors about audiodg.exe and NAHIMICV3apo.dll. I use an ASUS mainboard and read that they and the Sonic Studio I got with it use NAHIMIC stuff which seems to cause issues for some users.

I'm a bit sceptic as I almost never hear the Steam sounds when playing games but eventually I hear this buzzing sound from my speakers and the game starts stuttering like crazy.

I'd like to try turning off all Steam sounds before I call my local PC technician tomorrow and ask him to try the possible solutions I found on the internet. What do I have to turn off exactly and how do I do it? I can't find a 'Friends'-tab under Steam -> Settings.

Btw, hexaae's post on the ASUS forum brought me here.

[hexaae]

Yes in the past I've had small freezes and sound crashing (and then audiodg error due to NAHMICV3apo.dll) as well. Should not freeze the whole system though...

On Win 10 1903 I don't have audiodg.exe crashes anymore... currently using (never upgraded manually, always through Windows Update or official ASUS updates): Realtek HD drivers 6.0.8683.1 (ALC295 chipset) and NAHIMICV3apo.dll 3.5.291.57471.

I've disabled all Steam chat sounds.

[StormhawkV]

Hmm, maybe it doesn't have something to do with my problem then. Thanks anyway, I'll write an update here when I got news.

[[NB] Deleo]

AudioDG has some known bugs in Steam especially if you have RealTek drivers.
I suggest you go into sound control panel in windows and choose your sound device. Then go into Advanced and DESELECT audio enhancements.

Also, if you have RealTek Audio, I suggest installing this driver version: 6.0.1.8569

I had a newer version and Steam just CONSTANTLY threw BSOD in my face. When I downgraded the audio drivers, everything worked great!

[Melody]

Deleo původně napsal:

AudioDG has some known bugs in Steam especially if you have RealTek drivers.
I suggest you go into sound control panel in windows and choose your sound device. Then go into Advanced and DESELECT audio enhancements.

Also, if you have RealTek Audio, I suggest installing this driver version: 6.0.1.8569

I had a newer version and Steam just CONSTANTLY threw BSOD in my face. When I downgraded the audio drivers, everything worked great!

1) Very old post, that bug is gone by now so there's no point discussing it anymore.
2) Those are good advices but wouldn't help at all with this specific issue.
3) It used to happen with Sound Blasters as well.
4) Your BSoD issues are probably caused by another problem. If you want to talk about it, feel free to add me.

[Matt]

Just started having this problem the other day, switched to windows 10 a week ago. I saw audiodg.exe running at 2,000,000 K memory in my task manager at one point...something is going on and i havnt been able to fix this. Its not related to steam, i started my computer the other day with no apps running and it was at 160,000 K memory, this is a windows bug, and its not fixed at all.

[Melody]

Matt původně napsal:

Just started having this problem the other day, switched to windows 10 a week ago. I saw audiodg.exe running at 2,000,000 K memory in my task manager at one point...something is going on and i havnt been able to fix this. Its not related to steam, i started my computer the other day with no apps running and it was at 160,000 K memory, this is a windows bug, and its not fixed at all.

Did you install sound drivers or are you using generic Microsoft's ones? You can also try generic Realtek drivers from here:
https://www.realtek.com/en/component/zoo/category/pc-audio-codecs-high-definition-audio-codecs-software

[YuriMomo <3]

I know this thread is old, but i found you can memory leak by using firefox 73.0.1 (64 bit) and watching youtube video. Mass forward 5 seconds.
I'm using laptop legion y530-15ich 1050ti
https://youtu.be/yYi1gjjuCSw
I'm using generic Microsoft ones.
Windows 10 latest update
It looks like its more microsoft fault than steam.

[Melody]

;1743394785042551087 původně napsal:

I know this thread is old, but i found you can memory leak by using firefox 73.0.1 (64 bit) and watching youtube video. Mass forward 5 seconds.
I'm using laptop legion y530-15ich 1050ti
https://youtu.be/yYi1gjjuCSw
I'm using generic Microsoft ones.
Windows 10 latest update
It looks like its more microsoft fault than steam.

If you're planning to necro a whole discussion you should at least read all the posts before commenting. We've said multiple times that it happened with any sound driver (Microsoft, Sound Blaster, Realtek). The problem doesn't happen anymore on any system, so I'm guessing they fixed it. If you've found a possible memory leak in Firefox, you should definitely contact Mozilla devs, if you're able to give proper information.

Plus, that "memory leak" you're showing off might just be caching.

[Colpus]

Yeah, it's definitely not a problem anymore. I've been checking now and then and it's been some good time since I last saw it using a lot of memory.