Windows t2.micro is slow today even with no applications running

Question

Hello

Today, we find our t2.micro (windows) running very slow even after reboot and without any applications running. Normally, it works fine and there are no performance issues even with applications running.

Not sure why it is slow today. Checking from Task Manager, see that memory utilization is 80%. This is not abnormal and it is normal for this t2.micro windows instance.

However, the issue is that it is slow only today - even after reboot. Before reboot, noticed there was a pop-up saying memory could not be referenced at some hex numbers. Hope AWS resolve this issue - if RAM is corrupted, etc.

Thank you.

re:Post Agent · Answer

The slowness you're experiencing with your Windows t2.micro instance, even after a reboot and without running applications, could be due to several factors:

1. Memory constraints: The t2.micro instance only has 1 GB of RAM, which is quite limited for running Windows Server, especially with Desktop Experience. Windows itself can consume a significant portion of this memory, leaving little room for other processes or applications. The 80% memory utilization you're seeing is indeed high and could contribute to the slowdown.

2. CPU credit exhaustion: T2 instances use a credit-based system for CPU performance. If your instance has depleted its CPU credits, it will be limited to its baseline performance, which can result in significant slowdowns. This could explain why it's slower today compared to normal operations.

3. Potential hardware issues: The pop-up message you saw about memory not being referenced at certain addresses could indicate a potential hardware problem. While AWS generally handles hardware issues, it's possible that your instance is running on a host experiencing some issues.

4. Windows updates or background processes: Even without visible applications running, Windows might be performing updates or running background processes that are consuming resources.

To address this issue:

1. Consider upgrading to a larger instance type, such as t2.small or t2.medium, which would provide more memory and CPU resources for Windows Server.

2. Monitor your CPU credit balance and usage to see if you're consistently exhausting credits.

3. Check Windows Event Viewer for any error messages related to memory or system performance.

4. If the issue persists, you may want to contact AWS support to investigate potential underlying hardware problems.

Remember that t2.micro instances, while cost-effective, are often insufficient for running Windows Server with a graphical interface, especially for consistent performance. Upgrading to a more powerful instance type would likely resolve many of these performance issues.  
**Sources**  
[New Server Super slow no programs installed yet | AWS re:Post](https://repost.aws/questions/QUkliJV7cYRzqo5mzEaOjXJA/new-server-super-slow-no-programs-installed-yet)  
[Unresponsive or laggy EC2 | AWS re:Post](https://repost.aws/questions/QUpR-v88-UTEq4dqjqv1o8QQ/unresponsive-or-laggy-ec2)  
[Very high CPU Steal Time with "t2.micro" located on "us-east-2b" | AWS re:Post](https://repost.aws/questions/QUEyNT7rncQnaA-x0DXRWGgg/very-high-cpu-steal-time-with-t2-micro-located-on-us-east-2b)

Windows t2.micro is slow today even with no applications running

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