When programs perform tasks on OS X and other platforms, chunks of memory are allocated for their needs, but these should be relinquished when the task is done. If not, then a memory leak may occur, where progressively more memory is reserved (sometimes at a rapid rate), until the system cannot allocate anymore and is strained for resources. When this happens, the entire system may run slow, pause, or hang and require a forced restart. Unfortunately there is little you can do as an end-user to prevent a memory leak, but with quick identification you can knock out a program that is causing one, before it starts affecting the entire system. Continue reading →