Fatal error: Allowed memory size exhausted in Cache Storage

[myPhone]

If I enable cache in Global Configuration, I get the following error on my live site within a day or two:

Fatal error: Allowed memory size of 146800640 bytes exhausted (tried to allocate 15656475 bytes) in /libraries/joomla/cache/storage/file.php on line 142

I don't know why this error is coming up, but if I clear the cache or turn off cache, the error goes away. Does anyone know why this error occurs (memory is at fault, but why), and what I can do to avoid it?

Running...

Joomla 2.5.1
PHP 5.3.5
MySQL 5.1
Apache Web Server (also happened on Nginx)

[myPhone]

This error happened again on my site today. It seems to take some time for the problem to crop up (several days before I get the error), and I'm not sure what I can do to fix it.

I've moved the site to a dedicated server with 4GBs of RAM, and the memory_limit in PHP.ini is set to 90M, so the site should have plenty of resources at my disposal. Any advice is greatly appreciated!

[BeTheDance]

I also hit this. Saw a google post about it. Turned progressive cache to conservative and everything worked fine.

[fanfouet]

is it solved yours problems coz i have the same one with Joomla 3.1

[Aldinifish]

I am getting this error following the launch of a new j3 site and I have to keep taking it off line. It seems after all these years nobody in the joomla world knows what causes it. Its a generic error but there should at least be some kind of recommended checklist. I am sure someone knows the answer. I will try and document my findings on how to resolve this.

[mutedcensor]

I followed the advice from BeTheDance and that sorted the problem out for me straight away.
Thank you!

[breeze29]

Can someone provide step-by-step instructions for changing progressive cache to conservative in Joomla 3.4.x. I'm encountering the same error on a VirtueMart site. A solution is suggested here but it does mention how to implement. Any help is appreciated.

[Aldinifish]

You could try the following:
In the back end goto System>Global Cinfiguration>System Tab>Cache Settings
Then try changing the Cache to On - Conservative setting. Cache Handler to File. Cache Time to 5 mins. You can then try extending the cache time.

[breeze29]

Thanks Aldinifish!

[hcamelion]

I know this is an old thread but I wanted to share the actual cause of this error in my particular case. I don't think just turning something off is ever a resolution to an error and one needs to always find the actual cause so I dug deeper. In our case it was the jevents plugin with a client's site:

https://www.jevents.net/forum/viewtopic ... 1&start=10

Search engine bot traffic in this case caused a massive amount of cache files to be created in the com_jevents cache folder due to a bug. The cache system ran out of memory trying to read the folder and you may get the error on the component front end as well like my client did.

Deleting the folder fixes it temporarily. Obviously turning off caching fixes it and changing to conservative cahcing probably slows it down but it still happens as a user mentioned.

The true fix is to upgrade your jevents to the latest version if this is your issue.

For others where they don't have jevents I would try and track down a particular component causing the issue so you don't have to turn off caching and lose the performance that caching provides.