Finder using all of my available RAM

Question

Right after a fresh install of Mac OS X Server on the Mac Mini, my Finder already had this problem. It was fine at first, but if I left it open for a while, it would chew up all of my RAM in about 2 days. I installed every software update after that, and the problem is not fixed. It used 3 GB yesterday because I accidentally left it open. Currently, I've been leaving it closed and using AFP to move files. Is this a common issue with a fix?
P.S. I'm not going to reinstall the OS. Finder isn't worth enough for me to do that again, especially because the Mini does not have a DVD drive.

Answer 1

When you say "left it open" are you referring to a finder window?  Closing the window does not close finder.
Make sure you have ample freespace on your hard drive
running permission checks and hard drive tests (using Disk Utility) might help.
You can also put the system in target disk mode and boot off of it from another machine, in case there is some hardware issue.  this will rule most things out except the hard drive.
I also use onyx and other utilities found at http://www.titanium.free.fr/ to help clean up caches and tweaks to osx.  use at your own risk.
if this has not resolved the problem, then you may be a victim of a corrupt spotlight index.
I had an issue not quite like this but close enough to offer as a possible solution. 
Here's how you fix a corrupt spotlight index:
1. Open system preferences
2. open spotlight (top right)
3. click on privacy tab
4. click and drag your hard drive into the window (if you have more than one, perform this one at a time.)
     you will leave this in here for at least 10 minutes.  no less. (seems hokey but osx does stuff behind the      scene ie removing existing index)
after your 10 mins at least is up, go back in and remove your HD from the privacy tab, and osx should start rebuilding a new index. 
repeat for any additional drives you may have.  I would also close out of system preferences while you are waiting your 10 minutes.
HTH