the private memory footprint just keeps increasing.

On the example I gave, the process memory didn't get above the 3.2MB start-up footprint.

It sounds like the file has no (windows recognisable) newlines, so -pe is trying to load the entire file into memory as a single line?

If so, you may have to resort to processing the file in blocks. Try using: 

perl -e"BEGIN{ $/ = \65536 }" -pe "s/\x00\x42\x00\x11/\x00\x42\x00\xf0
+/sgx"

[download]

And see what if any difference that makes?

Examine what is said, not who speaks -- Silence betokens consent -- Love the truth but pardon error.
"Science is about questioning the status quo. Questioning authority".
In the absence of evidence, opinion is indistinguishable from prejudice.
RIP an inspiration; A true Folk's Guy

In reply to Re^3: Slow find/replace hex in Perl win32 by BrowserUk
in thread Slow find/replace hex in Perl win32 by rickyboone

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