How to Enable or Disable Memory Compression in Windows 11

This guide explains how to turn memory compression on or off in Windows 11. Memory compression makes your computer store data in a smaller, squashed format within your RAM.

Why use memory compression?

Windows 11 uses this feature to make your computer run faster. By shrinking data, your computer does not need to move information to your hard drive as often. This keeps more apps open at once without slowing you down.

What happens when done?

When you enable this, your computer uses less physical RAM. If you disable it, your computer will stop compressing data, which might free up your processor but could cause your system to use more disk space for temporary tasks.

How to check your current status

You can check if memory compression is working by opening the Task Manager Task Manager. Look under the Performance tab and click on the Memory section to see how much is compressed.

You can also check the status using PowerShell. Open the Windows Terminal as administrator Windows Terminal and type this command:

Get-MMAgent

How to enable memory compression

Note: This step requires admin privileges.

If the status shows as False, you can turn it on. Open Windows Terminal as administrator and make sure you are in the PowerShell tab. Run the following command:

Enable-MMAgent -mc

After running this, close the terminal and restart your computer to save the changes.

How to disable memory compression

Note: This step requires admin privileges.

If you prefer to turn this feature off, open Windows Terminal as administrator and select the PowerShell tab. Run this command:

Disable-MMAgent -mc

Summary

Memory compression is a smart way for Windows 11 to save space in your RAM. It helps computers with less memory run more apps smoothly. You can easily check, turn on, or turn off this feature using simple PowerShell commands. If your computer feels slow, keeping this feature enabled is usually the best choice.