Windows 11 RAM Usage High? 8 Ways To Free Up Memory

How to Check Your Current RAM Usage

Checking your current RAM usage in Windows 11 is easy using the built-in Task Manager 📊 tool. To open Task Manager right away, press the Ctrl+Shift+Esc keys on your keyboard at the same time. This helpful window shows you exactly which apps and background processes are using up your computer’s memory so you can spot problems quickly.

1. Press the Ctrl+Shift+Esc keys on your keyboard at the same time to open Task Manager 📊. Alternatively, right-click the Start button ⊞ on your taskbar 🖥️ and select Task Manager from the menu.
2. If Task Manager 📊 opens as a small window with very few details, click on the More details button at the bottom of the window to see the full view.

   

3. At the top of the window, click on the tab that says Performance (it looks like a small heartbeat graph).
4. On the left-hand menu of the Performance screen, click on Memory.

On this screen, you will see your total memory (for example, 8.0 GB or 16.0 GB), how much is currently in use, and how much is available. You will also see your memory speed and how many memory slots are being used on your motherboard.

To see which specific apps are eating up your memory, click back to the Processes tab on the left. Click on the column header labeled Memory at the top of the list. This sorts your apps from the highest memory user to the lowest. Now you know exactly what is slowing you down!

Method 1Restart Your Computer

Restarting your computer is one of the quickest and most effective ways to clear out high RAM usage in Windows 11. Leaving your device on for days without a reboot causes apps and background processes to leave behind leftover data in your memory. A simple restart completely wipes this temporary data and gives your system a fresh start.

When your computer runs for a long time, apps and background processes can leave behind leftover data in your memory. This is sometimes called a memory leak. When an app closes improperly, it forgets to clean up after itself, leaving chunks of memory locked away and unusable.

A full computer restart clears the temporary memory completely, stops all background tasks, and lets Windows 11 start fresh. You can perform a full restart by opening the Start menu, clicking the power icon, and choosing the restart option. This simple step wipes your system's memory clean and often fixes high RAM usage issues immediately.

1. Click the Start button on your taskbar.
2. Click the Power icon in the bottom-right corner of the Start menu.
3. Click on Restart and wait for your computer to turn off and back on again.

Check your Task Manager after your computer boots back up to see if your memory usage has dropped to a normal level.

Method 2Disable Unnecessary Startup Apps

Disabling unnecessary startup apps in Windows 11 stops programs from launching automatically the moment you turn on your computer. Many apps like chat tools, music players, and cloud storage utilities quietly consume memory from the exact second your desktop appears. Turning these extra programs off keeps your system running fast right from startup.

Startup apps run in the background right when you turn on your computer, and these background programs take up valuable RAM from the moment your desktop appears. Because Windows 11 often launches dozens of unnecessary programs automatically, your system wastes memory before you even open a single app. Stopping unnecessary startup apps helps your computer run much faster and frees up memory for the games and programs you actually use.

1. Open Task Manager by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
2. Look at the left-hand menu and click on the icon that looks like a speedometer or gauge, which is the Startup apps tab.
3. You will see a list of programs that start automatically with Windows 11. Look down the list for apps you do not need right away.
4. Click on an app you want to stop from starting automatically.
5. Click the Disable button in the top-right corner of the Task Manager window. (Note: This does not delete the app from your computer; it just stops it from running automatically when you turn on your PC.)

Disabling startup apps you do not use frequently stops unnecessary programs from running in the background. The next time you restart your computer, these startup apps will stay closed until you click on them manually, which saves valuable memory and helps speed up Windows 11.

Method 3Turn Off Background Apps

Turning off background apps prevents hidden programs from consuming your Windows 11 memory after you close their main windows. Many apps continue syncing data, checking for updates, and showing notifications in the background without your knowledge. You can easily stop these power-hungry programs through your main Windows settings menu.

You can stop individual apps from running in the background through your Windows settings.

1. Click the Start button and open the Settings app (the gear icon).

   

2. Click on Apps in the left-hand menu.
3. Click on Installed apps.
4. Scroll through your list of apps to find a program that you know runs in the background and uses a lot of memory.
5. Click the three dots button (...) next to the app name and select Advanced options.
6. Look for the section called Background apps permissions. Click the drop-down menu and change it from Always or Power optimized to Never.

By keeping background activity turned off for apps you do not use often, you prevent them from silently stealing your computer's memory.

Method 4Adjust Windows Visual Effects for Better Performance

Windows 11 features a polished visual design with smooth animations when you open and close windows, transparent taskbars, and drop shadows behind menus. While these visual touches look nice, the visual touches require your computer's hardware—including your RAM and graphics processor—to render the visual touches constantly.

If you have an older computer or a system with limited memory, turning off these extra visual effects can free up resources and make your PC feel much snappier.

1. Click the Start button, type sysdm.cpl into the search box, and press Enter to open the System Properties window.
2. Click on the Advanced tab at the top of the window.
3. In the Performance section, click the Settings button. This opens the Performance Options window.
4. On the Visual Effects tab, you will see a list of visual features with checkmarks next to them.

   

5. To let Windows choose the best balance automatically, you can select Adjust for best performance. This will turn off most fancy animations and shadows.
6. If you still want some animations to keep things looking modern, select Custom and uncheck heavy items like Animate windows when minimizing and maximizing and Enable transparent glass.
7. Click Apply and then click OK to save your changes.

Method 5Manage Browser Tabs and Extensions

Managing your browser tabs and extensions is essential because popular web programs like Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge are massive memory hogs. Every single open web page and browser add-on demands its own chunk of RAM. Closing unused tabs and removing old extensions will instantly recover a large amount of system memory.

If you are the kind of person who leaves fifty tabs open across three browser windows, your computer will quickly run out of RAM.

• Close tabs you are not using: Get into the habit of bookmarking pages you want to read later and closing the tabs you are finished with.
• Use browser memory savers: Modern browsers have built-in features to help with this. For example, in Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome, look in your settings for Efficiency mode or Memory Saver. These features put inactive tabs to sleep so they stop using your memory until you click on them again.
• Remove unused browser extensions: Click on the puzzle piece icon or extension menu in your browser. Remove any extensions or add-ons that you installed once and no longer use. Extensions run constantly in the background and consume memory.

Method 6Run a Virus and Malware Scan

Running a virus and malware scan helps fix high RAM usage because harmful programs often hide in the background to mine digital currency or steal data, consuming massive amounts of memory. Malicious software secretly runs hidden tasks that drain your computer memory. Regular security scans catch these hidden threats and stop malicious software from slowing down your computer.

Running a regular security scan helps ensure that your computer is clean and that no hidden software is stealing your resources.

1. Click the Start button and type Windows Security into the search box, then click on the app when it appears.

   

2. Click on Virus & threat protection in the main window.
3. Click on the Scan options link under the quick scan button.
4. Select Full scan to check every file and running program on your computer thoroughly. (Note: A full scan can take a long time, sometimes up to an hour or more depending on your drive speed.)
5. Click the Scan now button.

If Windows Security finds any suspicious files or malware on your computer, you should follow the step-by-step instructions on your screen to safely remove or quarantine the detected threats. Removing malware is important because malicious programs often run hidden background processes that consume valuable system memory and slow down your computer.

Method 7Clear Temporary Files and System Cache

Clearing temporary files and system cache helps Windows 11 manage your storage drive and virtual memory much better. Over time, apps pile up old cache files that take up valuable space and slow down your computer's backup memory system. Deleting these useless files gives your operating system the breathing room it needs to run smoothly.

Virtual memory is a clever trick where Windows uses a portion of your storage drive as extra RAM when your physical memory gets full. If your drive is cluttered, this system slows down.

1. Click the Start button and open the Settings app.
2. Click on System in the left-hand menu, then click on Storage on the right.
3. Wait a moment for Windows to calculate what is taking up space on your drive.
4. Click on Temporary files.
5. Windows will scan for files that you can safely delete, such as old update files, error reports, and files in your Recycle Bin.
6. Check the boxes next to the items you want to remove. (Make sure you check what you are deleting so you do not lose important downloads.)
7. Click the Remove files button at the top or bottom of the list.

Method 8Check for Windows Updates and Driver Updates

Checking for Windows updates and driver updates fixes unexpected high memory usage caused by old software bugs. Microsoft and hardware manufacturers regularly release patches that specifically solve memory leaks and performance flaws. Installing these updates ensures your system runs efficiently with the latest bug fixes applied.

Keeping your system fully up to date ensures that you have the latest performance patches and bug fixes.

1. Click the Start button and open the Settings app.
2. Click on Windows Update in the left-hand menu.

   

3. Click the Check for updates button.
4. If Windows finds any available updates, let them download and install completely. Your computer may need to restart to finish the installation.

To check for hardware driver updates:

1. In the Settings app, click on Windows Update again.
2. Click on Advanced options.
3. Scroll down to the Additional options section and click on Optional updates.
4. Click on Driver updates to see if any hardware updates are waiting for your system, check the boxes, and click Download & install.

Advanced Expert Tips to Lower RAM Usage

If you have tried all eight basic steps and your Windows 11 RAM usage is still too high, here are two advanced expert tips that can help you squeeze extra performance out of your machine.

Expert Tip 1: Optimize Your Virtual Memory (Page File) Settings

Optimizing your virtual memory page file settings gives Windows 11 a better backup system when your physical RAM runs low. Windows normally manages this storage drive file automatically, but manual adjustments can greatly improve system stability. You can easily access these settings through the advanced system properties menu on your computer.

1. Click the Start button, type sysdm.cpl, and press Enter to open System Properties.
2. Click on the Advanced tab.
3. In the Performance section, click the Settings button.
4. In the Performance Options window, click the Advanced tab at the top.
5. Look for the Virtual memory section and click the Change button.
6. Uncheck the box at the top that says Automatically manage paging file size for all drives.
7. Select your main system drive (usually drive C:).
8. Select Custom size and enter a starting size and maximum size recommended by Windows, or leave it managed by the system if you are unsure. (Modifying virtual memory incorrectly can cause system instability, so when in doubt, leave automatic management turned on.)
9. Click Set, then click OK.

Expert Tip 2: Consider a Physical RAM Upgrade

Upgrading your physical RAM is the best long-term solution when your computer simply reaches its hardware limit. Software tweaks can only do so much if you only have 4 GB or 8 GB of memory for heavy tasks like gaming. Moving up to at least 16 GB of RAM gives you a permanent performance boost for a stress-free experience.

Windows 11 runs best with at least 16 GB of RAM for a smooth, stress-free experience. Upgrading your physical RAM is often inexpensive and provides a massive, permanent performance boost. If you are using a desktop computer, buying a matching pair of memory sticks and slotting them into your motherboard is a relatively simple DIY project. If you are using a laptop, check with the manufacturer to see if your memory is upgradeable, as some modern laptops have RAM soldered directly onto the board.

Summary

Fixing high RAM usage in Windows 11 is usually very straightforward and does not require spending any money on new parts. Throughout this guide, we explored eight practical ways to check your memory and free up valuable space using built-in tools. Applying these simple tips will make your slow computer feel fast and responsive again in no time.

To recap, you can lower your memory usage by restarting your computer regularly, turning off unnecessary startup apps, disabling background app permissions, adjusting visual performance settings, managing your browser tabs and extensions, scanning for viruses, cleaning out temporary files, and keeping your system updated. If all else fails, adjusting your virtual memory or upgrading your physical RAM hardware will give your PC the boost it needs.