How to Fix High Memory Usage Issues in Windows 11

Have you upgraded to Windows 11? While it does come with some nice surprises, some users might encounter high memory usage issues. So, how can you fix this and keep your PC healthy? In this article, we'll provide 8 methods to resolve high memory usage problems in Windows 11.

Quick navigation:

1. Disable unnecessary apps or programs 2. Disable startup applications 3. Defragment the hard drive 4. Disable the SysMain service 5. Switch to Best Performance mode 6. Increase virtual memory 7. Tweak registry settings 8. Scan for viruses

Reasons for High Memory Usage in Windows 11

Memory is used to temporarily store data and instructions, much like RAM. All programs run in memory.

• Unnecessary apps or programs
• Too many startup programs enabled
• Inadequate virtual memory
• Virus infection
• And more...

Dealing with memory usage issues can be a multi-step process, and you might need to try each one. Read on and see the 8 fixes for Windows 11.

< a id="1" name="1">1. Disable unnecessary applications or programs

Step 1: Click on the search icon in the middle of the taskbar, type “Task Manager,” and click the top result to launch it.

Step 2: Click the Processes tab in Task Manager.

There, you'll see running apps and processes. Move to the Memory column to see memory usage.

Step 3: Right-click on the program and select “End task” from the drop-down menu.

Select the app that you don't need at the moment. Or, pick the one that's taking up too much memory.

2. Disable Startup Apps

Some programs are set to run automatically when you start up your computer. While this cuts down on clicking, some of these programs use a lot of memory. Too many can slow down your computer's performance. You can manage what runs at startup by going to the "Startup" tab and disabling apps that you don't use often.

Step 1: Click on the search icon, type Task Manager, and open it.

Step 2: Go to the Startup tab.

You can see all the programs that start up when your computer does.

Step 3: Right-click the app and click Disable.

3. Defragment the Hard Disk

1. Click the search icon to open the Start menu, then search for Defragment and Optimize Drives. Click the best match to launch the program.

Step 2: Your disks should be listed here. Click on the one you want to defragment, then click on the Optimize button.

Step 3: Wait for the defragmentation to complete.

Step 4. Restart your computer and check if the memory usage has improved.

4. Disable the SysMain service

If you're experiencing performance issues, you can disable the SysMain service. The SysMain service, called SuperFetch in Windows 10, predicts which apps you'll use and loads them into memory so they start up more quickly.

Step 1: Press Windows + R to open the Run window. Type services.msc in the box and click OK.

Step 2: Scroll down and locate the SysMain service.

Step 3. Right-click the SysMain service, and choose Properties from the context menu.

Step 4. On the SysMain Properties page, go to the Startup type section. Click on the drop-down menu and select Disabled.

Step 5: Go to Service Status, and then click the Stop button.

Wait for the disable process to complete, and then click OK.

5. Optimize performance

Changing your system's performance settings can also resolve high memory usage.

Step 1: Open the Start menu, search for sysdm.cpl, and click the most relevant result.

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Step 2: The System Properties window should now be visible.

Step 3. Click the Advanced tab, and then click the Settings button under the Performance section.

Step 4. In the Performance Options window, select Adjust for best performance.

"Optimize for better performance"

6. Increase Virtual Memory

Step 1: Open the Start menu, type sysdm.cpl, and then click the result to proceed.

Step 2. Once System Properties is displayed, go to the Advanced tab and click Settings under Performance.

Step 3: In the Performance Options window, click on the Advanced tab. Then locate Virtual Memory and click on the Change button.

Step 5: Click “Yes” to confirm.

Step 6. Select another drive from the list > Check "Custom size" and enter values for "Initial size" and "Maximum size" > Click "Set", then "OK".

Step 7. Restart your computer.

7. Set Up Your Registry

Step 1. Press Windows Key + R to open the Run window, then type Regedit to open the Registry Editor.

Step 2: Browse to the following location: Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management

Step 3. Double-click on ClearPageFileAtShutDown.

Step 4. Type 1 in the Value data field and click OK.

Step 5: Restart your computer.

8. Scan for viruses

High memory usage could be caused by a virus issue.

1. Type "Windows Security" into the Start menu, then click the most relevant result to open the app.

Step 2. Click on Virus & threat protection.

You can click here to scan quickly.

If that does not help, we recommend scanning your entire system for viruses.

Step 1: Click on Scan Options.

Step 2: Check the option Deep Scan and click on the button Start Scan.

（Image: Virus scan in Windows 11）