The amount of RAM in your Windows computer is directly related to the speed of running programs and their performance.
Is your computer running slower than usual or having trouble doing simple tasks and causing programs to crash? If you experience such a situation, the reason is most likely the lack of RAM. If you are looking for ways to free up your computer’s RAM, this article is written precisely for you.
What is RAM?
RAM is Random Access Memory and refers to the computer’s short-term memory for active and momentary processes. This is why your computer can access RAM at a very high speed. This section is stored on the memory chip of your computer’s motherboard and acts as the central memory hub of the device.
RAM allows you to open several programs simultaneously and have so-called multitasking. The more RAM your computer has, the more tasks you can do simultaneously. When the computer’s performance slows down, the RAM space is occupied too much.
Freeing RAM is an essential part of the computer maintenance process; Because using a computer with low RAM can be very tiring and even painful. Here are some tips to free up this memory on Windows computers.
General solutions to free up computer RAM
Before freeing up the computer’s RAM, you can perform several steps so that the following actions have the most significant effect.
1. Restart the computer
If you’re wondering how to free up RAM, the answer is much more straightforward than you think. Like many other problems encountered by electronic devices, the first step to troubleshooting and reducing RAM consumption is restarting the computer.
Because RAM stores short-term data, it only affects currently running programs. Rebooting the device will clear the RAM. Some processes may run in the background without your knowledge; In that case, a reboot is a surefire way to stop them and give your RAM a rest.
2. Try other browsers
Some browsers use better mechanisms for effective RAM management. If you use a web browser daily and notice that your computer is slow, it may be time to migrate to a more modern and optimized browser like Microsoft Edge.
3. Clear the RAM cache
Your cache is heavily dependent on RAM because it uses short-term memory to reload pages you’ve recently opened. While this feature helps the user to browse websites faster, it will take up a lot of RAM, leaving minimal memory available for other tasks. If you’ve already tried restarting your computer and other browsers, you can free up RAM by clearing the cache.
4. Software update
Updating software can be a chore, but it’s worth doing to protect your computer in the long run. Old software usually needs more RAM, and updating it will optimize RAM consumption. This action can make multitasking faster.
5. Remove unnecessary and unused programs and plugins
Even the handy little icons at the top of your browser can be the culprit of memory hangs. If you have many extensions installed on your browser but don’t use them, it is better to remove the unnecessary ones as soon as possible.
Freeing up RAM on Windows computers
You can quickly fix RAM overflow problems on Windows computers by following essential troubleshooting tips. In the following, we will teach you the best ways to free up RAM in the Windows environment.
1. Check RAM usage with TaskManager
Thanks to the Windows Task Manager, finding the source of the decreased available RAM space is relatively easy. This tool will show which programs and services have occupied how much RAM. Thus, you can take appropriate measures to free up RAM.
Follow the steps below to access Task Manager and check RAM consumption:
- Click the Start menu, type Task Manager in the search bar, or press Ctrl+Shift+Esc or Ctrl+Alt+Delete on your keyboard.
- You should click on More Details at this stage to see the full view of Task Manager.
- Go to the Processes tab and click on memory. Doing this will sort all processes from the most to the least amount of RAM.
Now you will have much information about the programs and services that occupy most of the RAM. Remember to check RAM usage periodically and regularly through Task Manager. Now you can identify programs taking up a lot of RAM and remove or stop their background processes.
2. Remove unused software
You probably have several programs on your computer that you used long ago. Now that you know which programs take up the most RAM, you can remove unnecessary and unused ones from your computer.
To remove programs, follow the steps below:
- Click on the Start menu and enter the Settings section.
- Click on Apps.
- Click Apps & features and then click the Uninstall button next to each app to remove it.
3. Stop background apps
Some programs are programmed to run in the background regardless of whether you use them. These programs are often responsible for reducing the available RAM of the computer but also consume more battery and internet bandwidth. Therefore, it is essential to identify and stop these programs.
To disable background apps, follow these steps:
- Enter the Windows Settings section.
- Click on Privacy.
- Click on Background Apps from the Category panel on the left.
- Switch the programs you don’t use from On to Off.
Stopping background programs will ultimately improve the speed of your Windows computer. This work can increase the amount of RAM available in the system, and as a result, other functions will be performed more smoothly and quickly.
4. Clear the Page File before rebooting
Page File can prevent the computer from slowing down even when the available RAM is very low. However, since this information is stored on the storage memory, it will not be automatically deleted after restarting the computer, and you will have to do this manually.
To schedule the removal of the Page File when the computer restarts, follow these steps:
- Click Start and then type Registry Editor.
- Confirm this message if the operating system asks you for permission to access this section.
- On the left side of the window, click HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.
- Now select SYSTEM.
- Select CurrentControlSet.
- Now you need to select Control.
- Select Session Manager.
- Click on Memory Management.
- Select ClearPageFileAtShutdown.
- Enter 1 in the Value Data box and click OK.
5. Disable animations and visual designs
As technology advances in computers and operating systems, more visual effects are added to user interfaces. These effects and animations can occupy a significant amount of system RAM. You can significantly improve your computer’s performance by disabling these products.
To disable computer visual effects, follow these steps:
- Click File Explorer on the taskbar or via the Start button.
- Click on This PC in the left panel of the window.
- Click Properties.
- Now click on Advanced system settings and then enter the Advanced tab.
- To disable all animations, select Adjust for best performance.
Setting the computer to the Adjust for best performance mode makes the user interface look a little simpler visually. Still, it will improve the speed of executing various commands.
6. Add more RAM
Most laptops and personal computers allow users to add more RAM. Sometimes, after all the abovementioned optimizations, more than the system speed and available RAM may be needed. In such a situation, buying new RAM and adding it to your computer is the best solution.
This solution will be expensive, but its effect on improving the PC’s performance is more than any other method.
Of course, before buying new RAM, you should ensure your computer supports additional RAM.
Conclusion
After doing the above steps, you won’t have a problem with excessive RAM on your computer. These solutions will help you to use the available RAM more optimally. However, sometimes your use of your system increases, and you can only expect a little from the above methods.
These simple but practical steps will help you increase the speed and use your Windows computer more pleasantly.