Windows 10: High Memory Usage in Task Manager in Windows 11

My laptop is running on Windows 11 for more than a year. The laptop was running smooth but from a couple of weeks the laptops start to lag sometimes. I have restarted the laptop and checked also then also faced the same issue.As soon as I start my laptop and checked the task manager, I am facing high memory usage in the task manager. the memory usage is getting up to 80% to 90%. I have cleared the temp folders and Downloads also. I have disabled the startup apps alsperating System Details:Edition Windows 11 Home Single Language Version 23H2 OS build 22631.3527Processor 11th Gen IntelR Cor

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Why does the Windows 11 task manager not show the correct memory usage?

The question was already asked a bit differently in another thread, but the answer was not helpful.

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Why does the task manager not show the real usage of RAM of the processes? If you add up everything that is listed in task manager you get less than 50% of main memory usage that is reported on the other tab of the task manager!

This is very unsatisfying, because it means you cannot determine what is actually causing the high memory usage.

It doesn't seem to be Windows System processes alone, but a certain overhead for every program.

If I close a task, that is reported to use 920 MB of memory and compare the overall RAM usage before and after, it drops by 1.7 GB, which is nearly double of the closed process, although on the processes list, this is the only task that disappears.

I'm using Windows 11 version 10.0.22621 Build 22621 on a Lenovo Laptop with ADM Ryzen 7 Pro 4750U and 32 GB of DDR4-3200.

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Help with high memory usage while idle and nothing open

Hello MastrKage,

High RAM usage when your PC is idle can be frustrating. Let’s explore some potential solutions to address this issue:

1. Check for Resource-Intensive Processes:
   
   • Open the Task Manager (you can do this by right-clicking the taskbar and selecting “Task Manager”).
     
   • Look for any processes that are consuming a significant amount of memory even when your PC is idle.
     
   • If you find any resource-intensive processes, consider investigating further or terminating them.
     
2. Disable Startup Programs:
   
   • Some applications automatically start when your PC boots up, consuming memory even when idle.
     
   • To manage startup programs:
     
     • Press Win + R, type “msconfig”, and hit Enter.
       
     • Go to the “Startup” tab and uncheck unnecessary programs.
       
     • Click “Apply” and “OK”, then restart your PC.
       
3. Check for Malware or Unwanted Software:
   
   • Malware or unwanted background processes can cause high RAM usage.
     
   • Run a full system scan using your preferred antivirus software to ensure your system is clean.
     
4. Disable Tips and Suggestions (Windows 11/10):
   
   • Windows provides tips and suggestions that can consume memory.
     
   • To disable them:
     
     • Open Settings.
       
     • Go to System > Notifications.
       
     • Turn off "Get tips, tricks, and suggestions as you use Windows."
       
5. Monitor RAM Usage Over Time:
   
   • Use tools like Resource Monitor or RAMMap to track memory usage patterns.
     
   • Observe if there are any spikes or consistent high usage during idle periods.
     
6. Update Drivers and Windows:
   
   • Outdated drivers or an outdated Windows version can lead to memory issues.
     
   • Ensure your drivers (especially graphics and chipset drivers) are up to date.
     
   • Install any pending Windows updates.
     

Remember that some RAM usage during idle is normal, but if it consistently exceeds a certain threshold (e.g., more than 30% or 80-90% as reported by some users), it’s worth investigating further. Hopefully, these steps will help optimize your RAM usage and improve overall system performance! ️

Hope this helps,

Fathia A

 

Windows 10 high Memory Usage

Hello,



I appreciate your patience.



You might be facing this issue due to several reasons like low virtual memory, third party software conflicts, virus threat on the computer etc.



Even though no programs or applications are running, some background services can show memory usage and disk usage. In order to check which particular program is using the memory, I would suggest you to check the Task manager.



Refer to these steps:

1. Press Windows key + X, select
task manager.

2. Click on the ‘Processes’ tab and it will show you show you a list of programs and services running and their corresponding memory usage and disk usage.

3. Check if any of the item listed is consuming more memory or disk usage than normal.



I suggest you to try the following steps and check if it helps.

You need to increase this virtual memory.

Make it equivalent to your RAM size for the initial size and twice of the initial size in maximum size and make sure you have the same amount of free space in your hard drive in each drive.



To do this, follow the following steps:

1. Go to Control Panel (Press Windows key + X)> All control panel items > System

2. Click on Advanced system settings.

3. Under Performance, click on settings

4. Go to Advanced tab

5. Under Virtual memory, click on Change

6. Un-check "Automatically manage paging file size for all drives" check box

7. Select your windows drive (where OS is installed)

8. Click on Custom size radio button

9. Set Initial size equivalent to your RAM size in MB

10. Set Maximum size to twice of your RAM size in MB

11. Click on Set

12. Click on OK thrice

13. Restart your system



Hope it helps.



Let us know if the issue persist, we are glad to assist you further.