Windows 10: Why is my memory usage so high but I have nothing open?

I have been having this problem for about a year now. I have an Alienware Aurora R9 Windows 11 PC with 32gb of ram but even with everything closed, it's using 31.8gb. I have already scanned for viruses. Any game that I try to play has frequent lag spikes.

:)

 

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   • Outdated drivers or an outdated Windows version can lead to memory issues.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

 

System and compressed memory high disk usage

Hi Robert,

As you are facing issues with high system and compressed memory on your device we will help you with this issue.

Provide us additional information to assist you better with this issue:

• What is the make and model of your device?
• What is the complete error message with respect to the memory when you are trying to access games?

This issue might have occurred due to applications or services running at the startup on the computer. Bad sectors on the hard drive or outdated and incompatible drivers might also cause such issues.

I suggest you to refer to the below post check if your issue matches with the same.

If so, I recommend you to try the troubleshooting steps suggested by Amarjeet Paul
and check if it helps.

System and compressed memory high disk usage during file
copy

Hope it helps. Get back to us with an updated status of this issue for further assistance.

 

System and compressed memory high disk usage during file copy

Thank you Amarjeet_Paul.

I spent many more hours than I had hoped this past week reading and trying others' suggestions from this community on how to reduce high RAM usage due to ntoskrnl.exe. The "System and compressed memory" process remained the top consumer of RAM, using 500-900MB,
among all other processes running. I deemed it to be the likely culprit in making my computer use frustratingly sluggish. After completing your
third step, steps 1. & 2. provided no improvement in my case, the "System and compressed memory" process RAM usage has plummeted from the top of the Task Manager Process list to the bottom, running at a remarkable 0.1MB! That's a whole lot less than
1% of the targeted process' gluttony. You're hired! Ps. I'll be keeping an eye on the process' use as I get back to normal operations, and be back if it floats to high in the list. Or if the registry fix you suggested has compromised use in any way. Please
explain in simple terms what the insertion of your registry modification is doing.

Thanks again.

Geoff