The speed of the computer, whether it can open software or games, even if they are heavy, without freezing depends on the CPU processor and RAM memory . Large and fast RAM will help increase the processing speed of the computer and vice versa, full RAM will make the computer slow and freeze. Therefore, freeing up RAM is necessary, it will help users overcome the slow computer situation, increase computer speed , and run multiple programs at the same time.
In this article, WebTech360 will introduce you to ways to free up RAM to help your computer run faster and smoother.
Table of Contents
The more software you install on your computer, the longer it takes Windows to start. Many programs add themselves to the list of programs that start when you boot your computer, and that list can grow over time.
For some programs, it’s better to have them start up with Windows, such as firewalls and antivirus software. However, for most programs, starting them at boot time just wastes resources and increases boot time. There’s a tool that comes with Windows called MSConfig that allows you to quickly and easily see what’s running at startup and disable programs you want to run automatically after startup if needed. This tool is available and can be used to disable startup programs in Windows 7, Vista, and XP. If you’re using Windows 8 or Windows 10, see the other sections below.
NOTE : MSConfig can be used to configure a number of other things besides startup programs, so be careful what you do with it. If you are unsure about using it, just follow the steps in this article and everything will be fine.
Note that some applications need to be configured to stop themselves from starting when your computer starts up or they will add themselves back to the list of startup programs. In this case, there is usually a setting in the program's options to prevent the program from starting up with Windows.
Note, the method is similar for Windows operating system versions.
Step 1:
Go to Start > All programs to remove any unused software.
Step 2:
With Windows 10, enter the command MSCONFIG to search, and from Windows 7 and below, you can search for MSCONFIG.EXE in the Run or Search dialog box .
Click the Startup tab to see which software is configured to start with Windows. Windows 7 and below, the software will appear right in the Startup panel . As for Windows 10 , click Open Task Manager to check.
Step 3:
Here, you can control which software is not needed, or set it to not run with Windows when starting up by clicking on each program and selecting Disabled .
Browser Add-ons also consume a lot of RAM. You need to check each Add-on and disable them if you are not using them.
Step 1:
In Google Chrome , click on the 3-bar icon at the top of the screen, select Settings and access Extensions to check the Add-ons you have used.
Step 2:
Click the trash icon to delete unused extensions.
Some unnecessary Windows services are also the reason why your computer runs slowly, such as Windows Defender. It takes up about 20MB or even more if you run it in the background. If you already have an antivirus tool for your computer, you should turn off Defender to speed up your computer . Here's how to disable Windows Defender for Windows versions.
If we decide to disable other services, we can also set it up right on the computer.
Step 1:
In Start type services.msc to launch it. You will see a list of services running in Windows.
Step 2:
To completely disable a service, right-click an application and select Properties .
Step 3:
The setup panel appears. In the Startup type section , click the arrow and select Disabled then click OK to complete.
This will disable the program even if you restart your computer.
If you want to temporarily disable it, when you restart your computer the service will automatically start, left click on the service and click on the square on the screen to stop it from running.
Some services you can consider and disable completely on your computer:
This process should free up about 10MB of RAM. You can gain more by removing more services, but you can also run into dangerous problems if you remove something you really need.
If your PC has 4GB of memory, chances are you'll only have access to 3 to 3.5GB of RAM, because the BIOS has allocated the remaining free space to the video card, network card, and other hardware.
To check the hardware allocation on your PC, follow these steps:
Step 1:
Type devmgmt.msc at Start to launch Device Manager .
Step 2:
Click View and select Resources by type to expand memory.
The cut off is mostly due to the video card. If you have a 512MB video card, it will probably take up 512MB or more of your computer's memory. This probably won't be a problem if you have 2GB of RAM with no memory locked, but if you have 4GB it will prevent you from using your full memory.
You can't fix this problem completely, but there are ways to reduce its impact. For example, if you have an expansion card installed that you no longer need, remove it. If you're not getting the most out of your video card, consider downgrading it to a minimum amount of RAM (128MB is enough to run Vista). Check your BIOS to disable features you don't need. There's a menu called Onboard Device Configuration or Integrated Periphrals where you can disable on-board graphics, integrated sound, network adapters, unused IDE channels, etc. Use this to disable the extra hardware, and the BIOS won't allocate memory to it, leaving you with the space you need.
Don't enable too many Windows features unless you really need them. For example, to speed up Windows Vista , turn off the Aero interface if you can do without it (right-click the desktop, select Personalize > Theme, and select Windows Classic). It won't look as pretty, but it will save you nearly 40MB of RAM. If you don't like seeing the network icon flash when transferring data, right-click the icon, select Turn Off Activity Animation, and you'll save 1 to 5MB of RAM.
Windows Explorer can run each Explorer window in a separate process, so if one window crashes it won’t affect the others. That sounds reasonable, but in our testing it used at least 10MB more RAM for every Explorer window you opened. If Windows still crashes, figure out why, turn this feature off, and reclaim the wasted memory.
Step 1:
You enter the command Folder Options on the search bar to access File Explorer Options .
Step 2:
At the File Explorer Options interface , in the View section, uncheck Launch folder windows in a separate process and click OK .
Step 1:
You access Tools .
Step 2:
In Folder Options, select View and also uncheck Launch folder windows in a separate process, click OK .
If you’re running an application, it’s probably consuming RAM, but there’s a way to reduce that: minimize it. If an application isn’t doing anything (like a browser with a few tabs open), when it’s minimized, Windows reclaims the memory it was given to give to other applications. So it’s better to minimize inactive programs than to leave their windows on your desktop. This frees up RAM for more important tasks.
Don't waste your time with ineffective tricks related to memory optimization or with useless programs that only make things worse.
Some websites recommend the 'AlwaysUnloadDLL' Registry tweak that claims to help Windows free up DLLs as soon as the program that uses them closes. But it doesn't work in XP or Vista. Others claim that setting a Windows XP Registry key can enable Superfetch (a Windows Vista utility) in Windows XP. That's a myth. Many websites also recommend RAM optimizers that promise to fix memory errors and 'free up' RAM (in fact, they take up more memory).
Once you have cleaned up your computer, reboot and see what is using your RAM.
How to do with Windows 10 version :
Step 1:
Right-click the Start icon on the taskbar and select Task Manager .
Step 2:
In the Details column you will see the number of programs running in your computer and their size.
Click on the Memory section to see the order of software taking up space from low to high, or vice versa.
Step 3:
If there is any unnecessary program, you can turn it off. Right-click on the program and select End Process tree .
For Windows 7 or lower computers :
Step 1:
For Windows 7 and earlier, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
Step 2:
Click View and select Select Columns .
Step 3:
Check the Memory - Private Working Set box and click OK .
Step 4:
A table will also appear showing how much space the software is taking up on your computer. To close it, right-click and select End Process or End Process Tree .
If you really want to dig into the workings of your PC, there are two invaluable Sysinternal tools for you. Autoruns will show you everything that loads when Windows starts, while Process Explorer shows you which programs are running in great detail and shows you what resources they're using. These are the best PC optimization tools available today.
In addition, users can also use CCleaner software to effectively free up RAM , by deleting cache, junk files, and redundant Windows files. Increasing virtual memory capacity, virtual RAM on Windows is also a way to help the computer speed up and play games more smoothly.
If you have little RAM and cannot afford to upgrade your RAM, you can consider switching to Opera Neon , the latest version of Firefox or Vivaldi instead of Chrome, which will also help reduce the burden on RAM.
This is a very familiar and simple tip but is especially useful for the following reasons:
When you restart your computer, the RAM on your device will also be automatically cleared, as well as all running programs will be reset, thereby helping to clean up processes running in the background that may be the culprits consuming your system's RAM. It is best to restart your computer regularly to keep your system from getting bogged down with useless applications that are constantly running in the background.
It may sound strange, but controlling malware on your system is also an effective way to free up RAM. Resource-hogging malware will obviously drain your available RAM. Therefore, using antivirus programs according to a scientific and specific plan is also something you should do.
If you see an error message that your system is running low on virtual memory, there are things you can do to improve this and keep your system performance more stable.
First, go to Control Panel (or Settings for Windows 10) from the Start menu. Switch the category view in the top right to small icons (if necessary) and select System . On the left side, click Advanced system settings , a new window will open.
Here, in the Advanced tab , you click on the Settings button under Performance . Switch to the Advanced tab again and click on the Change button .
You will now see the paging file size for your primary drive. In most cases, you can check Automatically manage and let Windows manage the paging files automatically. However, to effectively solve the problem, you should uncheck Automatically manage and then set the initial and maximum paging file sizes to higher values.
If your computer is still using an old mechanical hard drive (HDD), you can try a little-known but effective Windows feature called ReadyBoost to increase your RAM. This feature allows you to use a flash drive or SD card as a secondary RAM system. While it sounds pretty cool, this feature has its limitations. If you are using an SSD , ReadyBoost will not have any effect at all. This is because SSDs are inherently faster than flash drives.
Furthermore, since computers today typically come with much more RAM by default than they used to, you won't see as much benefit from ReadyBoost as you would on an old system with little RAM from a decade ago. The "fake RAM" from ReadyBoost certainly can't deliver the same performance as real RAM. In short, this method is more suitable for older computers that have been in use for a long time.
If you are really low on RAM or want to run more programs at the same time, there is frankly no better way to do it than adding more RAM to your system. Although it will cost you some money, adding more RAM will make a noticeable and lasting improvement in the overall performance of your system.
If you are using a desktop computer, upgrading RAM will not be difficult. But for laptops, it is different, due to limited space on a laptop, replacing RAM, adding RAM is not simple or even impossible in some cases. In addition, you also need to make sure to buy the right type of RAM that is compatible with your system. Refer to our article " Instructions on how to upgrade RAM on computers and laptops " to get the most necessary information.
Antivirus software is notorious for hogging resources, especially when it's running a scan. If your computer suddenly becomes slow, check your antivirus program to see if it's running. If it is, stop it and schedule the scan to run when your computer is idle.
Pagefile is an area of your hard drive that Windows uses as extra RAM when your physical RAM is full. When you shut down your computer, your system RAM is cleared, but the Pagefile is not. Clearing the Pagefile when you shut down helps your computer run more efficiently when you restart your Windows PC.
Refer to the article: Clear Pagefile traces every time you shut down your Windows 10 computer for details on how to do it.
Windows is certainly a great gaming platform. However, unlike a gaming console, a laptop or desktop’s system resources are not dedicated to gaming. Windows services and background software require system resources, which reduces the amount of RAM available for gaming. As a result, some gamers often have to close third-party software and services listed on the Processes tab of Task Manager to free up system resources for gaming.
Apps like Razer Cortex will help you stop all unnecessary background processes before launching a game, so you can have more RAM dedicated to your game. While this doesn’t always make a huge difference, it’s worth a try. For some people, it can be incredibly useful.
As technology improves, there are more possibilities for computer effects and visuals to be used. For example, you can turn off animations for apps and icons that use memory for unnecessary effects. If you seem to be running low on RAM, there are some effects that you should pause until you can free up more memory.
To access visual effects on your computer:
Step 1 : Open File Explorer .
Step 2 : Right-click on This PC on the left panel to select properties.
Step 3 : Click Advanced system settings on the left.
Step 4 : Select the Advanced tab.
Step 5 : Select settings in the Performance category.
Step 6 : Change to Adjust for best performance .
This setting will turn off all dynamic features on your computer. This will free up more storage space for you but will significantly reduce the aesthetic appeal of your computer. However, you can also customize the visual effects your computer will perform to your liking in the same tab.
You should update the software on your computer to the latest version. In addition to security reasons, older software versions can cause your computer to need more RAM to process. This leads to a lack of RAM, making your computer slow.
On Windows computers, System Restore is a feature that allows your system to restore to a specific point in time to fix problems. This is a useful feature, but it takes up a lot of system resources when enabled. Therefore, you can turn off System Restore to free up RAM.
Steps to turn off System Restore:
Step 1 : Press the Start button then type the keyword System Restore or Create a restore point . Click on the search result.
Step 2 : Select the drive you want to disable System Restore on and click Configure. Next, select " Disable system protection ", select Apply > Yes and then click OK to exit.
You can reset your computer to return everything to its original state, your system is clean and works faster. However, your accounts, applications, and settings will be deleted after performing the reset. You should consider before doing it. How to reset Windows 10 you can refer to here:
Some browsers are better at allocating and managing RAM usage than others. If you rely heavily on one browser and find it running slow, it may be time to upgrade to a smarter, more secure browser.
Your cache relies heavily on RAM because it uses short-term memory to reload pages you've recently visited. While this helps you navigate the web faster, it requires a lot of RAM, leaving little memory to complete other essential tasks.
If you have restarted your computer and tested other browsers, try clearing your cache and cookies to free up RAM.
Yes, those little icons at the top of your browser can be taking up memory. If you have browser extensions that you don't use often, it might be time to delete them and see if your computer speeds up.
Some apps, whether first-party or from third-party app stores, are programmed to run in the background. These apps often drain your battery and take up RAM, storage, and bandwidth. Here's how to identify the background apps you don't need and turn them off to free up memory.
To turn off background apps:
Background apps often make your life easier, from displaying notifications to performing automatic updates. But when your RAM fills up, it's important to keep an eye on them and shut them down when necessary.
Good luck! If you encounter any problems that you cannot fix, please leave a comment or contact WebTech360 via our Facebook fanpage for support.
See also the following articles:
Smart TVs have really taken the world by storm. With so many great features and the ability to connect to the Internet, technology has changed the way we watch TV.
Refrigerators are familiar appliances in families. Refrigerators usually have 2 compartments, the cool compartment is spacious and has a light that automatically turns on every time the user opens it, while the freezer compartment is narrow and has no light.
Wi-Fi networks are affected by many factors beyond routers, bandwidth, and interference, but there are some smart ways to boost your network.
If you want to go back to stable iOS 16 on your phone, here is the basic guide to uninstall iOS 17 and downgrade from iOS 17 to 16.
Yogurt is a great food. Is it good to eat yogurt every day? What will happen to your body when you eat yogurt every day? Let's find out together!
This article discusses the most nutritious types of rice and how to maximize the health benefits of whichever rice you choose.
Establishing a sleep schedule and bedtime routine, changing your alarm clock, and adjusting your diet are some of the measures that can help you sleep better and wake up on time in the morning.
Rent Please! Landlord Sim is a simulation mobile game on iOS and Android. You will play as a landlord of an apartment complex and start renting out an apartment with the goal of upgrading the interior of your apartments and getting them ready for rent.
Get Bathroom Tower Defense Roblox game codes and redeem them for exciting rewards. They will help you upgrade or unlock towers with higher damage.
Let's learn about the structure, symbols and operating principles of transformers in the most accurate way.
From better picture and sound quality to voice control and more, these AI-powered features are making smart TVs so much better!
DeepSeek initially had high hopes. As an AI chatbot marketed as a strong competitor to ChatGPT, it promised intelligent conversational capabilities and experiences.
It's easy to miss important details when you're jotting down other essentials, and trying to take notes while chatting can be distracting. Fireflies.ai is the solution.
Axolot Minecraft will be a great assistant for players when operating underwater if they know how to use them.
A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead's configuration is rated quite highly, so you will need to consider the configuration before deciding to download.
