Content

• Steps

When there are too many programs using RAM (Random Access Memory), you will find your computer sluggish. This article will guide you on how to free up system memory and make your computer run smoothly.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Close essential programs

1. 

   Understand how programs use RAM. During operation, the program stores data in the computer's RAM.The more programs running together, the more RAM is needed. The simplest way to free up RAM is to close down unused programs.

2. 

   
   
   Close the redundant window. If there are multiple programs on the screen, turn off unused windows. For example, turn off chat if you don't have any need to chat right now.
   • A web browser with lots of tabs open can take up a significant amount of memory; you should close unused tabs to free up RAM.

3. 

   Close the background program. Some programs continue to run after you close windows. You can see most of these programs in the system tray in the lower right corner of the screen, next to the clock. Hover your mouse pointer over the icon to see which programs are active.
   • Right-click an icon to open the program's menu. Most programs can be completely disabled from this menu. Some other programs (like antivirus) cannot be completely shut down from the right-click menu.

4. 

   
   
   Prevent the program from starting with Windows. If there are too many programs starting with Windows, your computer's performance and startup speed will be severely affected. There are several ways to prevent programs from starting with Windows:
   • Change program settings. Most programs that start with Windows have the option to disable the feature that starts running when the computer starts. Open the settings (Options or Preferences) of the program; the option to turn off autostart is usually in the General section. For example, right-clicking on the Google Drive icon will bring up a menu. If you click on Preferences… a new window will open up. In the Misc section. (Miscellaneous) is the check box of the option "Start Google Drive automatically when you start your computer" (Automatically start Google Drive when turning on the computer).
   • Disable startup service. Open the Run command with the Windows + R key combination. Type "msconfig" into the box and press enter. The System Configuration window opens. Click the Startup tab to see a list of programs that start with your computer. Uncheck the boxes next to the program you want to disable.

5. 

   
   
   Force close background programs. There are some programs running in the background that do not show their icons in the system tray and in System Configuration. To close not normally accessed background programs, open Task Manager. Press Ctrl + Alt + Del and select Start Task Manager.
   • Find the program you want to stop. Open the Processes tab. All processes currently running on the computer will be displayed. At the bottom of the window, you can see the percentage of the total RAM being used. Click the Memory item to sort the programs in the order of the amount of RAM you are occupying.
   • Select the program you want to close and click End Process. A pop-up window will appear asking if you want to close it and warning that shutting down the program may have negative effects. Close only programs you definitely want to close. Closing specific programs may cause the system to become unstable until rebooted. Programs with the User Name “SYSTEM” need to be kept in order for the system to function properly.
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Method 2 of 3: Restart Windows Explorer

1. 

   
   
   Open Task Manager. Press Ctrl + Alt + Del and choose Task Manager from the list of options. The Task Manager window will open. Click the Processes tab.

2. 

   Find Explorer. Windows Explorer is the user interface of the Windows operating system, so when it is removed from RAM and reloaded, some memory is likely to be freed. Find the file explorer.exe and click End Process. You can sort the program names in order by clicking on Image Name. If done correctly, the taskbar and desktop icon will disappear.

3. 

   
   
   Restart Windows Explorer. Click the 'Applications' tab and then click the 'New Task ...' button. In the window that opens, type "explorer.exe" into the text field and click OK. Explorer opens, and the toolbar and desktop icon will reappear. advertisement

Method 3 of 3: More tips

1. 

   
   
   Disable Windows Defender. If you have an antivirus / Spyware (spyware) open, then Windows Defender is unnecessary and can be turned off. To do so, open Windows Defender from the Control Panel. Click Tools, then select Options. Under Administrator, uncheck the box "Use this program" and then click Save.

2. 

   Turn off Windows Aero. Windows Aero is a set of graphical interfaces that Windows uses on Vista and 7. Open Control Panel and select Performance Information and Tools. In the left menu, click “Adjust visual effects”. The Performance Options window will open, you can adjust the display details of Windows. To turn off Aero, select “Adjust for best performance” and then click Apply. The screen will go gray for a moment when the settings change.

3. 

   Install more RAM. Memory costs have dropped significantly over time, so upgrading your old computer's RAM will be much less expensive than before. Refer to your computer's documentation to determine which type of RAM is compatible with the system. You can check out wikiHow's instructions on installing desktop and small laptop RAM.

4. 

   Clean up the memory on Mac OS X computers. In this regard, Mac OS X has relatively high performance, but sometimes some heavy programs will reserve RAM and not free up memory even if you turn them off. To clean up Mac memory, you'll first need to launch a Terminal (usually located in the Applications> Utilities folder).
   • Just type "purge" into the command line and press Enter. The system will execute in a few minutes.
   • You can check how much memory you use before and after you release it by opening the Activity Monitor in the Utilities folder.
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