How to Free Up RAM

Understand how programs use RAM. When running, programs store data in your computer's RAM. The more programs you have open, the more RAM is required. The simplest way to free up RAM is to close programs you are not actively using.

Close unnecessary windows. If there are multiple programs open on your screen, close the ones you are not using. For instance, shut down chat applications if you don’t need them at the moment.

• Web browsers with numerous open tabs can consume a significant amount of memory; close unused tabs to free up RAM.

Close background programs. Some programs continue running even after you close their windows. Most of these can be found in the system tray at the bottom-right corner of the screen, near the clock. Hover your mouse over the icons to identify which programs are still active.

• Right-click the icon to open the program’s menu. Most programs can be fully closed from this menu. However, some programs (like antivirus software) cannot be completely shut down via the right-click menu.

Prevent programs from launching with Windows. If too many programs start up with Windows, your computer’s performance and boot speed will be significantly affected. Here are a few ways to stop programs from launching at startup:

• Adjust program settings. Most programs that launch with Windows have an option to disable this feature. Open the program’s settings (Options or Preferences); the option to disable auto-start is usually under the General tab. For example, right-clicking the Google Drive icon opens a menu. Clicking Preferences… opens a new window where you can uncheck “Start Google Drive automatically when you start your computer” under the Misc. tab.
• Disable startup services. Open the Run command with Windows + R. Type “msconfig” and press Enter. The System Configuration window will open. Click the Startup tab to see a list of programs that launch with your computer. Uncheck the boxes next to programs you want to disable.

Force close background programs. Some background programs do not display icons in the system tray or appear in System Configuration. To close these less accessible background programs, open Task Manager by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del and selecting Start Task Manager.

• Locate the program you want to stop. Open the Processes tab. All currently running processes on your computer will be listed. At the bottom of the window, you can see the percentage of total RAM being used. Click the Memory column to sort programs by the amount of RAM they are using.
• Select the program you want to close and click End Process. A window will pop up asking for confirmation and warning that closing the program may have negative effects. Only close programs you are certain about. Terminating specific programs may cause system instability until you restart. Programs with the User Name “SYSTEM” should be left running to ensure proper system functionality.

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

Locate Explorer. Windows Explorer is the user interface of the Windows operating system, so removing it from RAM and reloading it can potentially free up some memory. Find the explorer.exe file and click End Process. You can sort program names by clicking the Image Name column. If done correctly, the taskbar and desktop icons will disappear.

Restart Windows Explorer. Click on the 'Applications' tab and then click the 'New Task...' button. In the window that opens, type “explorer.exe” in the text field and click OK. Explorer will relaunch, and the taskbar and desktop icons will reappear.

Disable Windows Defender. If you are running an antivirus/spyware program, Windows Defender may be unnecessary and can be turned off. To do this, open Windows Defender from the Control Panel. Click on Tools, then select Options. Under the Administrator section, uncheck the box labeled “Use this program” and click Save.

Disable Windows Aero. Windows Aero is a collection of graphical interfaces used by Windows in Vista and 7. Open the Control Panel and select Performance Information and Tools. In the left-hand menu, click on “Adjust visual effects.” The Performance Options window will open, allowing you to fine-tune Windows’ display settings. To turn off Aero, select “Adjust for best performance” and click Apply. The screen will briefly turn gray as the settings are applied.

Install additional RAM. The cost of memory has significantly decreased over time, making it much more affordable to upgrade the RAM in your older computer. Consult your computer’s documentation to determine the type of RAM compatible with your system. You can also refer to Mytour’s guides on installing RAM for desktops and small laptops.

Clear memory on Mac OS X. Mac OS X generally performs well in this regard, but occasionally, some resource-heavy programs may reserve RAM and fail to release memory even after being closed. To clear memory on a Mac, first launch Terminal (usually located in Applications > Utilities).

• Simply type "purge" into the command line and press Enter. The system will execute the command for a few minutes.
• You can check memory usage before and after clearing by opening Activity Monitor in the Utilities folder.