5 Ways to Clear Memory and Boost RAM on Windows

If you have been noticing that your computer, which had been running smoothly lately, has been running slower than usual and you are having difficulty with certain tasks, it may be time to give your PC a boost. One way to do this is to clear the memory of your computer and increase the RAM. Doing this can help you avoid having to take your computer to a repair shop.

A low amount of RAM can cause various issues, such as slow boot times, slow application loading times, and slow system response times. If you are facing these issues on your Windows computer, you can follow the below steps to clear memory and boost RAM.

Before continuing, let us explore some of the reasons why computers might experience malfunctions or poor performance. Here are a few potential causes:

• Degrading system components
• Power surges
• Bad memory chips that are  due to use and age
• The computer doesn’t have enough RAM
• Excessive software launch during startup
• Viruses and malware that  consume the system sources

No matter what age your PC may be, there are always ways to improve its memory and increase the power of its RAM. Try following some tips to clear the computer’s storage and gain some extra performance.

Close Unnecessary Programs

To improve your computer’s performance, one effective solution is to check the computer processes that may be consuming excessive system resources. You can do this by using Task Manager. Here are the steps to access and use the Task Manager:

1. Right-click on the Windows taskbar and select Task Manager.
2. Click on the Processes tab to view all the active processes running on your computer.
3. Sort the processes by memory usage to see which applications are consuming the most RAM.
4. If you notice any problematic applications, go to Control Panel and select Programs and Features.
5. From there, you can uninstall the applications that are causing the performance issues.

Disable Start-Up Programs

Dealing with memory issues in your PC can be quite challenging. The software installed on the computer can take up RAM and not show up on the list of programs in the Task Manager.

Even though these programs are not visible, they can still take up a lot of memory when the PC starts up.

Here are the steps you can follow to clean the startup programs:

• Choose the Task Manager and click the Startup apps tab. 
• Sort the list on the Startup impact field.
• Determine the applications that you don’t need or use then right-click the applications and select Disable.

Clear the Page File At Shut Down

Clearing the page file when the computer shuts down is another way to improve the performance of your computer. The page file is a portion of the hard drive that the operating system uses as virtual memory when the system RAM is full. Although the system RAM is cleared when you shut down your computer, the page file remains untouched.

To clean the page file, you can use Registry Editor. Here are the steps:

1. Type “Regedit” in the start menu and click on the Regedit run command.
2. In the Registry Editor, find the “ClearPageFileAtShutdown” key on the right.
3. Double-click on the key to edit its value.
4. Set the Value data field to “1” and click OK.

By following these steps, you can clear the page file each time you shut down your computer, freeing up space and improving the performance of your computer. Additionally, there are other methods you can use to boost RAM, ensuring that your computer is running at its best.

Use ReadyBoost

Windows ReadyBoost is a feature that was introduced in Windows Vista and is still available in Windows 10. It allows users to use a USB flash drive or memory card to improve their computer’s performance.

ReadyBoost works by caching frequently used data on the flash drive or memory card, allowing the computer to access it more quickly. This can help to speed up the computer’s performance, especially when it comes to launching applications or opening files.

ReadyBoost is a great feature for those who need a bit of extra RAM on their computer. It is easy to set up and can make a big difference in the performance of your computer.

ReadyBoost is easy to set up and use. All you need to do is plug in the USB flash drive or memory card and then select it as a ReadyBoost device in the Windows control panel.

Once it is set up, Windows will automatically manage the caching of data on the device. ReadyBoost can be used with any USB flash drive or memory card as long as it has at least 256 MB of free space.

It can also be used with multiple devices at once, allowing you to further improve your computer’s performance.

You can red the official document for setup process.

Reduce the Size of Virtual Memory

Virtual memory is a feature of the Windows operating system that allows it to use a portion of your hard disk as RAM. If your computer has a low amount of RAM, Windows will increase the size of virtual memory to compensate. However, this can slow down your computer.

You can reduce the size of virtual memory to boost RAM by going to the Advanced System Settings > Advanced tab > Settings button under the Performance section > Advanced tab > Change button under Virtual memory section.

Then you can set a number for a chosen drive.