High Virtual Memory Utilisation

Nov 14, 2019  Source: Windows Central. On Windows 10, virtual memory (or paging file) is an essential component (hidden file) designed to remove and temporarily store less frequently use modified pages. How to use Windows 10's Resource Monitor to track memory usage by Greg Shultz in Software on May 27, 2016, 3:04 PM PST Windows 10 offers a number of ways to keep an eye on your system's memory usage.

Source: Windows Central

On Windows 10, virtual memory (or paging file) is an essential component (hidden file) designed to remove and temporarily store less frequently use modified pages allocated in RAM (random-access memory) to the hard drive. Using this approach allows the system to prioritize faster physical memory for more frequent processes and applications, improving the overall performance and preventing the device from locking up in the event it runs out of system memory.

In addition, the paging file is important to support crash dumps during a system crash (Blue Screen of Death), as without a large enough page file, a dump with all the contents of the system memory won't be created.

Although the system does a pretty good job managing the paging file size according to various factors automatically, sometimes, you may still need to increase the default virtual memory values manually. For instance, when you see the 'Your system is low on virtual memory' message. You're noticing slow performance over time, or a particular application requires specific parameters to work as intended.

If you're experiencing issues with virtual memory, the device doesn't have enough memory, or you're trying to improve the system performance, Windows 10 allows you to increase the size of the virtual memory in at least two ways using the Settings app and Command Prompt.

In this Windows 10 guide, we'll walk you through the steps to increase the size of the virtual memory to improve the system responsiveness.

How to increase virtual memory using Settings

To adjust the virtual memory size on Windows 10, use these steps:

Warning: Although anyone can change the paging file size, it's only recommended to use these instructions if you have a valid reason, and you know what you're doing.

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Click on System.
  3. Click on About.

  4. Under the 'Related settings' section, click the System info option.

    Source: Windows Central

  5. Click the 'Advanced system settings' option from the left pane.

    Source: Windows Central

  6. Click the Advanced tab.

  7. Under the 'Performance' section, click the Settings button.

    Source: Windows Central

  8. Click the Advanced tab.

  9. Under the 'Virtual memory' section, click the Change button.

    Source: Windows Central

  10. Clear the Automatically manage paging files size for all drives option.
  11. Select the Custom size option.

  12. Specify the initial and maximum size for the paging file in megabytes.

    Source: Windows Central

    Quick tip: The size of the virtual memory is unique to each device, and it can't be generalized. However, usually, it's recommended to use a number that's one and a half times the total available memory for the 'Initial size' and three times of available memory for the 'Maximum size' when possible.

  13. Click the Set button.
  14. Click the OK button.
  15. Click the OK button again.
  16. Restart your device.

Once you complete the steps, you should notice an increase in performance when navigating Windows 10 as well as when running multiple apps at the same time.

If you need to revert the changes, you can use the same instructions, but on step No. 10, make sure to check the Automatically manage paging size for all drives option, and restart your device.

How to increase virtual memory using Command Prompt

To modify the paging file size with Command Prompt, use these steps:

  1. Open Start.
  2. Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.

  3. Type the following command to understand the current status of the paging file and press Enter:

    wmic pagefile list /format:list

    Source: Windows Central

  4. Type the following command to switch form manage to custom virtual memory and press Enter:

    wmic computersystem where name='%computername%' set AutomaticManagedPagefile=false

    Source: Windows Central

  5. Type the following command to set the initial and maximum size of the virtual memory and press Enter: Turnitin software free download for mac.

    wmic pagefileset where name='C:pagefile.sys' set InitialSize=YOUR-INIT-SIZE,MaximumSize=YOUR-MAX-SIZE

    This example sets the paging file to '9216' and '12288' megabytes for the initial and maxium size:

    wmic pagefileset where name='C:pagefile.sys' set InitialSize=9216,MaximumSize=12288

    Source: Windows Central

  6. Type the following command to restart your computer and press Enter: Prayer for church budget meeting.

    shutdown -r -t 00

After you complete the steps, the device will start using the new values for virtual memory, which, if done correctly, should help to improve system performance.

If you no longer need to use the custom size for virtual memory, you can always revert the changes and allow Windows 10 to manage this feature using this command: wmic computersystem where name='%computername%' set AutomaticManagedPagefile=true and restarting your device.

While it's recommended to use one and a half times the available memory for the initial and three times the memory for the maximum size, make sure to test the changes and adjust the values if you're experiencing freezes, crashes, and other problems.

Although it's possible to disable virtual memory on Windows 10, even when you have a large amount of system memory, it's not recommended to disable this feature. Usually, if you disable paging file, some applications may stop working, some system features may not work efficiently, and you may end up with some weird behaviors.

More Windows 10 resources

For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, visit the following resources:

Seems faster

Benchmarking the new Surface Book 3 15 with GTX 1660 Ti and 10th Gen i7

Although it's too early for a review, here are some initial benchmarks from the new Surface Book 3 15-inch with a Core i7 and NVIDIA GeForce 1660 Ti (Max-Q) and how it compares to Surface Book 2 and other premium laptops. Spoiler: While the CPU is just OK, that 1660 Ti definitely bumps up the Book 3's potential.

Before we tell you how you can fix high CPU usage in Windows 10, let’s divulge into the details of what might be causing this, shall we?What causes high CPU & memory usage in Windows 10If you have this perception that devices featuring lesser RAM might be facing high CPU usage issues on Windows 10, you are wrong. In fact, most of the people facing these issues have systems with 8 or 16 GB RAM and high-end Intel Core i7 chipsets. We are using a Windows 10 PC, which packs 4 gigs of RAM and is powered by the fairly modest Core i3 processor and we can personally assure you that Windows 10 works like a charm (well, at least most of the time).So, low memory or lower end chipsets are certainly not the problem here. Now that we have cleared that doubt, here are some things that might be causing your Windows 10 PC to use up all the CPU power and RAM:. Driver Incompatibility Issues: Some hardware makers are yet to update their Windows drivers to play well with Windows 10 and that results in performance issues. Due to driver incompatibility, there might be a memory leak, which results in high CPU & memory usage.

Windows 10 updates: We are going to go ahead and say that Windows 10 updates are a headache. While Microsoft has tried to make things seamless, the regular prompts to update aren’t helping. Plus, there are various updates that are downloaded in background automatically, resulting in slowing down of the PC. Registry Bugs: Windows 10 seems to feature a few bugs in its Registry that are resulting in the high CPU usage.

CPU hogging processes: There are various unnecessary processes that run in the background and take up all the CPU usage. Moreover, there are processes that automatically start up when you turn on your PC.There might be several other reasons for the high CPU usage in Windows 10 but these are the key ones for sure. Don’t worry though, as we are going to help you fix things up.

Here’s how you can fix high CPU and memory usage in Windows 10:Ways to fix high CPU/Memory Usage in Windows 10Note: You can check out your PC’s CPU and memory usage by going to the Task Manager. You can open up Task Manager by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Delete or by right clicking on the Start menu and selecting “Task Manager”. So, after you try out the following methods, don’t forget to check the Task Manager for changes in the CPU and memory usage.

Disable start up apps and servicesAs we mentioned, there are various apps and services that start running in the background, as soon as we start up the computer. Well, there’s a way to stop these apps and services to start running at start up. To do it, open Task Manager and go to the fourth tab “Startup”. Here, the apps will be listed along with their impact on the CPU and memory. To disable an app or service, just select it and click on the “Disable” button or right click on the app and select “Disable”.Note: Make sure to only disable third party apps and services because there might be apps & services that are part of Windows and disabling them might result in problems. Disable Superfetch and other servicesThere are a few Windows 10 services that are the main culprit in eating up your CPU resources. Superfetch is a Windows 10 system service, which makes sure that the most accessed data is available right from the RAM.

However, if you disable the service, you will notice a huge decrease in CPU usage. Here’s how to do it:. In the Windows Task Manager, go to File-Run new task. In the Create New Task dialog box, type “services.msc” and click “Ok”. The whole list of Windows services should open up, scroll down below and find “Superfetch”. When found, right click on the service and select “Properties”.

When the service properties opens up, you will find a “Startup type” option in the General tab. Change that to “Disabled” through the drop-down menu and press “Ok”You can use the same process to disabled other CPU intensive services like “Background Intelligent Transfer Service Properties” and “Windows Search Properties”.3. Make changes to the Registry to disable RuntimeBrokerRuntimeBroker is a Windows process, which is supposed to help you manage permissions of the Windows Store apps. Ideally, it should not take up a lot of memory or CPU resources but faulty apps results in the process using GBs of memory, thus causing performance issues. As you might have guessed, you can disable the process through the Registry Editor. Here’s how you can do it:.

Open Run through the Win+R key combo and type “regerdit.exe” and press Enter to open Registry Editor. In Registry Editor, go to HKEYLOCALMACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesTimeBroker and double click on “Start” to change its DWORD value from 3 to 4. Once done, reboot your PC for the changes to take effect. After which, you will see that there’s no process dubbed RuntimeBroker.Note: The value 2 means automatic start up, 3 means manual, while 4 means disabled. Fix Driver IssuesWe have already mentioned that incompatible drivers can result in memory leak on Windows 10, so it’s important you fix all the driver issues. You can install apps like, etc. These apps automatically detect outdated drivers and update them from inside the app.

So, you won’t have to go and search for them manually. Turn off Windows 10 TipsIf you are new to Windows 10, the cool tips that pop up to show you the way can be pretty helpful. However, if you have been using Windows 10 for a while now, you should know that these tips might be the cause of your PC’s high CPU usage. Moreover, some people even think that turning off Windows 10 tips disabled the RuntimeBroker process. Either ways, it’s best to disable it.To turn off Windows 10 tips, go to Windows Settings-System-Notifications and actions. Here, turn off “Show me tips about Windows”.6.

Change Windows 10 Update SettingsWindows 10 updates were supposed to be seamless but the fact is, they have become a nuisance. Windows 10 keeps on downloading updates automatically and even installs it on will. This not only hinders the experience, it also takes up a huge chunk of CPU resources and memory.

So, it’s important to change Windows 10 update settings, so that they play well with your PC’s CPU and RAM.Firstly, you need to turn off automatic downloading and installation of updates. To do that, go to S ettings-Update & Security-Windows Update-Advanced Options and check “Defer upgrades”.Windows also tends to share your update with other PC’s over the internet. You can either totally disable it or choose to share your updates with PCs on your network. We’ll recommend you to turn it off in Settings-Update & Security-Windows Update-Advanced Options-Choose how updates are delivered.7. Disable “Ok Google” in Chrome and “Hey Cortana”Google’s Chrome browser has made a name for itself for being a fast, responsive browser, as well as a resource hog.

So, it’s no surprise that Chrome might be one of the key reasons for your PC’s high CPU usage. Reportedly, disabling Chrome’s “Ok Google” feature brings a pleasant impact on CPU usage. To disable it, you can go to Chrome Settings and in the “Search” section, uncheck “Enable Ok Google to start a voice search”.The always-on hotword “Hey Cortana” should also be disabled to bring a positive impact on a PC’s CPU and RAM. To disable it, open Cortana and hit the hamburger menu. Then, go to Notebook-Settings and turn off “Hey Cortana”.8. Adjust Windows 10 PerformanceAnimations and various cool transitions look good but they also take a toll on your PC’s CPU and memory. Thankfully, Windows lets you optimize the effects for the best performance. To optimize Windows 10’s performance, go to Control Panel and in the search box, type “performance”. From the search results, click on “Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows”.The “Performance Options” dialog opens up and in the “Visual Effects” tab, you can either “Let Windows choose what’s best” or “Adjust for best performance” or “Adjust for best appearance” or you can disable/enable any effects manually under “Custom”. In the “Advanced” tab, you can even choose to allocate processor resources for best performance of either “Programs” or “Background services”.9.

Turn off Windows SpotlightWindows Spotlight is the Windows 10’s lockscreen that brings you stunning wallpapers from Bing along with suggestions. It also learns from your feedback to bring you backgrounds that you will like. It does look cool but it also runs in the background, taking up resources, so it’s best to turn it off. To disable it, go to Windows Settings-Personalization-Lockscreen and change the background from Windows Spotlight to a Picture.10.

Defragment DrivesAnother way to fix high CPU & memory usage in Windows 10 is by making your PC’s hard disk more efficient. You can do that by defragmenting your PC’s drives. To start defragmentation of drive, search for “defragment” in Cortana and you should find “Defragment and Optimize Drives” desktop app. You can then select the drive you want to defragment. To start the process, click on “Analyze”, which will tell you if the drive needs to be defragmented or not.Once it’s analyzed, you will get the percentage of fragmentation on the drive.

If it’s above 10%, you should start defragmentation by clicking on “Defragment Disk”.Note: The defragment process can take several minutes to hours, however you will be able to use your PC in the mean time.SEE ALSO: Try these methods to fix high CPU/memory usage in Windows 10If you have been facing issues with high CPU and memory usage in Windows 10, you should try out all of these methods to optimize your PC’s performance for the best. We are pretty sure you won’t face any issues once you carry out these steps. So, try them out and let us know if the performance issues on your PC are fixed or not. Also, tell us if you have any more methods to optimize CPU and memory usage in Windows 10. Sound off in the comments section below.