How to Free Up RAM
Level of difficulty:
When running a program heavy on RAM, such as a DivX video file, a game, or professional video editing software, RAM usage becomes more apparent as the computer slows down in performance and it seems to take forever to load up certain functions or to have certain actions read. This is true even if the computer’s available RAM is 2Gb. Sometimes, adding more RAM is not the solution. Simply by prioritizing RAM, a program may run more smoothly and speedily.
- Memory optimizer program (optional)
Avoid waiting for the memory to run out before attempting to do anything. Once the computer is running low on memory, it automatically transfers some processes to the hard drive in order to compensate and to ensure that other programs run properly. This action already means that memory is critical. If this is already happening, close all programs and save all unsaved data if possible. Click 'Refresh' on the desktop or reboot if the system cannot recover.
Before opening a memory-heavy program, save everything that needs to be saved and consider closing the programs you no longer need first.
Go to the desktop and press CTRL+ALT+DEL. This opens the Task Manager.
Go to the Processes tab. From there, the currently running processes, the CPU usage, and the memory usage can be seen.
From this tab, it is possible to right click on an unnecessarily running object and end it. End all processes that you are absolutely sure is unnecessary. If unsure about a certain process, double check it on the Internet before doing anything with it. There are a lot of programs running in the background that do not really need to be run at a certain time.
If found that a certain process is a malware program, make sure to do the necessary steps to eradicate the malware program. Malware programs usually eat up a lot of memory and end up compromising legitimate processes.
There is also a way to prioritize memory usage. If a certain program is not very demanding on memory or is unused at the time, set its priority to either 'Below Normal' or 'Low'. This can be done by right-clicking on the process and choosing 'Set Priority' from the menu. Do this with discretion as it may cause the system to crash if used incorrectly.
Open the desired program and go back to the Task Manager. Change the priority to either 'Above Normal', 'High', or 'Real Time'. This gives the computer permission to compromise other files’ processes to speed up the prioritized program’s processes.
Finally, consider buying a memory optimizer instead of a new RAM. A memory optimizer is comparatively cheaper than a new RAM. It also maximizes the resources of the system while a new RAM simply compensates for computer misuses.