Don’t Worry of High Memory Usage Windows 11 (40% is normal) – 14 Solutions

Last Updated: May 28, 2026

If you are experiencing high memory usage Windows 11, you are not alone. Many users across the United States, Europe, and India report Windows 11 using too much RAM even when very few apps are open.

In my experience troubleshooting Windows PCs, high RAM usage is usually caused by startup apps, browser tabs, memory leaks, outdated drivers, or unnecessary Windows services running in the background. The good news is that you can fix most memory problems without upgrading your hardware.

The best ways to reduce high RAM usage in Windows 11 include using Task Manager, optimizing virtual memory, managing startup apps, and following advanced troubleshooting steps. Whether your PC shows 99% memory usage, Windows 11 errors, or your laptop feels slow after booting, these fixes can help restore performance.

It is not a cause of concern if you have 20% to 50% RAM usage in Windows 11. Even though you have a very small number of apps, games, and utilities, it still rocks around 30% to 40%.

In this tutorial we are going to see some solutions to fix Windows 11 high RAM usage if it reaches 80% to 90% and stops the normal operations from functioning properly.

Why Does Windows 11 Use So Much RAM?

Windows 11 is designed to use RAM more aggressively than older Windows versions. Microsoft uses free memory to preload apps, cache files, and improve multitasking performance.

However, excessive memory usage is not normal when:

• RAM usage stays above 80% while idle
• The system becomes slow or freezes
• Apps crash frequently
• Disk usage becomes unusually high
• Task Manager shows 99% memory usage Windows 11

According to Pureinfotech, startup apps, background services, outdated drivers, and browser tabs are among the most significant causes of high RAM usage. (pureinfotech.com)

Is High Memory Usage Windows 11 Normal?

Here is a rough estimate of normal memory usage Windows 11 systems typically show:

Installed RAM	Normal Idle Usage
4GB	2GB to 3GB
8GB	3GB to 5GB
16GB	4GB to 7GB
32GB	5GB to 8GB

If your PC constantly uses over 80% RAM while idle, something is likely wrong.

How to Check RAM Usage in Windows 11

Using Task Manager

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc
2. Open the Processes tab
3. Click the “Memory” column.
4. Identify apps using the most RAM

Microsoft recommends using Task Manager to locate apps consuming excessive RAM. (pureinfotech.com)

Using Resource Monitor

1. Search for Resource Monitor
2. Open the Memory tab
3. Sort processes by Commit KB
4. Analyze suspicious processes

This method helps identify hidden services and memory leaks.

14 Proven Fixes for Windows 11 High RAM Usage

1. Disable Startup Apps

Startup apps are one of the primary causes of Windows 11’s high memory usage.

Steps:

1. Open Task Manager
2. Go to Startup Apps
3. Disable unnecessary apps like Discord, Teams, Spotify, Adobe, and OneDrive

This alone can reduce RAM usage significantly.

2. Close Unnecessary Browser Tabs

Modern browsers consume massive amounts of RAM.

Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge isolate tabs into separate processes for security and stability. Multiple tabs and extensions can quickly increase memory usage.

Microsoft Edge includes sleeping tabs and efficiency mode features that help reduce RAM usage. (xda-developers.com)

3. Disable Background Apps

Some apps continue running in the background even after closing them.

To disable:

1. Open Settings
2. Apps > Installed Apps
3. Select the app
4. Open Advanced Options
5. Set background permissions to Never

4. Restart Windows Explorer

Windows Explorer sometimes develops memory leaks.

Steps:

1. Open Task Manager
2. Find Windows Explorer
3. Right-click and choose Restart

This quickly refreshes the desktop shell.

5. Disable SysMain Service

SysMain preloads apps into memory to improve performance, but it can sometimes cause excessive RAM usage.

Steps:

1. Press Win + R
2. Type services.msc
3. Locate SysMain
4. Stop the service
5. Set Startup Type to Disabled

6. Fix NDU Service Windows 11

The NDU service monitors network usage but may trigger memory leaks on some systems.

Registry fix:

1. Open Registry Editor
2. Navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\Ndu

3. Change Start value to 4
4. Restart your PC

Important: Create a restore point before editing the registry.

7. Scan for Malware

Malware often causes abnormal Windows 11 RAM usage.

Run:

• Windows Security full scan
• Malwarebytes scan
• Microsoft Defender Offline Scan

8. Update Windows and Drivers

Microsoft continuously improves Windows 11 memory management.

Recent Windows 11 updates introduced lower RAM usage and improved responsiveness. (pureinfotech.com)

Driver updates can also fix memory leaks.

9. Increase Virtual Memory

Virtual memory helps when physical RAM becomes full.

Steps:

1. Open Advanced System Settings
2. Performance Settings
3. Advanced tab
4. Virtual Memory
5. Enable System-Managed Size

10. Disable Visual Effects

Animations and transparency effects consume extra RAM.

Steps:

1. Open System Properties
2. Performance Options
3. Choose “Adjust” for best performance

XDA Developers notes that disabling transparency and animations can reduce RAM usage noticeably. (xda-developers.com)

11. Use Microsoft PC Manager

Microsoft PC Manager includes a Boost feature that instantly clears unused memory.

According to Pureinfotech, Smart Boost can automatically optimize memory usage in the background. (pureinfotech.com)

12. Remove Unused Programs

Unused software often runs hidden background services.

Remove:

• Trial antivirus software
• RGB controller apps
• Unused launchers
• OEM utilities

13. Check for Memory Leaks

A memory leak occurs when an app continuously consumes RAM without releasing it.

Common causes include:

• Browser extensions
• GPU drivers
• Audio software
• Virtual machine tools

Monitor usage in Task Manager over time.

14. Perform a Clean Windows Installation

If nothing works, a clean install can eliminate corrupted drivers, services, and software conflicts.

Tom’s Hardware users frequently report unresolved RAM problems after upgrading older systems to Windows 11. (forums.tomshardware.com)

Advanced RAM Optimization Tips

Optimize Microsoft Edge

Enable:

• Sleeping Tabs
• Efficiency Mode
• Resource Controls

Disable unnecessary extensions.

Reduce Startup Services

Only advanced users should disable Windows services.

Avoid disabling security-related services.

Upgrade to SSD

Even though SSDs do not reduce RAM usage directly, they improve virtual memory performance dramatically.

Normal RAM Usage Windows 11 16GB

Many users ask whether high RAM usage in Windows 11 is normal on 16GB systems.

For most PCs:

• Idle usage: 4GB to 7GB
• Gaming usage: 8GB to 14GB
• Video editing: 12GB+

If your PC exceeds these numbers while idle, investigate background apps and memory leaks.

When Should You Upgrade RAM?

Consider upgrading RAM if:

• You multitask heavily
• You use virtual machines
• You edit videos
• Your system constantly exceeds 80% RAM usage

Recommended RAM:

Usage Type	Recommended RAM
Basic use	8GB
Gaming	16GB
Video editing	32GB
Heavy multitasking	32GB+

What Causes Windows 11 High Memory Usage?

By default, Windows 11 needs 4GB RAM as per system requirements. But for optimal speed and browsing, you need at least 8GB RAM.

A little bit more RAM is needed by Windows 11, which is a powerful OS. Even in its idle state, you can see the memory peaking around 20%.

Occasionally, you can see 85% RAM when you play a game or some video software. It is the usual response on startup. Then, after a few seconds, it drops to 30 to 50%.

Furthermore, browsers like Chrome and Edge use a lot of RAM when you use too many tabs. In such cases, you can see that about 25 to 30% of RAM is used by the browsers themselves.

That is why 16GB or 32GB RAM has become a necessity for high-end OSs like Windows 11.

Desktop Windows Manager (DWM) kinds of apps also take up some memory. File Explorer and background apps can spike up the RAM.

VMM-kind of applications and some services dig into the memory resources and slow down the computer. Even third-party firewalls and AV can cause a lot of trouble if they are not updated.

How to check memory usage in Windows 11?

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the Task Manager.
2. Click the Processes or the first icon.
3. Total memory usage and individual usage by apps are visible here.

My system, which is 16GB of gigabytes, is using around 43% memory with 20 tabs of Chrome open. No other app was being run. Windows 11 runs fast, and all other operations are normal.

Solutions to Windows 11 high memory usage

In this guide, we are going to see some tips that can resolve 90% of memory usage in Windows 11.

1. Update Windows 11 to the latest version.
2. Run a Virus/Malware Scan
3. Disable background apps in Windows 11 Home or Pro
4. Disable NDU in Registry
5. Disable Widgets and Microsoft Teams.
6. Remove Unnecessary Apps.
7. Select best Performance
8. Reinstall/Rollback to Windows 10.

How to Update Windows 11

1. Press Win + I to open Settings.
2. Click on Windows Update.
3. Check for updates.
4. Windows 11 will automatically check for the latest updates and install them.
5. Restart the computer if required.

How to Run Virus Scan in Windows 11

Windows Security has Microsoft Defender set as the default antivirus.

You can run a full scan. Check for any trojans, ransomware, or malware and remove them if required.

If you are using a third-party app like ESET Internet Security or Norton AV, you can also run a full scan.

ESET has two types of tools. Anti-Virus and Internet Security. It also does not slow down your system. I have used it on my Windows 10 PC. You get additional bank payment protection, network protection, anti-theft, and many others.

The updates are also quite fast. Scan and Install are a breeze. Scheduled scans can be done. Manual scan of each file using the context menu of File Explorer is useful.

Secure your browsers. When you are banking, a separate window opens. Chrome’s incognito mode is not that powerful. I heard tweets that Google shares data from this tool.

The viruses can take up RAM and are the primary cause for 99% peak usage of RAM. You can immediately see that the system slows down and exhibits bizarre functionality.

How to Disable Background Apps in Windows 11 Home

Using the registry you can disable them

1. Type regedit in the search box and click on Registry Editor.
2. Navigate to the following path. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\AppX\AppPrivacy
3. If the last key is not available, right click AppX and create the key.
4. Right-click on the right pane and create a New > DWORD (32-bit).
5. Rename the item as LetAppsRun Background and enter 2 as the value.

How to Disable Background Apps in Windows 11 Pro

You can make use of the group policy editor.

1. Type gpedit.msc in the run dialog box.
2. Go the following path. Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\App Privacy
3. Double click the item Let Windows apps run in the background and select Disabled.

How to Disable Windows 11 New Features

Even widgets and Microsoft Teams may sometimes increase the memory usage. These are new features added to Windows 11.

The WebView 2 processes will run more as app usage increases on Windows 11.

1. Right-click the Taskbar and click on Taskbar settings.
2. Personalization > Taskbar.
3. Turn off widgets.

How to Disable NDU in Windows 11

Sometimes, the NDU processes or registry item causes the memory leak.

1. Go to the following path in the registry editor.
2. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/ControlSet001/Services/Ndu
3. Double-click it and enter the value 4.

How to Remove Unnecessary and Disable Startup Apps

1. Open Apps on the left-hand side of Windows 11 settings.
2. Click on Installed apps.
3. For the app you want to remove, click the 3 horizontal dots beside it.
4. Click on Uninstall.

This is useful for automatically installed apps without your supervision like Spotify etc.

1. Open Task Manager.
2. Click on Startup Apps on the left-hand side.
3. Select apps you don’t want to start on Start, right-click, and disable.

Please terminate any third-party processes that are consuming excessive memory. It can be done in the Task Manager as well.

How to Select the Best Performance of Windows 11 PC

1. Type sysdm.cpl in the search box.
2. Advanced > Performance > Settings
3. Under Visual Effects, check the option to adjust for best performance.

It can boost your RAM by reducing the aesthetic effects of Windows 11.

How to Rollback Windows 11 to Windows 10

As we know, Windows 10 is more optimized in RAM usage. If all the above solutions fail, then it’s best to rollback your Windows 11 version to Windows 10.

Sometimes, your hardware and OS are not that compatible. We use different company-model laptops, and each one has its own configuration. Since many items are involved in it, it is difficult to pinpoint the cause of the memory leak.

In such cases just roll back to Windows 10 and wait for the new Windows 11 update. Also, a new GPU driver installation is required to resolve memory usage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

High memory usage in Windows 11 can make even powerful computers feel slow and unresponsive. Fortunately, most RAM issues are caused by startup apps, browser tabs, outdated drivers, or unnecessary background services.

In my experience, disabling startup apps, optimizing browser memory usage, and updating Windows solve the majority of RAM-related issues. Advanced fixes like disabling SysMain or modifying the NDU service can also help when standard methods fail.

If this guide helped you reduce Windows 11 high RAM usage, share it with friends or leave a comment below describing which fix worked best for your PC.