Fix “Your PC Is Low on Memory” Warning for Good

The “Your PC Is Low on Memory” warning means Windows cannot provide enough working memory for the programs currently running. Save your work, close the largest memory users, and restart if Windows is unstable. Then check RAM, the paging file, and free space on the Windows drive; restore a system-managed paging file and address the program or workload consuming the memory before buying hardware.

Before you start

This guidance applies to Windows PCs using the Settings and Task Manager paths shown below. Opening Task Manager and checking storage normally does not require Administrator permission, but changing the paging-file setting usually does and requires a restart.

Save open documents before closing or ending applications. A forced shutdown can lose unsaved work and leave file operations incomplete, so use the normal Windows restart command whenever possible.

Before changing settings:

• Open Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc and check which processes use the most memory.
• Check free space on the drive containing Windows, normally C:.
• If you plan to reinstall an application, back up its settings or saved projects first.

What to do the moment the low-memory warning appears

Windows can display this warning while you are working, gaming, or opening a memory-heavy application:

Your PC Is Low on Memory

Save open documents immediately. If an application is frozen, give it a moment before ending it; force-closing it can discard unsaved work.

1. Save your work in every responsive application.
2. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
3. Select the Processes tab and click the Memory column so the largest users appear at the top.
4. Close an application you recognise as unusually heavy and no longer need.
5. If an application does not respond, select it, choose End task, and accept that unsaved changes in that application may be lost.
6. Restart Windows if the desktop is sluggish, apps keep freezing, or memory usage remains abnormally high after you close the offending program.

Do not end processes simply because they use memory. Windows services and hardware-related processes may be necessary. End only programs you recognise and do not need running. A browser with many tabs, a game, a video editor, a virtual machine, or a badly behaved plug-in is often responsible.

If Task Manager cannot open or Windows is barely responding, use the normal Start menu restart command if possible. A forced power-off is a last resort because it can lose unsaved work and may leave file operations incomplete.

Is Windows out of RAM, virtual memory, or storage space?

The warning can result from three different limits, and each needs a different fix. Physical RAM is the computer's fast working memory. Virtual memory uses a paging file on a storage drive when RAM is under pressure. Free storage is separate: a nearly full system drive can prevent Windows from expanding the paging file and cause other failures.

Check RAM and committed memory first.

1. Open Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
2. Select Performance and choose Memory.
3. Check In use, Available, and the memory percentage while the warning is present.
4. In the same window, check the Committed value, shown as a used amount followed by a limit.

If physical memory is nearly full and Committed is close to its limit, Windows is running short of the combined RAM and paging-file capacity. If one application keeps climbing in the Processes tab, that application may have a memory leak.

Check the system drive separately:

1. Open Settings.
2. Select System, then Storage.
3. Check the free space on the drive containing Windows, normally C:.

If that drive is nearly full, remove or move files you no longer need, empty the Recycle Bin, or uninstall unused applications. Do not delete random files from C:\Windows or C:\Program Files.

To inspect the paging-file setting, open the advanced system properties.

Settings > System > About > Advanced system settings > Advanced > Performance > Settings > Advanced > Virtual memory > Change

A disabled paging file, a very small custom limit, or insufficient free space on the selected drive can make the virtual-memory limit too low. A system-managed paging file is normally the safest setting for general use. Changing this setting normally requires Administrator permission and a restart.

The safest fixes for “Your PC Is Low on Memory”

Start with changes that are reversible and do not remove personal files.

1. In Task Manager, close unnecessary applications and background launchers. Sort Processes by Memory, select a program you recognise, and choose End task only when you no longer need it.

Expected result: Memory usage and committed usage fall after the program closes. If they do not, another process may be using the memory, or the display may take a moment to update.

2. Stop avoidable programs from launching with Windows. In Task Manager, open Startup apps, select a launcher or helper you do not need at startup, and choose Disable.

Expected result: The program remains installed but will not start automatically. If a work, security, audio, or hardware utility is required, leave it enabled.

3. Update the application that repeatedly consumes memory. Use its built-in update feature or the publisher's official installer. If the problem began after an update, check the publisher's release notes or support information before removing the program.

Expected result: The application no longer grows continuously during the same workload. If it still does, reinstalling it may repair damaged files, but back up application settings or saved projects first.

4. Run a malware scan using Windows Security. Open Windows Security, select Virus & threat protection, update protection intelligence if offered, and run a scan. Investigate unfamiliar processes rather than downloading a memory-cleaner utility.

Expected result: Windows Security reports no active threat, or it removes a detected threat and requests a restart. A clean scan does not prove that every software problem is resolved.

5. Restore the paging file to a system-managed setting.

Settings > System > About > Advanced system settings > Advanced > Performance > Settings > Advanced > Virtual memory > Change

1. Clear Automatically manage paging file size for all drives only if the control is locked.
2. Select the Windows system drive.
3. Select System managed size.
4. Choose Set, select OK through the open dialogs, and restart Windows when prompted.

Expected result: Windows can adjust the paging file as memory demand changes. If System managed size cannot be selected, you may need an Administrator account. If the setting succeeds but the warning returns, check that the system drive has free space and look for an application whose memory use keeps rising.

Do not disable virtual memory to make Task Manager appear less busy, and do not rely on registry tweaks or memory-cleaner software. Those tools cannot create physical RAM and may add startup programs or interfere with Windows memory management.

How to confirm the warning is really gone

After restarting, recreate the workload that triggered the warning, but save your work first. Keep Task Manager open while you do it.

1. Open Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
2. Select Performance, then Memory.
3. Note the Available memory and the Committed used amount and limit.
4. Open the browser tabs, game, editor, or other workload that previously caused the warning.
5. Watch the Processes tab and sort by Memory at intervals.

Expected result: Memory rises while the workload is active, but Windows remains responsive, the committed amount stays below its limit, and no warning appears. Closing the workload should release much of the memory, although Windows may retain some memory temporarily for caching.

If the same application grows steadily for as long as it remains open, especially when the workload has not changed, suspect a memory leak. Record the application name, version, plug-ins, and the memory value over time. Update or reinstall that application, disable its extensions one at a time, or report the pattern to its publisher.

If total use is high from the moment Windows starts, review Startup apps and unfamiliar processes. If the warning returns only after a particular game, project, or virtual machine is opened, its normal requirements may exceed the computer's available capacity. A malware scan and current device drivers are sensible checks when usage is unexplained, but a driver update will not fix every application leak.

How to stop the warning from returning

Match the fix to the pattern you observed. Close browser tabs and extensions you are not using, quit launchers and chat clients during demanding games, and avoid running several memory-heavy applications at once. If a particular browser tab or extension repeatedly causes the problem, update or remove it rather than installing a cleaner.

Keep adequate free space on the Windows drive so the paging file can grow. Storage settings can show which categories are consuming space, but review files before deleting them. Freeing storage does not increase physical RAM when the computer regularly reaches its physical memory limit.

Install Windows updates, application updates, and device-driver updates from Windows Update or the hardware and software publisher. If the issue began immediately after a specific update, check for a later fix or a supported rollback option rather than repeatedly changing virtual-memory values.

Adding RAM is the permanent answer when normal daily work consistently fills physical memory and the paging file is working normally. Check the computer or motherboard's supported memory type, capacity, and slot limits before buying anything. If usage is ordinary but one program continually consumes more memory, fix that program first; adding RAM may only delay the warning.

If the warning appears at startup, persists after closing all normal applications, or is accompanied by crashes and unfamiliar processes, run Windows Security's scan and investigate startup items before assuming the hardware is inadequate.

Conclusion

Save your work, identify the largest memory user, and check committed memory alongside free space on the Windows drive. Restore a system-managed paging file if necessary; if the warning returns, track the responsible application or workload before deciding whether to update it, reduce background use, or add compatible RAM.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will restarting my PC fix the low-memory warning permanently?

A restart clears temporary memory use and can remove a one-time leak, so it is a safe immediate step. It will not permanently fix an application that leaks memory, a disabled paging file, malware, or a workload that consistently exceeds the installed RAM.

Should I install a RAM cleaner or optimizer?

No. Windows already manages RAM and virtual memory. Cleaner utilities cannot add physical memory and may waste resources, terminate useful cached data, or introduce unwanted startup software.

Can low disk space cause a low-memory warning?

Yes. If the Windows drive is too full, Windows may not be able to grow the paging file. Check Storage settings and free space on the system drive, but remember that freeing storage does not increase physical RAM.