"Your Computer Is Low on Memory" in Windows 11 & 10: What It Means and Every Fix

"Your computer is low on memory" means Windows has nearly used up its commit limit: your RAM plus the page file on your drive. It is not about storage space for files. To fix it now, save your work and close the programs the message names, or the ones at the top of the Memory column in Task Manager. To stop it coming back: set virtual memory back to Automatically manage paging file size (a custom page file that is too small is the most common cause), keep a few GB free on drive C:, update or replace any app whose memory keeps growing (a memory leak), cut down browser tabs and startup apps, and test your RAM with Windows Memory Diagnostic. If the PC has 4 GB or 8 GB of RAM and you multitask heavily, more RAM is the lasting fix.

Ethan's mother kept getting the warning on her 8 GB laptop, usually when she had a photo editor open next to a browser with forty tabs. The message told her to close programs, she closed them, and two days later it was back. Jake opened Task Manager, went to Performance, then Memory, and looked at one line: Committed 15.5 / 15.8 GB. The laptop was full to the limit. The limit itself was the problem: years earlier someone had followed an old guide, switched off automatic page file management and typed in a fixed size, which capped how far Windows could stretch. Jake set it back to automatic, and the cloud-sync app that had been quietly growing to 3 GB got an update. The warning has not appeared since. This page explains what the message really means, how to read your own memory numbers, and every fix in the order that works, for Windows 11 and Windows 10, with notes for Windows 7, 8.1, Windows Server and Mac.

What "your computer is low on memory" means

The full message on Windows 10 and Windows 11 usually reads "Close programs to prevent information loss. Your computer is low on memory. Save your files and close these programs," followed by a list of apps. On older versions it reads "Your computer is low on memory. To restore enough memory for programs to work correctly, save your files and then close or restart all open programs." Both are the same warning from the same part of Windows, and both mean the same thing.

Windows keeps track of how much memory programs have asked for and been promised. That total is called the commit charge. The most Windows can promise is the commit limit, which is your physical RAM plus the size of the page file, a hidden file on your drive that acts as overflow memory. When the commit charge gets close to the commit limit, Windows warns you, because the next program that asks for more memory may be refused, and a refused program can crash and lose your unsaved work.

Three things follow from that, and they explain most of the confusion people have about this message:

• It is not about storage. A drive with 300 GB free can still show "low on memory". Memory here means RAM and the page file, not space for your files. Running out of storage space gives a different message, about low disk space.
• It can appear with RAM that looks only half used. Task Manager's headline percentage shows RAM in use right now. The warning is about promises, the commit charge, which can be much higher than the RAM actually being used. A program can reserve gigabytes it has not touched yet.
• A small page file makes it far more likely. Because the limit is RAM plus page file, shrinking or switching off the page file lowers the limit. That is why old advice to set a fixed page file size often causes the exact message it promised to fix.

Windows also records the event. In Event Viewer, under Windows Logs, then System, look for a warning from the source Resource-Exhaustion-Detector with Event ID 2004. Its text says Windows diagnosed a low virtual memory condition and lists the programs that were using the most virtual memory at that moment. If the warning flashes past and you cannot remember what it named, that event is where to find it.

Why is my computer low on memory? The usual causes

"Why does my computer keep saying low memory?" has a short list of answers. In the order Jake checks them on most home and office PCs:

Most PCs have one of the first four. Ethan's mother had two at once: a fixed page file and a leaking sync app. That pattern is common, because a tight limit makes a small leak show up much sooner.

How to fix "your computer is low on memory" right now

When the warning is on screen, the goal is to protect your work first and find the cause second. Do this:

1. Save everything open. Documents, spreadsheets, photo edits. If a program has stopped responding, give it a minute before forcing it closed.
2. Close the programs the message names. They are the ones using the most memory at that moment.
3. Open Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc. On the Processes page, click the Memory column heading to sort by memory use, biggest first.
4. Close or end the top entries you do not need. Select one and choose End task. Do not end entries you do not recognize under Windows processes; close your own apps instead.
5. Close browser tabs you are not using, or the whole browser if it is at the top of the list. A browser with dozens of tabs is the single biggest memory user on most home PCs.
6. Restart the PC when you can. A restart clears memory that leaking apps have built up and is often the fastest way back to normal.

That gets you through today. If the warning returns within days, one of the causes above is still there, and the next sections find and fix it. If you are not sure how to reach Task Manager on a frozen PC, our guide to opening Task Manager every way includes the Ctrl + Alt + Delete route that works when nothing else does.

If the PC is so slow that Task Manager will not open, press Ctrl + Alt + Delete and choose Task Manager from that screen, which usually still responds when the desktop does not. If even that fails, choose Sign out from the same screen; signing out closes all your programs and frees their memory without a full restart, though unsaved work in programs that do not respond will be lost. Holding the power button is the last resort, because it can damage open files.

How to check memory usage in Windows 11 and 10

Before you change settings, look at the numbers. Two minutes in Task Manager tells you which cause you have. Open Task Manager, select Performance, then Memory. Here is what each number means in plain terms.

The Committed line is the key. On Ethan's mother's laptop it read 15.5 / 15.8 GB with 8 GB of RAM, so the limit was RAM plus a page file of about 7.8 GB, and it was full. On a healthy PC with automatic page file management, the limit has room to grow and the first number sits comfortably below it.

For a closer look, open Resource Monitor: press Windows + R, type resmon and press Enter, then select the Memory tab. Its bar shows Hardware Reserved, In Use, Modified, Standby and Free memory, and its process list has a Commit (KB) column that shows how much each program has reserved, which is the number that matters for the warning. The Hard Faults/sec column shows how often a program has to read memory back from the page file; constant high hard faults while you work means RAM is genuinely too small for the workload, and the PC will feel slow.

You can also add a Commit size column in Task Manager. Go to Details, right-click any column heading, choose Select columns, and select Commit size. Sort by it to see which programs hold the most promised memory, which is often a different order from the Memory column on the Processes page.

Fix low virtual memory: set the page file back to automatic

This is the fix that solves the most repeat warnings, and it is the reverse of what many older guides said. Our own 2016 version of this page told readers to switch off automatic management and type in a fixed size. On a modern PC that is usually a mistake, because a fixed size caps the commit limit. Letting Windows manage the page file means it can grow when you need more and shrink back later.

1. Press Windows + R, type sysdm.cpl and press Enter. System Properties opens.
2. Select the Advanced tab. Under Performance, select Settings.
3. In Performance Options, select the Advanced tab. Under Virtual memory, select Change.
4. Check the box Automatically manage paging file size for all drives.
5. Select OK on each window, then restart the PC.

On Windows 11 you can also reach it by searching the Start menu for Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows, which opens Performance Options directly. After the restart, check Task Manager again: the Committed limit should be higher, and it can grow further on its own when needed.

When a custom page file size makes sense

A custom size is worth it in only a few cases: a PC with a small drive where you want a predictable size, a workstation running software that recommends a specific page file, or a server set up by an administrator. If you do set one, make the maximum generous. A common starting point is an initial size of about 1.5 times your RAM and a maximum of about 3 times your RAM, as long as the drive has the space. Never set it to "No paging file" on a home PC; some programs refuse to run without one, and the commit limit drops to your RAM alone.

The page file lives in the root of drive C: as a hidden system file called pagefile.sys. Do not delete it by hand; change it only through the Virtual memory window. If you have a second fast drive, you can put a page file there too, but keep one on C: so Windows can save crash information.

Keep free space on drive C:

An automatic page file can only grow if the drive has room. If C: is nearly full, Windows cannot expand the page file and the commit limit stays low, so a full drive can cause memory warnings even though storage and memory are different things. Aim to keep at least a few GB free, more on a busy PC. Our guides on how much free space Windows really needs and finding which files fill your drive make that quick.

Find a memory leak: the app that keeps growing

A memory leak is a program that keeps taking memory and never gives it back. It starts small after a restart and grows for hours or days until the warning appears. Restarting fixes it for a while, which is why "it was fine after a reboot" is the classic sign.

1. Restart the PC and note the Committed number in Task Manager once it settles.
2. In Task Manager, go to Details and add the Commit size column as described above.
3. Use the PC normally for a few hours, then sort by Commit size and note the top five programs and their numbers.
4. Check again later the same day or the next. A program whose commit size keeps rising while you are not using it more is the leak.
5. Update that program first; leaks are bugs and are often fixed in newer versions. If there is no update, restart it daily, change its settings, or replace it.

Jake found the leak in Ethan's mother's cloud-sync app this way: 400 MB after a restart, 1.2 GB that evening, 3 GB the next afternoon. An update fixed it. Browsers, chat apps, game launchers, sync tools and vendor utilities that sit in the notification area are the usual suspects.

If no single program grows, but Non-paged pool on the Memory page keeps rising into several GB, the leak is more likely in a driver. Update your network, graphics, audio and storage drivers from the PC or component maker's site, starting with whatever you installed or updated most recently. If File Explorer is the program that grows, restarting it clears the problem without a reboot; our guide to restarting explorer.exe shows how.

How to reduce memory usage in Windows 11 and 10

If the PC has no leak and the page file is automatic but memory is still tight, the answer is to ask less of it. These changes lower memory use without buying anything, roughly in order of how much they save.

Browser tabs: the biggest saver

Every open tab is its own small program. Forty tabs can use several GB. Both major browsers can put tabs you have not looked at for a while to sleep, which releases most of their memory:

• Microsoft Edge: Settings, then System and performance. Turn on Sleeping tabs and Efficiency mode, and set tabs to sleep after a short time.
• Google Chrome: Settings, then Performance. Turn on Memory Saver.
• Close tabs you keep "for later" and use bookmarks or a reading list instead.
• Remove browser extensions you do not use; each one runs all the time.

The browser's own task manager shows which tab or extension uses the most: press Shift + Esc in Chrome or Edge. "Low memory browser" warnings and pages that show an Out of memory error are usually one heavy site, often a web app or video page, and that list shows which.

Startup apps and background apps

Apps that start with Windows take memory before you open anything. In Windows 11, open Settings, then Apps, then Startup, and turn off what you do not need at sign-in. In Windows 10, use the Startup tab in Task Manager. Chat apps, game launchers, updaters and vendor tools are common candidates. Anything you turn off still works when you open it yourself.

Programs you never use at all are better removed than disabled. Our guide to uninstalling programs in Windows 11 and 10 covers the stubborn ones too.

Heavy apps and how you use them

Photo and video editors, virtual machines, local AI models and modern games can each use most of an 8 GB PC on their own. Close the browser while editing large photos, give a virtual machine less RAM in its settings, and use a smaller local AI model on a PC with little memory. These are not fixes for a broken PC; they are how to fit big work into small memory.

What not to do

• Do not install "RAM cleaner" or "memory booster" apps. They mostly empty the cache that makes your PC fast, so Windows has to read everything from the drive again, and some bundle adware.
• Do not turn off the page file to "force Windows to use RAM". It lowers the commit limit and makes the warning more likely.
• Do not disable Windows services at random. Services such as SysMain use cached memory that is released as soon as a program needs it. Turning them off rarely helps and can slow app launches.
• Do not worry about high RAM use on its own. Windows uses spare RAM as cache on purpose. Unused RAM is wasted RAM. The warning is about the commit limit, not the percentage.

Low memory warnings while gaming or editing

Games and creative apps are where most 8 GB PCs first meet this warning, because one program asks for several GB at once while everything else is still open. A modern game can reserve 6 to 10 GB on its own, and a browser, a voice chat app, a game launcher and an overlay can add several more. The warning then names the game, but the game is only the last straw.

1. Close the browser before you play. It is usually the second biggest user after the game, and a browser playing a video in the background is worse.
2. Close extra launchers. Many PCs run two or three game stores at once. Keep only the one that runs the game.
3. Turn off overlays you do not use. In-game overlays from chat apps, launchers and graphics tools each take memory.
4. Lower texture quality. High-resolution textures use both video memory and system memory. Dropping one level often removes both warnings.
5. Make sure the page file is automatic. Games are the most common programs to be refused memory when the page file is a fixed small size, and the refusal shows up as a crash to the desktop.

Photo and video editors behave the same way with large files. Editing several large photos at once, or a long 4K video timeline, can fill an 8 GB PC quickly. Most editors have a memory or performance setting that limits how much RAM they take; lowering it leaves room for Windows and other apps, at the cost of some speed. Saving often is the best protection while you work close to the limit.

Test your RAM with Windows Memory Diagnostic

If the warnings come with crashes, blue screens, apps closing on their own or files that come out corrupted, test the RAM itself. Faulty memory can make Windows and apps misbehave in ways that look like a software problem.

1. Save your work and close all programs.
2. Press Windows + R, type mdsched.exe and press Enter.
3. Choose Restart now and check for problems.
4. The PC restarts into a blue test screen. Wait for it to finish; the standard test takes several minutes, longer on PCs with a lot of RAM.
5. Windows restarts and may show the result in a notification. If you miss it, open Event Viewer, go to Windows Logs, then System, and look for the source MemoryDiagnostics-Results.

If the test finds errors, the RAM or its slot is faulty. On a desktop, reseat the modules, test one module at a time, and replace the bad one. On a laptop, contact the maker if it is under warranty. If the test passes but you still suspect the RAM, a longer test run with a dedicated bootable memory tester catches faults the quick test can miss.

Installed RAM vs usable RAM: when Windows can use less than you have

Open Settings, then System, then About. Next to Installed RAM you may see something like "16.0 GB (15.7 GB usable)". A small gap is normal: some memory is reserved for hardware. A large gap means Windows cannot use RAM you paid for, which makes low memory warnings far more likely. The usual causes:

• 32-bit Windows. A 32-bit edition can use only about 4 GB in total, however much is installed. If you have more than 4 GB and a 32-bit system, moving to 64-bit Windows is the fix. Our guide to checking 32-bit or 64-bit Windows shows where to look. Windows 11 is 64-bit only.
• Integrated graphics. PCs without a separate graphics card share system RAM with the graphics chip, and some set aside a fixed amount in the BIOS or UEFI settings. It shows as Hardware reserved in Task Manager.
• A maximum memory limit at boot. Press Windows + R, type msconfig, go to Boot, then Advanced options. If Maximum memory is checked, clear the box and restart. This box is sometimes set by mistake while following tuning guides.
• A module not seated or not detected. If Task Manager shows fewer slots used than modules installed, a stick is loose or faulty.

How much RAM do you need for Windows 11 and 10?

Windows 11's minimum requirement is 4 GB of RAM, and Windows 10 64-bit needs 2 GB. Those minimums let Windows start; they do not leave room for a modern browser. For everyday use, here is what works in practice.

For most people buying a PC in 2026, 16 GB is the comfortable amount, and 8 GB is the minimum we would recommend for Windows 11. If you want to run AI models on your own PC, the needs are much higher; our honest guide to RAM for local AI has the tiers.

Should you add more RAM?

If your PC has 4 GB or 8 GB, the page file is automatic, there is no leak, and Task Manager shows Committed near the limit on ordinary days, more RAM is the real fix. Before you buy:

1. Check whether it can be upgraded. Task Manager's Memory page shows Slots used, such as 1 of 2. Many thin laptops have memory soldered to the board, which cannot be upgraded at all; the maker's specification page says so.
2. Match the type. Note the speed and form factor in Task Manager (laptops use SO-DIMM, desktops use DIMM) and the generation, such as DDR4 or DDR5, from the maker's specifications. Different generations do not fit each other's slots.
3. Add in pairs where you can. Two matching modules usually perform better than one, because the memory works in dual-channel mode.
4. Check the price. Memory prices rose sharply from late 2025 as chip makers moved production toward memory for AI data centers, which is why "why is computer memory so expensive now" is a common search. If an upgrade costs a large share of a new PC, the page file and app fixes on this page may carry you further first.

On a laptop with soldered memory, the options are the software fixes above, lighter apps, or a new laptop with more RAM. A fast SSD also makes a full page file far less painful than an old hard drive does, so upgrading from a hard drive to an SSD can make a low-memory PC feel much better even without more RAM.

Windows 7, 8.1, Windows Server and Mac

The warning is the same on every recent version of Windows, and so are the fixes. The menus are only slightly different.

• Windows 7 and 8.1: the message reads "Your computer is low on memory. To restore enough memory for programs to work correctly, save your files and then close or restart all open programs." Virtual memory is in the same place: sysdm.cpl, Advanced, Performance Settings, Advanced, Change. Startup apps in Windows 7 are in msconfig on the Startup tab. Both versions no longer get security updates, and modern browsers no longer support them, so a low-memory PC on Windows 7 is also an unsafe one.
• Windows Server 2016 and later: the same warning appears on servers and remote desktop hosts, usually because many users or a service with a leak share one machine. The page file and leak steps apply; on a remote desktop server, also check per-user browser sessions.
• Mac: macOS uses different wording. The closest message is "Your system has run out of application memory", with a Force Quit window. Open Activity Monitor, select the Memory tab, and look at Memory Pressure; green is fine, red means you need to close apps. Restarting and closing browser tabs are the first fixes there too.

Similar errors that are not the same problem

Several messages sound like this one but have different causes. Telling them apart saves time.

• Low disk space. "You're running out of space on this PC" is about storage, not memory. Free up files on the drive. Our guide to the low disk space warning covers it. A nearly full C: can still cause memory warnings, as explained in the page file section.
• Not enough memory to complete this operation or out of memory inside one app. This can be the same commit limit, or a limit inside the app, such as an older 32-bit program that can use only about 2 to 4 GB no matter how much RAM you have. Check for a 64-bit version of the app.
• Low video memory or out of video memory in games. This is the graphics card's own memory, VRAM. Lower texture quality and resolution in the game, update the graphics driver, and close other programs that use the graphics card.
• Your device is running low on memory on phones and tablets usually means storage, not RAM. Delete files or apps.
• Black screen and restart under heavy load is more often heat, power or a driver than memory. If it comes with low memory warnings, test the RAM first.

Ethan's mother's laptop now sits at about 9 GB committed on a normal afternoon, with a limit that can stretch well past 20 GB if she needs it. The forty tabs are now twelve, the rest asleep, and the sync app no longer grows. Nothing was bought. That is the most common ending to this problem.

The low memory warning sounds alarming, but it is one of the easier Windows problems to solve once you know it is about the commit limit, not your files or a broken PC. Look at the Committed line, let Windows manage the page file, keep space on C:, find the app that grows, and only then think about buying RAM. Ethan's mother has not seen the warning since, and the laptop she nearly replaced is fine.

Revision note. Written October 3, 2026, rewriting our 2016 guide for Windows 11 and 10. The old version told readers to set a fixed page file of 3,000 to 5,000 MB; we no longer recommend that, because a fixed size caps the commit limit and often causes the warning. This version explains the commit limit, how to read Task Manager and Resource Monitor, memory leaks, browser and startup fixes, RAM testing, usable RAM, how much RAM to buy, and similar errors. May your PC always have room to spare.