How to fix “Your Computer is Low on Memory” error in Windows 10

What is “Your Computer is Low on Memory” error

This is the kind of message that may catch you off guard while using a Windows PC. It happens when the amount of allocated memory gets overused by one or various processes. Users can see detailed information about this by going to Task Manager and opening the “Memory” tab. This way, it becomes possible to figure out what processes consume the most memory and eventually lead your PC to be more sluggish. There can be multiple reasons why such a problem occurs – the most popular are usually registry and disk problems, app compatibility issues, lack of allocated virtual memory, badly-optimized software, or even a virus hiding itself under some process. If you are still in search of the problem solution, we thereby recommend you read our guidelines below and try each solution we offer.

1. Terminate memory-demanding processes

If you have not done this yet, we recommend you open Task Manager and terminate processes that stand out on top. This way you will manually remove some applications or background processes from running and free up some memory space. Here is how:

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc buttons at the same time to open Task Manager. Alternatively, you can also right-click on Start Menu button and choose it from there.
2. Once opened, make sure you are in the Processes tab and then look at the Memory section. Check what processes consume it the most. Then, right-click on the process and choose End task to terminate it.

Reflect on what was the process that you terminated. If you are not familiar with it and do not know what it is, maybe it is worth giving your system a scan – in case it is a virus or unwanted program. You can read further below to learn more about how to do it.

2. Use SFC scan and Check your disk for errors

Down here we are going to scan your system for possible file corruption and disk errors as well. It is very easy to do, so follow the steps we attached below:

Using SFC scan

1. Open Command Prompt by typing cmd into the searching loop next to the Start Menu button.
2. Right-click on Command Prompt and choose Run as administrator.
3. Once the console is opened, type the sfc /scannow command and click Enter.
4. When the fixing process is done, restart your computer.

Checking disk for errors

1. Open the same Command Prompt as above.
2. Type in this command chkdsk C: /f /r and press Enter.
3. If necessary, replace C: with your actual hard drive letter.
4. In case Windows tells you that this volume is already being used, then type Y and press Enter.
5. Then, close the console and restart your computer. The scan process will start during restart, so wait until it finally ends.

After doing both of these scans, use your system as usual and give yourself feedback on whether something has changed in a positive way.

3. Run Windows Troubleshooter (Program Compatibility Troubleshooter & Windows Store Apps)

If you already that it is some specific program causing the issue while it shouldn’t, you can try and run Windows Troubleshooter features to optimize apps and potentially resolve the issue. You can do it by following this:

1. Press Windows Key + I buttons together and navigate to Update & Security > Troubleshoot.
2. Click Other troubleshooters on the right pane.
3. Find and run two troubleshooter called Program Compatibility Troubleshooter and Windows Store Apps
4. Follow the on-screen instructions and see how it goes with the memory now.

4. Install fresh system updates

It is sometimes possible to fix certain bugs and optimization issues simply by installing new system updates. If you have not done it for a very long time, we recommend you do so here below:

1. Left-click on the Start Menu button in the bottom left corner of the screen and choose Settings. Or use Windows + I combination.
2. Then select Update & Security.
3. On the left panel choose Windows Update.
4. Now click on the Check for Updates button.
5. Wait till Windows scans for the updates and install them if found.
6. After finished, restart your computer and check if the problem persists.

5. Clean up unnecessary system files

Deleting redundant system files may help. Some users reported successful capitalization on cleaning their disk from recovery copies and cached files stored on a PC. Note that deleting recovery copies means you will be no longer able to use restore points of previous versions to roll back to, in case you suddenly need them. Despite this, using such a method helped some users get rid of the problem.

1. Open This PC.
2. Right-click on your main disk and choose Properties.
3. Find and click on Disk Cleanup.
4. Then select Clean up system files, check all the boxes, and click OK.
5. Once done, restart your PC and check how it influenced the problem solution.

6. Increase Virtual Memory

It is also possible to extend the amount of allocated memory. Normally, Windows should already have an adequate and optimized amount selected for you, however, if you are using too many processes and would like to set more memory for them, it is quite easy to do so.

1. Open This PC and right-click on empty space under your disks.
2. Choose Properties and navigate to Advanced system settings.
3. Under Performance, click Settings.
4. Go to Advanced tab and click on Change under Virtual Memory.
5. Deselect Automatically manage paging file size for all drives.
6. Then choose your drive and select Custom Size.
7. Play with higher values compared to what it was set up by default and then finish by clicking Set.

7. Remove recently installed software

If you think the issue started after installing some third-party software, try to delete or turn it off. It can be an app or antivirus that works in the background causing the problem. To delete an application in Windows, follow these simple steps:

1. Right-click on the Start button and choose Programs and Features.
2. Find the name of a program you installed recently, right-click on it and press the Uninstall button.
3. Confirm follow-up windows if any of them appear. Hopefully, this will stop the error from its appearance.

8. Scan for malware

Last, but not least, is malware, which could be affecting your system and cause a memory shortage. If you are sure you tried all the solutions above according to our manual, then we would put our hopes on scanning your system for malware. Malicious or unwanted programs are known to cause various damage or configuration clutter inside the system. This is why it is worth running a thorough scan to make sure it is not the actual case. You can use default Windows Defender or try to install a more advanced antivirus developed by Malwarebytes – a trusted and talented group of experts constantly updating their software to fight off both local and global threats. You can download it now using the link below and get a 14-day trial of the ultimate antimalware experience completely for free.

Malwarebytes main window

Malwarebytes settings

Malwarebytes scan results

Summary

With these eight solutions put on the list, you should be able to deal with the “Your Computer is Low on Memory” message. We hope this is exactly what happened and that now you are able to use your PC to its full capacity without lags and other accompanying problems. If there is anything else you would like to get a hand of help with, feel free to search up your problem on our website. We have a lot of new articles published each day with relevant computer errors and threats.