Microsoft uses more RAM in its processes than in my user account, and it doesn't show me where that RAM is being used.

Question

My computer uses half of my RAM (I have 16GB of RAM) when idle, and when I play games and use Discord at the same time, my PC crashes and I have to restart.

Answer 1

Hi there! My name is David. It’s a pleasure to help you today.

When your PC stops working, does any message or error appear on the screen?

Could you tell me in which game the problem occurs?

Does it only happen when you have Discord and the game open?

If your system uses half of your RAM without any visible program open, this usage could be within the normal RAM usage range, considering the operating system’s usage. However, it is necessary to check if there are applications or background services that might be using RAM.

When a game is running, the system frees RAM if necessary and reduces the priority of other processes so that the game can have more resources available.

Please check which applications start with the system:

Open Task Manager > Click on "Startup Apps" > there disable the ones you don’t need. Right-click on the application and then click Disable.

Let me know if the shared information has been helpful. Regards.

Answer 2

It seems that your system is experiencing significant RAM usage, which can lead to crashes, especially when running demanding applications like games and Discord at the same time. Here are some points to consider regarding RAM and virtual memory management in Windows:

1. Performance Monitoring: Utilize the Performance Monitor tool in Windows to track your system's memory usage. This tool provides various counters that can help you identify how RAM and virtual memory are being utilized. For instance, the Memory, Committed Bytes counter indicates the demand for virtual memory, showing how much memory is allocated by processes.
2. Working Set Measurement: The Process, Working Set, _Total counter measures the amount of RAM actively in use. If this value is high, it may suggest that your system is struggling to allocate enough RAM for your applications.
3. Paging File Usage: Check the Paging File, %pagefile in use counter to see if your pagefile is adequately sized. If it reaches 100%, it can lead to system instability.
4. Application Management: If certain applications are consuming excessive memory, consider closing them when not in use. You can monitor this in Task Manager by examining the Commit size for each process.
5. Adjusting Pagefile Size: If you frequently run low on memory, you might want to adjust your pagefile size. A typical recommendation is to set it to 1.5 times your installed RAM, but this can vary based on your specific needs.

By keeping an eye on these metrics, you can better understand where your RAM is being utilized and take steps to optimize your system's performance to prevent crashes.

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References:

• RAM, virtual memory, pagefile, and memory management in Windows
• Visual Studio might become unresponsive if the system runs out of memory