How to Clean RAM for Windows & Mac

Do you struggle with slow computer performance? Low memory RAM is probably the reason for it. Find out how to clean RAM and make your machine efficient again.

Optimize your system with a robust application for getting rid of all the trash making your machine run smoothly and trouble-free again.

What is RAM?

RAM is the abbreviation of Random-Access Memory, which is actually a computer's short-term memory allowing you to get access to ongoing processes in a flash. The motherboard of your PC is equipped with a slot for RAM, which is crucial for those looking for efficient multitasking.

The more RAM your computer has, the more tasks it can handle simultaneously, therefore creatives often wonder how much RAM needeed for video editing or adjusting pictures. If your PC is sluggish, the number of programs installed probably exceeds the available RAM.

Initial Steps for Сleaning RAM

Discover helpful tips on how to clear up RAM on both Windows and Mac computers to make sure that the machine runs smoothly and without lags.

  • Restart your computer. Fortunately, the process of clearing RAM is not as complicated as you might expect. Just as with most other technical problems your machine can encounter, the first solution for decreasing the RAM usage is to restart your PC.
    As RAM is short-term data provided by ongoing processes, rebooting your system is a sure way to clear cached RAM with ease. Some computer programs can run behind the scenes even without you being aware of them. Restarting will let you stop all these hidden processes and give your RAM a break.
  • Flush RAM cache. Your cache is highly dependent on RAM, as it uses short-term memory to retrieve data from recently visited pages. Although it accelerates web navigation, but consumes much RAM, so there is little memory left for more important tasks. If rebooting your computer has not helped and you’ve already tried different browsers, clearing the RAM cache should bring the results.
  • Try different browsers. Some browsers are better at allocating and managing RAM usage than others. If sluggish browsing disturbs you, you may try an alternative tool for navigating the web. There are many chances that it may help.
  • Update your software. Although the update of the software may seem to be an inconvenient way to liberate your RAM, the truth is that the latest versions of the programs are not so demanding so your computer performance will remain stable in the long run. Outdated software consumes more memory, so optimal RAM allocation is only possible with regular updates.
  • Delete unnecessary browser extensions. Pay attention to the fact that even tiny icons on the top of your browser consume memory as well. If there are extensions in your browser that you do not need, delete them to see the improvements in your system performance.
  • Take advantage of optimization software. Maintaining a clean computer environment is essential for optimizing the functioning of your machine. Wise Memory Optimizer is a reliable cleanup app for removing junk files, rarely used apps, outdated browser data, etc. making additional room to enjoy a smooth performance of your PC.

"wise memory helped me improve my workflow, letting me focus on my projects instead of dealing with constant lags and slowdowns. so i can perform multiple tasks and launch several design tools at the same time. the interface and automatic optimization make it an ideal option for everyone who deals with high memory consumption." - David Thompson, graphic designer ★★★★★ (5/5)

How to Free Up RAM on Windows 10 & 11

If you are using a computer but the tips above were not effective for solving your issues, try these methods to clear RAM cache.

Control RAM usage with Task Manager

clean ram task manager

Open Windows Task Manager to see what programs and processes exhaust your RAM causing inconveniences and take the necessary steps to optimize your PC.

You can find Task Manager and check the allocation of your RAM by following the path described below:

  1. Launch the Task Manager and click “Start”. Then enter “Task Manager” into the search field, or use the following key combinations Ctrl+Shift+Esc or Ctrl+Alt+Delete.
  2. Expand the window by clicking “More details”.
  3. Open the “Processes” tab and hit the “Memory” header. By doing so you’ll organize all the processes in the order based on most to least RAM usage.

Remove Unnecessary Programs

clean ram removing unnecessary programs

Very often people download programs but do not use them at all. After identifying all software that requires much RAM on the processes tab, you can identify the programs you do not need and erase them from your computer to optimize its performance.

To define and delete programs:

  1. Click Start and head to “Settings”.
  2. Hit “Apps”.
  3. Choose “Apps & features” and click on the “Uninstall” option on any tool you want to get rid of.

Reduce the Number of Background Apps

clean ram reducing background apps

Some programs are designed to run in the background, no matter whether you use them or not. Such tools often cause RAM, memory, battery, and bandwidth shortages. Your task is to define the programs you actually do not require and stop their functioning.

Background applications are meant to facilitate your workflow by alerting you about important events or processes, as well as updating your system automatically. However, when RAM is full, it can cause many problems so it is important to monitor and disable such tools if needed.

To turn off the background apps you should:

  1. Open “Settings”.
  2. Choose “Privacy”.
  3. Pay your attention to the category panel on the left edge of the window and go downward to select “Background Apps”
  4. Define applications you do not need and switch from “On” to “Off” status.

Clear the Page File Before Restarting

clean ram clearing page file

Your Page File can support the stable speed of your computer performance even when the RAM fills up. It is stored on a hard drive and you should clear it manually, as it does not clean up automatically after the PC reboot like RAM does.

To make your Page File to clear when your machine restarts:

  1. Open the search bar and enter “Registry Editor”.
  2. When the system asks you to “allow Registry Editor to make changes to your device”, consent by hitting the “Yes” option
  3. Head to the left side of the window, and go down to “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE”.
  4. Choose “SYSTEM.”
  5. Then“CurrentControlSet.”
  6. Opt for “Control.”
  7. Choose “Session Manager.”
  8. Click “Memory Management.”
  9. Hit “ClearPageFileAtShutdown.”
  10. Type in “1” in the “Value Data” box and choose “OK.”

Prioritize Performance Over Visuals

clean ram prioritizing performance

As technology is constantly developing, the visual effects of your computer become more sophisticated. However, these eye-grabbing animations consume much RAM. If you are struggling to clear RAM on iPhone or Android and do not focus on the aesthetic side of your computing experience, consider exchanging these effects for improved performance.

As turning off visual effects for better functioning will make your screen less appealing, you can disable some effects and leave others. Once you have enough RAM, you can return some visuals if you need them.

To disable the computer’s visual effects do the following actions:

  1. Push the “Start” button or click “File Explorer” in your taskbar.
  2. Pay attention to the left side panel of the window, find “This PC” option, and click it with the right mouse button.
  3. Choose “Properties.”
  4. Select “Advanced system settings” then go upward and find the “Advanced” tab.
  5. There is the “Performance” section and the settings button you need to click on.
  6. Choose “Adjust for best performance” if you want to turn off all animations, or select visual effects you want to leave intact.

How to Free Up RAM on Mac

As the settings on Mac devices differ from Windows 10 computers, there is a specific algorithm of actions you need to do to clear RAM effectively.

Keep Finder Clean

clean ram keeping finder clean

When you open a new window in the Finder, the data displayed there gets stored as RAM. You should change the setting of Finder to make new folders open as tabs and not like windows. There are two available ways of doing this and save your RAM.

Method 1. To tweak your Finder configurations:

  1. Click on any empty section of your desktop to make the “Finder” dropdown emerge. You’ll find it on the upper left part of your screen on your toolbar.
  2. Expand the “Finder” dropdown menu, and find “Preferences.”
  3. Then you need to tick the box for “Open folders in tabs instead of new windows.”

Method 2. You can also merge your Finder windows:

  1. Click on any empty section of your desktop to make the “Finder” dropdown emerge. You’ll find it on the upper left part of your screen on your toolbar.
  2. Open the “Window” dropdown and choose “Merge All Windows”.

Review Mac's Activity Monitor for Memory-Intensive Processes

clean ram activity monitor

The Activity Monitor does not only display the programs that use your RAM but also the amount of memory each of the tools takes up. If you see that some programs exhaust your RAM, the best way to fix it is to delete this memory-intensive software.

To open your Activity Monitor:

  1. Go to your desktop toolbar and find “Spotlight Search”. The icon resembles a magnifying glass. Another way to do this is to press the Command+Space bar.
  2. Use the search bar to find “Activity Monitor”.
  3. Head to the top of the window to open the “Memory” tab.
  4. Find the unused items, especially if they drain your RAM, and remove them.

Keep an Eye on Your CPU for Resource-Intensive Apps

clean ram controlling resource intensive apps

Your CPU (Central Processing Unit) is the main processor of the PC that performs the instructions stored in RAM. Some applications are more CPU-intensive and your task is to define them.

To better understand how loaded your CPU is, go to the Activity Monitor and open the “CPU” tab this time. There you can identify and solve any problems related to power consumption.

Organize Your Apps

clean ram organizing apps

If there are multiple applications on your app, your RAM consumption increases. The reason for this is that MacOS considers each desktop item as an open window, draining your RAM. So, you had better organize everything in several folders.

Use Mac's Virtual Memory

clean ram using virtual memory

Mac owners should know that they can use virtual memory, which is actually an imitation of RAM on Mac hard drives, to increase the amount of memory. Although your computer will use this virtual memory as an alternative to when the actual RAM is full, your task is to make certain that there is enough space available for use.

Always keep your hard drive neat and tidy by deleting old files, photos, videos, and programs, so that there is always free room for the cases mentioned above.

My Additional Recommendations

Here are some more helpful tips to help you to clean RAM more effectively and without much trouble.

Use a Dedicated Software

Identifying the RAM shortage and solving this problem is a time-consuming and rather difficult task. Fortunately, there are programs specifically designed to do this work for you. They can erase old info and unused files to optimize your memory.

We’ve already discussed Wise Memory Optimizer, but there are other effective and safe cleaners for Windows 10 and Mac for short-term memory cleaning. The most popular examples are CleanMem, RAMRush, Mz RAM Booster, PC Decrapifier, etc.

"As for me, a high-performing development setup is not possible without dedicated RAM cleaning software. As a program developer, I usually use multiple resource-intensive tools simultaneously." - Alex Reynolds, software developer.

Identify and Remove Malicious Software

Even if you take care of your computer safety by downloading only from reliable resources, malicious programs can still penetrate your system, jeopardizing your personal data and taking up much RAM. You should install solid antivirus software to detect and delete malware ensuring the flawless performance of your PC.

Install Additional RAM

Physically increasing the RAM by acquiring an additional memory stick is one of the surest and most effective ways to solve some persistent memory issues and enhance your computer performance. Although this method involves some extra expenses that depend on your device and the required RAM capacity, the benefits it offers are hard to enumerate.

F.A.Q.

  • • Is RAM available for downloading?

Unfortunately, it is not possible to download RAM. So, do not believe ads promising you to increase your PC's short-term memory, as things do not work this way. As I've already mentioned, the only way to expand your RAM is to purchase a special stick and install it on your computer.

  • • How to define the kind of RAM of your PC?

DDR3 and DDR4 are two common RAM types. Although DDR4 boasts a higher operational speed. DDR3 is sufficient for almost all tasks and uses. It means that DDR4 is a preferable option for gamers who appreciate additional speed.

It is possible to define the amount and type of your memory in the “About This Mac” section for Mac users and the Memory tab of the Task Manager for Windows users.

  • • How to find out the capacity of my RAM?

Checking the amount of RAM your computer has is a no-brainer. Mac users should find the Apple icon on the left side of the taskbar at the top of their screen. Then they need to select “About This Mac” in the drop-down menu. The amount of memory is indicated next to the “Memory” setting.

Windows 10 users should follow a different algorithm. They should head to the Windows taskbar and launch the Task Manager. On the left side, there will be the Memory tab, where one can check the RAM consumption and the overall capacity.

Contents:
SAVE UP TO 65% OFF SAVE UP TO 65% OFF