A Windows PC that hitches or locks up for a moment each time you launch a program or open another browser tab may be suffering from apps you used earlier that are still clinging to RAM they no longer need. With a lightweight RAM cleaner, you can release that memory in a single click, and none of your open windows get shut down. You can even have it run automatically, so the problem takes care of itself from then on.
Why Windows runs low on RAM after a while
RAM is the high-speed memory where your programs actually run. It is separate from the storage drive that holds your files. Being low on RAM is not always a sign that your PC lacks capacity; even a system with 16GB can briefly freeze when you open a fresh Chrome tab.
Check Task Manager at almost any moment and Memory will likely read somewhere between 50 and 60% used. Three things account for that:
- Background services and your own apps. Windows keeps a lot of services running behind the scenes, and you probably have a handful of apps open as well. None of this is unusual.
- Superfetch. This built-in Windows feature loads your most-used apps ahead of time so they launch more quickly when you click on them.
- Apps that don’t let go. Programs you ran earlier may hang on to the RAM they were allocated, leaving less available for everything else.
There’s no limit in Windows on how much RAM a single app may take. That helps performance while the app is in use, but when the memory isn’t returned after you close it, the programs you’re actually working in end up with less headroom.
If your PC stays switched on around the clock, or you only ever put it to Sleep, Windows won’t reclaim that allocated memory on your behalf. Memory being in use isn’t a bad thing on its own, because idle RAM accomplishes nothing. The trouble starts when a memory leak (an app holding on to memory it ought to have given back) begins producing stutters and micro-freezes. This is more noticeable on machines with 8GB of RAM or less, and for people who game.
Free RAM with a memory cleaner app
The simplest solution is a RAM cleaner, and many of them cost nothing. Choose a lightweight option that doesn’t nag you about a premium tier or eat up lots of memory itself, since that would undermine the whole purpose. Two solid choices are WinMemoryCleaner by Igor Mundstein and Memory Cleaner by Koshy John, both of which rely on a function that is part of Windows, though any app you trust will do the job.
When checked, both apps came back clean from a virus scan. Even so, you should scan anything downloaded from the internet before running it.
- Download whichever RAM cleaner you’ve picked.
- Run a virus scan on the downloaded file.
- Place the EXE file somewhere convenient, like your desktop.
- Launch the app.
- Press Optimize, or the matching button in the app you’re using.
- Keep an eye on the memory indicator as RAM is released live.
None of the apps you have open will be closed in the process.
Set WinMemoryCleaner to free RAM on its own
WinMemoryCleaner offers additional settings that let it operate in the background. A handy configuration, particularly for gamers, is to launch it alongside Windows and have it clean memory automatically whenever free RAM runs low.
- Launch WinMemoryCleaner.
- Enable the option that runs it on startup.
- Configure it to free memory once available memory falls below 15%.
After that, there’s no need to open the app again.
When a RAM cleaner helps and when it doesn’t
These tools won’t speed up your memory or “optimize” it permanently. What they offer is a fast way to deal with memory leaks when apps fail to hand back the memory they were allocated.
Here’s a common scenario: after several hours of work in Chrome, you launch a game and start seeing micro-stutters and freezes. A single press of Optimize can resolve that sort of slowdown immediately.
Bear in mind that the figures in Task Manager aren’t always reliable, so a high memory reading there doesn’t necessarily point to a problem. Reach for the cleaner when you can actually feel things slowing down.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my RAM 50 to 60% full when I’m not doing anything?
Windows keeps background services running, Superfetch preloads your most-used apps, and programs you closed earlier might still be holding memory. The first two are perfectly normal.
Will a RAM cleaner close my open apps?
No. Pressing Optimize releases memory while leaving all your open apps running.
Does Windows free up RAM when my PC goes to sleep?
No. When your PC stays on or is simply put to sleep, Windows doesn’t automatically reclaim memory that apps are holding.
Do I need a RAM cleaner if I have 16GB of RAM?
It can still be useful. Even on 16GB, memory that apps fail to release can trigger short freezes, although stutters show up more often on PCs with 8GB or less and while gaming.