Are you noticing your computer slowing down? frequent crashes and long waiting times? Well in most cases, high CPU or RAM usage can be a common culprit behind these issues. Do not worry though, this article will provide multiple solutions to troubleshoot high CPU and RAM usage in Windows 10.
Identifying the issue
Before we start fixing this issue, we first must identify it. Follow these steps and see for yourself!
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc or right-click on the taskbar and select “Task Manager” to open it.
- In the Task Manager window, click on the “Performance” tab.
- Check the usage written under the CPU and Memory boxes.
How to Trouble Shoot High CPU and RAM usage:
Task Manager:
- Open the Task Manager again by either pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc or right-clicking on the taskbar.
- In the Task Manager, go to the “Processes” tab.
- Look for the processes that are consuming a significant amount of CPU or RAM resources.
- Right-click on the process and select “End task”.
Only do this to the unnecessary applications.
Update Your Software and Drivers:
Outdated software and drivers can lead to inefficiencies and increased resource usage, in order to get up to date with the latest drivers and software, visit the official websites of your hardware components and software applications to download the latest updates. In the case of Windows, you can just go to settings and check for the latest updates.
Check for Malware:
Malicious software can hog CPU and RAM resources in the background without you knowing, this is why they are always correlated with slow computers. You must dismantle any malicious software, do this by:
- Settings>Update and Security>Windows Security>Virus and Threat Protection>Quick Scan.
- Once the scan is complete, let it eliminate the files or quarantine them.
Instead of Windows Security, any reputable anti-virus software can also be used.
Adjust Windows Visual Effects:
Visual effects such as swipe animations, minimize animations, etc can often use unnecessary resources on slow or outdated computers. If not having animations does not bother you, you can disable them by:
- Right-clicking on “This PC” and select “Properties”
- Click on “Advanced system settings,” then under the “Performance” section, click Settings.
- Now you can choose “Adjust for best performance” to disable all the animations or you can pick and choose.
Disable Startup Programs:
Some applications start up on their own when the PC turns on, this uses CPU and RAM without you knowing. You can disable these start-up applications by:
- Opening the Task Manager by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc
- Go to the “Startup” tab.
- Right-click on unnecessary apps and select disable.
Perform a Disk Cleanup:
Extra files, folders, and documents contribute to CPU and RAM usage, you do not always need these files so by doing a disk cleanup, you can get rid of them:
- Search “Disk Cleanup” in the Windows start menu and open it.
- Select your main drive and click “Okay”.
- Check the boxes for what items you want to clean and click “Ok”.
Conclusion:
I hope you could fix your issue with these easy ways to troubleshoot high CPU and RAM usage in Windows 10. If you need any help then let me know in the comments and if you want to stay up to date with tech-related advice then make sure to follow us.
