Many users face an issue where Windows is not using all the RAM available on the computer. If that happens, you end up with less usable RAM and thereby reduced performance while multitasking. The most common reasons for this issue include a faulty ram stick, outdated BIOS, a 32-bit OS, and iGPU eating the RAM. Here’s how to fix this issue and force Windows to use all the available RAM.
Table of Contents
1. Upgrade to the 64-bit Version of Windows OS
The 32-bit version of Windows OS can only use a maximum of 4GB RAM. But a 64-bit version of Windows OS can handle a maximum of 16 Exabytes, which is way bigger. So, if you are using a 32-bit version of Windows 10 or older operating system, your computer won’t be able to utilize all the available RAM.
You can check the version of the Windows OS installed on your PC by opening the Settings app and then clicking on the About option. If it is a 32-bit version, you must upgrade to a 64-bit version by clean-installing Windows. Also, check if your PC has a 64-bit processor or not. If you are using Windows 11, you don’t need to worry about this because it only has a 64-bit version.
2. Check RAM For Faults
The next thing to look out for is faults in the installed RAM sticks on your PC. You can open your PC cabinet or laptop and pull out the RAM sticks and clean the board, slots, and pins. But before doing that perform a software check using the inbuilt memory diagnostic tool. Here’s how to do it:
1. Press the Windows key, type memory diagnostic, and press Enter.
2. Click on Restart now and check for problems (recommended) option.
Your PC will restart and the tool will check your memory for errors. If the utility finds nothing wrong with your RAM, then move to the next step.
3. Change Virtual Memory Settings
Windows uses some hard disk space as RAM and labels this feature as Paging. But if it isn’t active or set to very low, your PC will encounter errors. Here’s how to change its settings:
1. Press the Window key + R to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type %windir%\system32\SystemPropertiesPerformance.exe in the text box and press Enter.
3. Switch to the Advanced tab. Go to the Virtual Memory section and click on the Change button.
4. Now, click on the Automatically manage paging file size for all drives check box. Then click on the OK button.
5. Close the Performance options window. Restart your PC.
4. Clear Your Page File
Windows creates a file called pagefile.sys and saves it on your secondary storage drive (internal HDD, or SSD). Clearing this file at shutdown can help you resolve the issue on your PC. Here’s how to do it:
1. Press the Windows key, type CMD, and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter keys at once.
2. The User Account Control window will launch. Click on the Yes button.
3. Now, type the following command and press the Enter key to execute it:
reg add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management" /v ClearPageFileAtShutdown /t REG_DWORD /d 00000001 /f
4. Close the Command Prompt window. Restart your PC to apply the changes.
5. Reconfigure Maximum Memory Settings
If you have tweaked Maximum Memory Settings on your Windows PC, chances are that it won’t be able to utilize the full RAM. Here’s how to revert it to default settings:
1. Press the Windows key, type msconfig, and press Enter.
2. Now, switch to the Boot tab. Click on the Advanced options button.
3. Uncheck the Maximum memory: checkbox. Click on the OK button.
4. Click on the Apply button and then click on the OK button.
5. Close the msconfig utility and restart your PC.
6. Update your BIOS
An outdated BIOS version can encounter errors with Windows OS. You don’t get BIOS updates along with Windows updates and have to manually find and download them. If you are using a laptop or a pre-built rig of an OEM, you can use their official site to download the latest BIOS update.
Usually, OEMs also offer a driver download and management utility and you can use them to identify your PC model and automatically install all the latest drivers including the BIOS updates. It can take a while to flash the updated BIOS on your PC, so stay patient and ensure an uninterrupted power supply.
7. Switch to Discrete Graphics
If your computer has an integrated as well as a discrete GPU, you must switch to the discrete GPU. The integrated GPU has very less memory and shares the system memory when needed. So, it can result in less available memory for the Windows OS. Switching to discrete graphics which has its separate VRAM can help. Here’s how to do it:
1. Press the Windows key, type NVIDIA Control Panel, and press Enter.
2. Go to the left side menu and click on the Manage 3D Settings option.
3. In the Global Settings tab, expand the Preferred Graphics Processor drop-down list. Select the High-performance NVIDIA processor option.
4. Click on the Apply button. Close the NVIDIA Control Panel app.
Similarly, if you use a RADEON GPU, you can open its settings and force the PC to use the discrete GPU for all graphical tasks. Laptop users may also have a custom OEM app to switch between integrated GPU and high-performance discrete GPU.
8. Update Windows
If you refrain from updating Windows OS, there is a high chance that your system is plagued with a bug that is making it difficult to use all the available RAM. To rule out this possibility, you must update your Windows PC to the latest build. Here’s how:
1. Press the Windows key, type Update Windows, and press Enter.
2. Wait for the utility to search for the updates available for your PC. Then, click on the Download and Install button.
3. You might have to restart your PC to apply the new updates.
Make All RAM Usable Again
32-bit Windows OS cannot use more than 4 GB RAM. So, switch to a 64-bit OS, check your RAM for faults, and ensure that Virtual Memory is automatically managed. After that, undo any changes made to the Maximum memory settings, update BIOS, and switch to the discrete GPU, if you have one.
