Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesCompare Task Manager’s Performance > Memory readings before and after installing the update, with the PC restarted and the same apps and workload in place. Record In use and Available, plus the Windows version, build, update KB, and time since restart. A lower in-use figure and higher available memory are consistent with less RAM occupied at that moment—but the comparison alone cannot prove the update caused the change.
Make a fair before-and-after comparison
Memory use changes with open apps, browser tabs, background tasks, and time since startup. To make the readings meaningful, keep those conditions as similar as possible. A screenshot of each Memory view can help you compare the same information later.
- Before installing the update, restart the PC. Let startup activity settle, then open Task Manager with Ctrl+Shift+Esc.
- In Task Manager, select Performance, then Memory. Record the date and time, total RAM, In use, Available, and time since restart.
- Note the Windows version and build and the update’s KB number, if known. Record which apps, browser tabs, or other workload are open.
- Install the update and restart the PC. Allow a similar settling period before taking the second reading.
- Reopen Task Manager > Performance > Memory and record the same details under a similar workload. If practical, take another reading later under comparable conditions to see whether the difference persists.
Do not change startup apps, open tabs, or the workload between readings if you can avoid it. This reduces confounding differences, but cannot eliminate every change in background activity.
Read the Memory figures correctly
In use
In use shows physical memory currently being used by Windows, apps, and other activity. Compare this figure between your two readings, not just a process’s memory number.
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Available
Available includes both free and standby memory. Standby memory holds cached data that is not actively in use and can be made available when applications need it. Microsoft describes available memory as RAM available to user applications after required system and boot applications have loaded. So, RAM shown as occupied is not automatically unavailable to apps. See Microsoft’s Memory Footprint assessment results for details.
If In use is lower and Available is higher after the update, that is consistent with less physical memory being occupied at the time of the second reading. It does not establish that the update caused the difference. A higher reading can likewise reflect a different workload or temporary activity after restarting.
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Check which update you installed
Look up the exact KB number in Microsoft’s Windows 11 update history and open the matching release notes and known issues. Windows 11 feature updates roll out in phases, and release notes describe changes for particular releases—not a guaranteed effect on every PC. For examples of update-specific notes, Microsoft lists KB5120998 and KB5124010 for Windows 11 versions 24H2 and 25H2. Check the page that matches your own update and version.
A change that appears soon after installation is not, by itself, evidence that the update caused it. The reviewed Microsoft release notes do not establish a general RAM reduction for Windows 11 updates, and there is no universal amount of RAM you should expect an update to save.
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Investigate further if Task Manager does not explain the change
Task Manager is a practical starting point for a system-wide comparison, but process totals and overall physical memory are different views. If the system reading is unclear, inspect process working sets or use Performance Monitor counters such as MemoryAvailable MBytes and process working-set counters. Microsoft documents these counters in its Windows performance troubleshooting guidance; this is a deeper, enterprise-oriented diagnostic route, not a requirement for a basic check.
For a more detailed memory analysis, Microsoft also documents the Memory Footprint assessment. It provides more detail than Task Manager and is intended as a diagnostic assessment rather than the simplest consumer comparison. Use it when you need deeper analysis, not merely to decide whether your everyday readings changed.
Quick Recap
Best Value
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