To see which apps and processes are using RAM in Windows 11, open Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc, choose Processes, and compare the Memory column. For total system memory use, open Performance > Memory instead.
Check memory use by app or process
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Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager. You can also right-click Start and select Task Manager. Microsoft documents both ways to open the tool.
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Select Processes in Task Manager.
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Find the Memory column. It shows the memory use reported for each listed app or process. Select the column heading to sort the entries and bring higher-memory entries together. Microsoft recommends using the Processes view to review resource use when diagnosing a slow PC. See Microsoft’s Windows performance guidance.
If you recognize an app you are not using and it is consuming substantial memory, save any work and close the app normally. A high reading alone does not show that an app is malfunctioning, and it is not a reason to end an unfamiliar Windows process.
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See overall memory use for the PC
In Task Manager, select Performance, then Memory. This view gives a broader picture of memory use on the device. It answers a different question from Processes: Processes helps identify which listed entries are using memory, while Performance > Memory helps assess memory use at the system level. Microsoft describes Task Manager as a system monitor that provides information about device performance and resource consumption. Microsoft Support: System configuration tools in Windows.
What to do with a high memory reading
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For an app you recognize and do not need right now, close it normally; Microsoft includes closing unused apps among its performance troubleshooting steps.
Rank #2
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If the system-wide Memory view is the concern, use it to understand overall memory status rather than assuming that one process explains the total.
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Do not treat a large number beside an unfamiliar process as proof that it is safe to stop. The Microsoft guidance cited here recommends closing unused apps, not ending arbitrary Windows processes.
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Windows also has a separate privacy setting called App diagnostics. It controls whether apps can access diagnostic information about other running apps, including app names and process-level memory use. Find it at Settings > Privacy & security > App diagnostics. On a work-managed device, an administrator may restrict this setting. Read Microsoft’s explanation of app diagnostics and privacy.
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