How to fix vmmem high memory usage in Windows 10

June 2024 · 7 minute read
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    • Users who are experiencing high memory utilization due to vmmem in Windows 10, should consult the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) documentation (WSL and WSL2).

    More recently, it appears to occur if you have a Linux VM configured in WSL2 with a graphical user interface. According to Task Manager, the vmmem process can immediately start utilizing a lot of memory when it is running in the background.

    Unfortunately, there is no official patch from Microsoft, and the issue appears to occur at random for unexplained reasons, making it difficult to diagnose. However, it seems to occur after your system has been awakened from sleep mode on occasion.

    Follow along as we will show you a quick method in which you can stop vmmem in Windows 10 and impede it from using your computer’s memory. Windows 10’s vmmem high CPU problem will also be addressed below, but first, let’s see in more detail what the process is. Keep up with us!

    What is Windows 10’s vmmem process and why is it using all of my memory?

    When it comes to computers, computer memory is one of the most critical components. It consists of three types of memory: RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), and cache (click computer booting to know the relationship between RAM and ROM).

    To put it another way, when the computer is functioning, the CPU will send the data that needs to be operated into the memory for operation and then communicate the result after the operation is completed.

    WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) reserves a large amount of memory, even when it is not required. It can utilize up to 80 percent of your available memory on current Windows builds. Recently, this has been modified to 50 percent, up to a maximum of 8GB, in newer releases.

    The interaction between Windows 10’s vmmem & Docker is also not doing well. Users have complained that Docker has been taking up to 70% of their available memory, causing their computer to lag significantly.

    Vmmem is responsible for running virtual machine processes and memories. This means that the process is the heart of the virtual machine, and it is where all of the VM functions and applications execute.

    Usage of virtual machines (VMs) is extremely common in our daily lives. Every virtual machine necessitates the use of host system resources such as CPU, memory, disk, and network.

    However, the CPU and memory are the most crucial resources, and they are the only ones that may be entirely consumed.

    The main cause for vmmem using a lot of memory is users configuring virtual machines with a large amount of memory and CPU, as this often results in them using all of the resources available, which raises the vmmem process’s requirements.

    How can I fix Windows 10’s vmmem high memory usage?

    Restart WSL(Windows Subsystem for Linux) from CMD

  • First you need to open the Command Prompt by pressing Windows + S and typing cmd inside. Before clicking on it, right-click and choose Run as administrator.cmd vmmem windows 10
  • Now copy-paste or type in the following command and press Enter to run the process: wsl --shutdownwsl vmmem windows 10
  • However, if the command doesn’t work for you, head to the following location inside File Explorer: C:\Users\your-username\.wslconfig
  • Now add this code to the file and save it: [wsl2] guiApplications=falsewsl2 vmmem windows 10
  • Finally, restart your computer to completely kill vmmem in Windows 10. Note that if you make this change, you won’t be able to use Linux GUI apps without removing those lines from the file. That’s it! The vmmem Windows 10 high memory issue should be ended.

    • Windows 10’s vmmem – WSL connection works in that the former is a sub-process of the latter function. The Windows Subsystem for Linux is a compatibility layer that allows Linux binary executables to be run natively on Windows systems.

    We also recommend that you use a specialized tool that secures and safely repairs any PC to an optimized state, such as Restoro.

    How can I prevent high memory & CPU usage?

    In any computing equipment, the Central Processing Unit (CPU) is at the heart of the operation, and it is responsible for carrying out any instructions you give it. That doesn’t mean that the memory is any less important as it is critical.

    Expert Tip: Some PC issues are hard to tackle, especially when it comes to corrupted repositories or missing Windows files. If you are having troubles fixing an error, your system may be partially broken. We recommend installing Restoro, a tool that will scan your machine and identify what the fault is.
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    The computer may begin to heat up when those resources are being taxed, causing apps to lag or shut down, the cursor to move slowly, and other issues to arise.

    Customers who are experiencing high memory use as a result of the computer running many apps at the same time should close the programs in order to alleviate the problem. Alternatively, if the software takes up too much memory, they can terminate the program in order to fix the issue.

    Unless the CPU utilization is greater than 50% for a period of more than 10 minutes, you should not terminate any process early. When Windows runs scans or updates in the background, the CPU utilization will spike for a brief period of time. This is normal and can be expected.

    Task Manager allows you to terminate any background programs that may be running by unchecking them under the Startup tab on the left-hand side. You can sort programs by their startup impact to see which ones are the most resource-intensive.

    Look in the Task Manager for processes that have the CPU & memory consumption at nearly 100 percent, it is necessary to terminate them and restart them again. If a different software is responsible for the high CPU utilization, you can either block it from starting up or uninstall it.

    Install the most recent version of Windows 10 along with all of the current updates. Also available is the option to temporarily prevent the automatic download of Windows Updates on your computer.

    Alternatively, some power settings may cause your computer’s CPU speed to be throttled, reducing the overall performance of your machine and a slow memory allocation. You should experiment with both the Balanced and High-Performance plans to determine which one works best.

    For further information on efficiency and high memory usage, you can take a look at our post on how to improve PC performance in Windows 10 and apply the tips we gave there.

    Alternatively, we have prepared a guide for those whose computer is not using all RAM and want to find out how to increase usable RAM. Make sure to check it out if you face the same issue.

    Lastly, for those who are interested in Windows 11 as well, don’t miss out on our performance comparison between Windows 10 & 11.

    Do not hesitate to let us know in the comments section below if the guide proved to be helpful for you or not. Thanks for reading!

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