netdata/health/guides/windows/windows_ram_in_use.md

Understand the alert

The windows_ram_in_use alert is triggered when memory utilization on a Windows system reaches the specified warning or critical thresholds. If you receive this alert, it means that your Windows system is running low on available memory.

What does memory utilization mean?

Memory utilization refers to the percentage of a system's RAM that is currently being used by applications, processes, and the operating system. High memory utilization can lead to performance issues and may cause applications to crash or become unresponsive.

Troubleshoot the alert

• Check current memory usage on the system

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
2. Click on the Performance tab.
3. View the Memory section to see the total memory usage and available memory.

• Identify high memory usage processes

1. In Task Manager, click on the Processes tab.
2. Click on the Memory column to sort processes by memory usage.
3. Identify processes that are using a high percentage of memory.

• Optimize memory usage

1. Close unnecessary applications and processes to free up memory.
2. Investigate if running processes have a known memory leak issue.
3. Consider upgrading the system's RAM if memory usage is consistently high.

• Monitor memory usage over time

1. Use Windows Performance Monitor to create a Data Collector Set that collects memory usage metrics.
2. Analyze the collected data to identify trends and potential issues.

Useful resources

1. How to use Task Manager to monitor Windows PC's performance
2. How to use Performance Monitor on Windows 10
3. How to fix high memory usage in Windows