RAM Spiking at 99% Fixed by Experts

Many Windows 11 users have complained about the RAM spiking at 99%, which can be frustrating if you do not know how to troubleshoot this problem. That is why this article has been dedicated to walking you through the necessary steps to fix this issue permanently.

Why is my RAM spiking at 99%?

There are many reasons why you could be experiencing this problem; some of the most common causes include:

• Numerous programs running simultaneously – If you have many programs running simultaneously, you will encounter this problem.
• Virus or malware attack – This problem can arise if a virus has infected your system. We recommend using a robust antivirus.
• Insufficient space – This is a common cause of this problem. Windows generally needs 8 GB of RAM to function at its best, so if your device’s RAM fall below this, you will encounter this problem.
• Outdated graphics card drivers – You will frequently face this problem if your driver is outdated.

Is it OK to use 90% of RAM?

You shouldn’t become concerned immediately if your RAM usage is at least 90%. All of the open programs will likely use your RAM.

As an illustration, your RAM usage will inevitably increase if you use Google Chrome and have several open tabs. This is normal and unproblematic.

This should not be considered a problem unless there are no opened apps and your device is experiencing this while idle. In this case, you should try some of the troubleshooting techniques below.

What do I do When the RAM is Spiking at 99%?

1. Terminate unnecessary programs

1. Click the search icon, type Task Manager in the search bar, and select Open.
   
2. Click on More details to see more options.
   
3. In the Processes tab, look for programs that use too much memory, right-click on them, and choose End task.
   
4. After completing this process, close your Task Manager and check if the ram spiking at 99% issue persists.

2. Set Registry hack

1. Press Windows + R simultaneously, type regedit in the text field and hit Enter.
   
2. Next, navigate to the path below.
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet/Control/Session Manager/Memory Management
3. Look for and right-click the ClearPageFileAtShutDown option, change its value to 1, then hit the OK button.
   
4. After this, verify whether the RAM spiking at 99% error has been resolved.

3. Stop the SysMain service

1. Hold the Windows + R keys simultaneously to open the Run dialogue, type services.msc in the text field, and hit Enter.
   
2. In the services menu, scroll down and locate SysMain, right click on it and choose Properties.
   
3. In the next window, change the Startup type option to Disabled.
   
4. Next, go to the Service status option, click on Stop, and select OK.
   
5. Finally, check if this step has fixed the ram spiking at 99% problem.

4. Increase virtual memory

1. Hold Windows + E simultaneously to open your File Explorer, right-click on This PC and choose Properties.
   
2. Click the Advanced system settings link.
   
3. Navigate to the Advanced tab, and click the Settings button under the Performance menu.
   
4. In the next window, go to the Advanced tab and click Change under the Virtual memory section.
   
5. Uncheck the box next to Automatically manage paging file size for all drives, choose C drive, click the radio button next to No paging file, and finally click the Set button.
   
6. Select Yes to continue.
   
7. Choose a nonsystem partition, click the radio button next to the Custom size option, ensure that the Initial size and Maximum size are set to the same value, and finally, hit Set and OK to save these changes.
   
8. Lastly, check if this has repaired the ram spiking at 99% error.

5. Disable Startup programs

1. Click the search icon, type Task Manager in the search bar, and select Open.
   
2. Navigate to the Startup tab, right-click on a program, and choose Disable.
   
3. Close your Task Manager to see if the ram spiking at 99% issue has been fixed.

6. Increase physical memory

1. Click the search icon, type Task Manager in the search bar, and select Open.
   
2. Navigate to the Performance tab and choose Memory.
   
3. Look at the speed size of the memory to know the one you will need.
   
4. Buy a new memory card and add it to your system.
5. After adding the new card, reboot your system, and your device should detect this new memory card.
6. Verify to know if the ram spiking at 99% problem has ended.

7. Perform a system scan for virus

1. Click the search icon and type Windows Security in the text field.
   
2. Choose Virus & threat protection.
   
3. Now, click the Turn on button.
   
4. Select the Quick Scan button.
   
5. Allow your device to finish scanning and check if the ram spiking at 99% persists.

8. Defragment your hard drive

1. Click the search bar icon, type defragment in the text field, and click Open.
   
2. Select the drive you want to defragment and click the Optimize button.
   
3. Allow the process to finish, then check if this has fixed the ram spiking at 99% problem.

9. Disable NDU in Registry

1. Press Windows + R simultaneously, type regedit in the text field and hit Enter.
   
2. Next, navigate to the path below.
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/ControlSet001/Services/Ndu
   
3. Right-click on Start and pick Modify.
   
4. Change the Value data to 4 and click OK.
   
5. Reboot your device and the ram spiking at 99% problem should be fixed.

In conclusion, if you have been asking why is my RAM usage so high when nothing is running or if your PC memory is at 99%, following the solutions listed in this article will help you quickly fix this problem and your system will be up and running in no time.

The solutions in this article have not been listed in any particular order so ensure to try as many solutions as possible till you find one that works best for you.