If your computer is already relatively old, chances are you’ve seen the error “Your computer is low on memory” more frequently than you can admit. Basically, it appears in Windows PCs whenever the computer runs out of memory, specifically random access memory, commonly known as RAM. Of course, it’s no easy feat to run out of RAM, but that’s why this issue is often seen in old computers as their RAM is relatively small. Naturally, the experience would’ve been annoying, and frustrating at the same time, knowing that you can’t do anything to prevent the error from popping up, or can you?
Unbeknownst to many Windows users, it’s actually possible to prevent or at least minimize the likelihood of this specific error from popping up on your computer. But first, why should you worry about the error in the first place?
What Happens If Your Computer Is Low on Memory?
If you often use intensive apps like Photoshop, or if your Mac is already over five years old, chances are you frequently receive the “Your computer is low on memory” error. Though you can get rid of the popup by simply clicking Close, it only takes away the error message and doesn’t actually solve the root of the problem. Consequently, it wouldn’t prevent the consequences that come from the error. Here’s a look at what these are and how they can affect your Mac computer:
- Some of the apps may crash or freeze randomly
- It takes longer to load apps
- Your computer will become considerably slower
- There’s a delay between inputs
For these reasons, it’s crucial that you clear your memory every now and then to avoid the “Your computer is low on memory” error message. Keep in mind that it’s specifically RAM, so that’s what we’ll focus on in this guide.
Below are six ways to clear your Mac’s RAM and solve the underlying issue.
Solution #1: Restart Your Mac
The “Your computer is low on memory” specifically refers to the RAM. If you didn’t know, the RAM is temporary storage for files the computer needs. It’s temporary in that when you restart your Mac, the RAM also resets and clears itself. It’s unlike regular storage, where they remain on your computer even after a restart. With that being said, if you wish to clear your RAM, perhaps the easiest way to do it is by restarting your Mac. It’s fairly simple, and it takes a few seconds to do it.
Solution #2: Force Quit Demanding Apps
It’s no secret that applications consume a computer’s RAM, and certain apps consume more RAM than others. These are what we call intensive apps, and the reason they consume more RAM is that they generate a ton of files. Examples of intensive and demanding apps include Photoshop, high-graphics video games, and the likes. Since apps are likely the main reason why your computer is low on memory, naturally, it wouldn’t hurt to try closing some of your apps. Of course, you must only close those that you currently no longer need. Without further ado, here’s how you can force quit demanding apps:
- Click the Apple icon from the top-left corner of your Mac screen.
- Select Force Quit. This should open the Force Quit window.
Note: Alternatively, you can open the Force Quit window by pressing Option + Command + Esc on your keyboard.
- On the Force Quit window, select the apps you wish to close.
- Click Force Quit.
This should close the selected app, but keep in mind that this only works on apps. There are other things that consume your RAM, and that includes processes.
Solution #3: Stop Unnecessary Processes
When an app is open on your computer, you can typically find its icon on the Dock. However, there are things running on your computer that you cannot find on the Dock. These are what we call background processes, and they’re essentially pieces of software that consume a bit of your RAM, though not as much as applications. But since there are countless processes that might be running on your computer, the RAM they consume can pile up. That’s why you must stop processes if you think they aren’t necessary. Since Force Quit doesn’t show processes, we’ll be using Activity Monitor. Here’s how you can pull this off:
- Open Finder on your Mac.
- Select Applications from the sidebar.
- Open the Utilities folder.
- Double-click Activity Monitor.
- On the Activity Monitor window, there should be five tabs. Navigate to the Memory tab.
- Here, you can find the apps and processes currently running on your computer and the amount of RAM each of them consumes. Simply select the process you wish to stop.
- Click the X button at the top-left corner of the window.
You can stop processes and even apps in this window. You can also see a lot of information about your memory, such as the used RAM and the available RAM.
Solution #4: Purge RAM With Terminal
If you’re still seeing the error message despite doing solutions #1 to #3, chances are there are other things that might be running on your computer. Unfortunately, if that’s the case, they’re likely not visible through conventional means. If so, you might have to purge your RAM by typing in a line of code in Terminal. For your information, the Terminal is an app that allows you to give commands to your Mac through codes. Here’s how you can purge RAM with Terminal:
- Open Finder.
- Navigate to Applications.
- Open Utilities.
- Double-click Terminal.
- Type in this line of code: sudo purge
- Enter your password if asked.
This should clear your RAM instantaneously, though it should only be treated as a last resort since it might cause other issues to your computer.
Solution #5: Use Mac Cleaner [RECOMMENDED]
The last solution, and arguably the best one out of these, is to utilize a specialized cleaner program called Mac Cleaner. It’s modular software with various features. Its main function is one that allows you to delete unnecessary files from your Mac. However, it also has other functionalities, one of which is the ability to free up RAM on your computer, essentially solving the “Your computer is low on memory,” since memory here refers to RAM, as stated earlier.
Below are the steps you must follow to free up the RAM of your computer using Mac Cleaner:
Step #1: Launch Mac Cleaner
You can start by downloading the Mac Cleaner installer via their website. You must then use it to install the software. Once installation is complete, launch the software on your Mac computer and proceed to the next step.
Step #2: Choose the Speed up Your Mac Module
The software has six different modules, namely (1) Clean Up Junk, (2) Delete Large Files, (3) Delete Duplicate Files, (4) Erase Private Data, (5) Speed Up Your Mac, and (6) Manage Apps & Extensions. Though each module has its own uses, in this particular case, you’ll only need the Speed Up Your Mac module. It contains four functions that allow you to speed up your Mac, one of which allows you to free up RAM, which should solve the “Your computer is low on memory” error. To select this module, you must click Speed Up Your Mac from the left sidebar of the interface, which should display all the six modules.
Step #3: Click the Start Now Button
Upon selecting the module, the interface will then display information about its functionalities. In the case of Speed Up Your Mac, it’ll show you the four features of the module. You should be able to see that it includes the Free Up RAM feature. You can also learn its other functionalities on this screen. Anyway, simply click the Start Now button to proceed with the process.
Step #4: Select Free up RAM
The software will then start up the Speed Up Your Mac module and will change the screen. On the next screen, you’ll find the four options you saw earlier. Simply pick Free Up RAM out of these four options and proceed to the next step.
Step #5: Deactivate a Process
After you click Free Up RAM, you’ll find a list of items from the right side of the interface. These are the different Mac features that consume a huge portion of your RAM. The software will allow you to deactivate that feature to clear up the RAM and save some memory. To do this, you just have to select an item by clicking its corresponding checkboxes. You can also click the checkbox for Select All to include all items. Finally, click the Deactivate button at the top-right corner of the screen.
The best part about using Mac Cleaner is that it only detects processes that aren’t exactly necessary for your Mac’s operation. Therefore, you don’t have to worry about deactivating a process and crashing your Mac as a result.
Wrapping Up
Storage capacity is one of the most valuable resources in a computer. After all, you cannot obtain it easily, as it requires you to buy a hard disk. Following that logic, your computer’s RAM or memory is an even more valuable resource, as you can only increase it several GBs at a time. It also requires you to buy specific hardware. That’s why you’ll often encounter the “Your computer is low on memory” error, especially if you frequently use several intensive apps. Though it is annoying, you can very easily circumvent this issue if you have the know-how, and this guide should provide everything you need to do that.
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