How to Check Memory Usage

If your computer is running slow, shortage of memory could be a reason. This handy guide will teach you how to check how much memory your computer is currently using.

Steps

Windows Task Manager

1. Open Task Manager by using the Ctrl+Alt+Del key combo and then clicking on Task Manager.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   


2. Click on the Performance tab in Task Manager. If you're using Windows 8 or higher, you might have to click on more details to see the performance tab.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   


3. Click on Memory. This will show you some graphs of memory usage. You can then monitor it. If you want more advanced graphs, use resource monitor.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Windows Resource Monitor

1. Click on the Start button or the Windows key to bring up the Start Screen or Start menu.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   


2. Type in Resource Monitor.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   


3. Click on 'Resource Monitor' from the list of results.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   


4. Click on the memory tab. This will yield several graphs showing you exactly how your computer's memory is being used. You can explore in detail.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Mac OS X

1. Open Activity Monitor. The shortcut to the program is found in the Utilities folder in Launchpad.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   


2. Select the System Memory tab. This will throw up a list of current active memory using processes.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   


3. Monitor memory usage. There are a plethora of graphs and details, updating in real-time.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Gnome

1. Open Search. This can be done by clicking on the OS button, or by clicking on your home key, depending on your distro.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   


2. Search for System Monitor.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   


3. Click on Gnome System Monitor, or System Monitor.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   


4. Click on the "Resource" tab to see current memory usage.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

KDE

1. Open Search. The search function is different for each KDE-using distro, but is often prominently featured on the desktop.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   


2. Key in 'ksysguard'. Click on the first result.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   


3. Use the tool to monitor your computer's performance and memory usage.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Terminal

1. Open the Linux terminal. You can do this through search, or by using the ctrl+alt+f1 shortcut.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   


2. Type in 'vmstat -s' . This will bring up current ram usage information.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   


3. Monitor and check the figures.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Tips

• You can also download a third-party GUI in Linux if you prefer a more graphical interface.


• You can start Linux monitoring tools manually by pressing Alt+f2 and then typing in the name of the program and pressing enter.


• Resource monitor in Windows can also be opened from Task Manager from the bottom of the performance tab.


• Create a desktop shortcut for resource monitor if you use it often.

Warnings

• Never kill a process unless you know what you're doing. Not only could you lose unsaved data, but terminating a system process might crash your system.


• If a suspicious process is using up a lot of ram, run an anti virus check. Malware can slow down your computer a lot.

Sources and Citations

• http://ift.tt/1iDra8T


• http://ift.tt/1zJas0D


• http://ift.tt/1l3WyfP


• http://ift.tt/1zJas0F

Related wikiHows

• Check Computer RAM


• Check CPU Speed


• Check Swap Space in Linux


• Reduce CPU Usage


• Check Your Hard Disk Space

from How to of the Day http://ift.tt/1rh8AtM

via Peter