I was sitting at my desk one evening, working on an important project, when I noticed my computer was running unusually slow. The fan was whirring loudly, and my screen seemed to be freezing intermittently. Frustrated, I decided to check the Task Manager to see what was causing these issues. To my dismay, I found that both the CPU and RAM usage were spiking. Even worse, the disk usage was at 100%, and it appeared that the “System” and “Compressed Memory” processes were consuming most of the resources.
I was perplexed. My computer, which had always been relatively snappy, was now struggling with basic tasks. The “System” process alone was using up a significant portion of the CPU, and the “Compressed Memory” process was eating up a large chunk of RAM. My first thought was to search for solutions online. I delved into numerous forums and articles, hoping to find a quick fix. What I discovered was a range of potential solutions, but none seemed to be the ultimate answer to my problem.
I started with the basics: I ran a virus scan to ensure that malware wasn’t the culprit. Thankfully, the scan came back clean. Next, I checked for Windows updates, assuming that a recent update might have introduced the issue. I downloaded and installed the latest updates, rebooted my system, but the problem persisted.
Determined to find a solution, I dug deeper into the issue. It seemed that the high CPU and RAM usage could be due to a memory leak or a system process that was misbehaving. I found that “Compressed Memory” is a feature in Windows designed to free up physical memory by compressing data, but if it’s consuming too many resources, it might be indicative of a larger problem.
One suggested fix was to adjust the virtual memory settings. I accessed the System Properties and navigated to the Advanced tab, where I clicked on Settings under Performance. In the Performance Options window, I went to the Advanced tab and then clicked on Change under Virtual Memory. I unselected the option for automatic management and set a custom size for the paging file. I set the initial size to 1.5 times the amount of RAM in my system and the maximum size to 3 times the RAM. After applying these settings and restarting my computer, the issue seemed slightly better, but the problem wasn’t completely resolved.
Another recommended fix was to disable or change the Superfetch service, which can sometimes cause high disk usage. I opened the Services application by typing “services.msc” into the Start menu search box. I found Superfetch in the list, right-clicked it, and selected Properties. I then stopped the service and set its Startup type to Disabled. This step also provided some relief, but it didn’t completely address the issue.
As a last resort, I decided to look into potential hardware issues. I ran the built-in Windows Memory Diagnostic tool to check for RAM issues. The test came back with no errors, which was a relief, but it also meant that the issue wasn’t with my physical memory. I also checked my disk for errors using the Command Prompt. I ran the “chkdsk” command, which found and fixed some minor errors, but again, this didn’t entirely solve the problem.
Feeling stuck, I turned to the idea of a clean boot. This process involves starting Windows with a minimal set of drivers and startup programs to determine if background programs are causing the issue. I opened the System Configuration tool by typing “msconfig” into the Start menu search box. In the General tab, I selected Selective startup and unchecked Load startup items. I then restarted my computer. With a clean boot, I observed that the CPU, RAM, and disk usage were significantly lower. This indicated that some third-party application or service was likely the cause of the problem.
To narrow down which application or service was causing the issue, I re-enabled startup items one by one and monitored the system’s performance after each change. After a bit of trial and error, I discovered that a specific third-party antivirus program was responsible for the high resource usage. I uninstalled the problematic software and replaced it with a different antivirus solution that was lighter on system resources.
With the problematic software removed and replaced, my computer’s performance improved dramatically. The CPU and RAM usage returned to normal levels, and the disk usage no longer spiked to 100%. I felt a wave of relief as I realized that my computer was back to its efficient self. This entire troubleshooting journey had taught me a lot about managing system resources and how to approach solving such issues methodically.