Is your computer running slow? Is it taking longer than usual to open programs or files? Do you have more browser tabs open than you usually do, and are they all sluggish when loading? If so, then you might be encountering the dreaded “out of memory” error. What does this mean exactly, though? Is there a way to fix it? Keep reading for some helpful guidance on how to deal with this frustrating situation.
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What is “Out of Memory”?
The term “out of Memory” loosely means that there is not enough memory for your computer to do what you are asking it to do. The location where this error is most prevalent is in the opening of files, programs, browsers, and tabs.
If your system or internet browser has too many pages open or too much information stored on it, it will not be able to handle opening another file or site.
This rush of information causes the computer to say that it doesn’t have enough space for what you are trying to open, resulting in an “Out of Memory” error.
An out of memory issue shuts down programs, as well as the computer itself, due to a lack of available RAM. The most common reason for this is low RAM, when multiple applications and hardware devices are running simultaneously, or a huge cache size that takes up a substantial amount of RAM.
Some people believe that deleting stuff from the hard drive will help, but this does not reduce the amount of RAM utilized.
What Causes It?
Low Memory
Typically, this problem is caused by low memory (RAM), which means that your computer does not have enough physical random access memory to keep up with the tasks you are asking it to do; based on how much ram your computer has, it can only run so many programs and pages at once before running out of steam.
When a computer’s random access memory starts getting full, its performance begins to decline as more demands are put on it. In addition, there could be more serious issues with your computer that are causing performance problems.
High Memory
Even computers with high amount of RAM can run out of memory if you are running several programs or browser tabs at once, etc. You can also run into an “out of memory” error simply because the cache is full.
If too many applications are open at the same time, your computer will not be able to handle them all and you may see an “out of memory” error.
If you have too many browser tabs open, the computer may not be able to handle them all and will generate an “out of memory” error.
Rather than try and fix this issue yourself by spending countless hours searching for a solution online and trying various complicated steps (with no guarantee that they will even work), your best bet is to call a technician to take a look at it and fix the problem for you.
Buggy Programs
If your computer or mobile device are running a program that has leaked memory issue, then it will start to run more slowly than usual or crash altogether.
How Do I Fix It?
The solution to the “Out of Memory” error depends on what is causing it to appear in the first place.
If you have a lot of programs running at once, try closing some of them or restarting your computer.
You can identity the programs that are using a lot of memory by going to the task manager then close it via your OS’s Task manager.
You can also clear out memory by deleting old files you no longer need, emptying browser caches and cookies, uninstalling programs you don’t use anymore, etc.
There are also online tools available that work to clean out temporary files from your system which helps free up space for other tasks.
However, if this doesn’t fix the problem then you might need to take more drastic measures like performing a full system restore of your computer or taking it to a professional for further analysis of the problem.
