Active Windows 11though the operating system designed to use all the memory installed on your computeryou can limit how much RAM the operating system uses if you need to test software, troubleshoot, or simulate a lower memory system.
However, the system doesn’t include a simple setting to tell it to “use only 4GB of RAM”. You should use it instead the old System Configuration tool (msconfig)it is primarily intended for testing and debugging.
In this how to guideI will describe the steps to limit the amount of memory that Windows 11 can use.
⚠️Important: This setting limits the amount of available memory for the entire operating system. This is not intended for everyday use, as it can significantly reduce performance and cause some applications to run slowly or become unresponsive. You have been warned.
How to limit system RAM in Windows 11
Use these steps to limit the amount of available memory in Windows 11:
- Open Get started.
- search for System Configuration (or msconfig) and click on the top result to open the app.
- click on it Shoot badge.
- Select the current Windows installation (if available).
- click on it Advanced options button.
- check it out Maximum memory choice.
- Confirm the amount of memory you want Windows 11 to use (in megabytes).
- Quick tip: Since you must enter a value in megabytes, use 4096 (4GB), 8192 (8GB), 16384 (16GB), or 32768 (32GB).
- click on it OK button.
- click on it Please apply button.
- click on it OK button.
- Restart the computer.
After completing the steps, Windows 11 will only use the amount of memory you specified. The remaining installed RAM will not be taken into account until you remove the limitation.
While testing this configuration, I noticed that when I set the memory to 4GB, Task Manager reported 3GB because the operating system is not getting the full 4GB because some of the physical address space is reserved for other components.
If your goal is to test the operating system on exactly 4 GB, you may want to reserve an additional 1 GB. For example, 5120 (5GB) to see 4GB in Task Manager. However, depending on how much memory you want to allocate, you may want to try different sizes.
How to restore full RAM access in Windows 11
Follow these steps to restore available storage space in Windows 11:
- Open Get started.
- search for System Configuration (or msconfig) and click on the top result to open the app.
- click on it Shoot badge.
- Select the current Windows installation (if available).
- click on it Advanced options button.
- Clean up Maximum memory choice.
- click on it OK button.
- click on it Please apply button.
- click on it OK button.
- Restart the computer.
After completing the steps, the operating system will once again detect and use all available RAM.
Why limit RAM?
This feature is intended more for testing than for everyday use. Some common scenarios include testing how a program performs with limited memory, troubleshooting memory-related software problems, simulating old or low-end hardware, and developing software.
For example, we recently tested Here’s how using 8GB of RAM works for performance in Windows 11 in 2026.
If you have a goal reduce total memory usage or free up RAMrather than limiting the available memory of the operating system, it is better to disable unnecessary startup programs, close background programs or upgrade your system.
Why can’t you set the maximum memory?
On some modern computers, especially those using UEFI firmware with Secure Boot enabled, the “Maximum memory” setting may not be available or may be ignored.
If this happens, you may need to temporarily disable Secure Boot before applying the memory limit.
⚠️Warning: Disabling Secure Boot reduces your computer’s protection against boot-level malware and may prevent some security features from working as expected. If you’re just testing it, temporarily disable Secure Boot and then re-enable it.
Disable Secure Boot
Use these steps to disable Secure Boot:
- Open Parameters.
- click on it System.
- click on it Recovery page.
- click on it Restart now Click the button under the “Advanced startup” section.
- click on it Restart now button once more.
- click on it Solve problems.
- click on it Advanced options.
- click on it “UEFI Firmware Settings” choice.
- click on it Restart button.
- open advanced settings page for your motherboard.
- Select the “Secure boot” option, then select “Disabled” choice.
After completing the steps, restart the device, then configure “Maximum Memory” Settings in System Configuration (msconfig).
Enable Secure Download
Before proceeding, make sure to reset the memory settings from System Configuration settings, and then use these steps to enable Secure Boot:
- Open Parameters.
- click on it System.
- click on it Recovery page.
- click on it Restart now Click the button under the “Advanced startup” section.
- click on it Restart now button once more.
- click on it Solve problems.
- click on it Advanced options.
- click on it “UEFI Firmware Settings” choice.
- click on it Restart button.
- open advanced settings page for your motherboard.
- Select the “Secure boot” option, then select “Active” choice.
After completing the steps, Secure Boot will be enabled on your computer.
FAQs for limiting RAM usage in Windows 11
These are common questions about the process of limiting memory usage in Windows 11.
Does it reduce memory usage by apps?
No. This reduces the total amount of memory that the operating system can access. All applications share a reduced memory pool.
Can I limit RAM for just one app?
No. Windows 11 does not include a built-in function to set a maximum amount of RAM for an individual program.
Is this the same as disabling the memory modules?
No. Your RAM is physically installed. The operating system simply ignores the partition above the configured limit.
Should I use this solution to permanently configure my computer?
No. This feature is for testing and troubleshooting purposes. Running an operating system with less memory than is available on your system can significantly degrade performance without providing any real benefit.
Windows Central’s Take
I’ve used the Maximum memory option in MSConfig before, but it’s one of those features that’s easy to overlook because it’s not intended as a consumer setting. For developers, network administrators, and anyone writing about this operating system, it’s a surprisingly useful way to test how a device behaves on low-end hardware without physically removing memory or creating a separate virtual machine.
That said, I wouldn’t recommend using it “Save RAM” or improve performance. Windows 11 is designed to manage memory efficiently, and artificially limiting it can only slow down the system.
It’s also a reminder that many of the most useful troubleshooting tools are still buried inside decades-old utilities like msconfig. Microsoft continues to modernize the operating system, but some diagnostic functions remain hidden in older tools.
What are your thoughts on using MSConfig to limit RAM in Windows 11? Let me know in the comments.
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