High RAM usage and out of memory with few apps open
System usage sits above 90% without obvious large processes in Task Manager, caused by kernel non-paged pool memory leaks.
Internal desktop parts run on harmless 12V DC voltage and cannot shock you. Simply unplug the wall power cable first, then touch the unpainted metal case frame to ground static electricity.
Common Symptoms & Tells
- Memory usage shows 95%+ in Task Manager Performance tab
- Sum of processes in Task Manager doesn't match total memory consumed
- Non-paged pool size exceeds 1-2 GB (normal is 200-400 MB)
Interactive Fix Checklist
0 of 6 steps completedCheck non-paged pool size in Task Manager
In Task Manager → Performance → Memory, check 'Non-paged pool'. If it is several gigabytes, a driver has a severe memory leak.
Back up the registry before editing
Before making any registry changes, open Registry Editor (Win + R, type regedit, press Enter). Go to File > Export, set Export range to All, and save the .reg backup file to your Desktop. This allows a full restore if something goes wrong.
Disable Network Data Usage (NDU) monitoring driver
Open Regedit, navigate to 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Ndu', double-click 'Start' and change value from 2 to 4. Reboot PC.
Update Killer Network / Realtek LAN drivers
Outdated Killer Network Suite and Realtek Ethernet drivers are notorious for non-paged pool leaks that grow until system crashes.
Use PoolMon to track memory tag allocations
Run PoolMon from the Windows Driver Kit to find the 4-letter tag allocating the leaked non-paged memory.
Clear bloated Standby List cache with ISLC or RAMMap
If high is consumed by cached standby memory rather than active processes, use Intelligent Standby List Cleaner (ISLC) or Microsoft Sysinternals RAMMap (Empty > Empty Standby List) to reclaim memory safely without disk paging.
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