How to Free up RAM in Windows Using Command Line

Most system tuning utilities for Windows provide memory optimizer as an option to clean up the RAM so that your PC can have a fresh start. These utilities also come with other tuning tools that might not be necessary to you. Maybe you just want the memory optimization feature. But, that can’t be possible. So here I’d like to present a tiny utility that can fulfill this particular purpose.

Toady, I’d like to show you a script. This script has 4 different commands that will let you free up the memory in 4 different ways using the command prompt. I’ll also show how you can create a shortcut for these commands so that you can easily run these commands with a double click.

Empty Standby List

Empty Standby List is a small command-line application that lets you free up memory on Windows Vista and above. Download and paste it in your command line root path. Or set the root path where the EmptyStandByList.exe file is. You should keep it in the C Drive (System drive) of your system.

Now, there are 4 commands that you can run with this command line application. Let’s have a look at them.

EmptyStandbyList.exe workingsets

This command will clear the memory that is used by all the current running applications and process. This command is most commonly used by Memory Optimisation software.

There’s a downside of using this command. The Windows system will try to quickly swap the data from the paging file. So, it will make use of your storage disk to fetch the information from the programs and thereby will turn down overall performance. But, it will definitely free up memory.

EmptyStandbyList.exe modifiedpagelist

Now, here modified page files are those contents that must be written to the storage disk before they can be used again. If you see in the Memory section of the Resouce Monitor then you’ll find a Modified section for Memory in the display.

So, if you want to clear such memory then you got to use this command.

EmptyStandbyList.exe priority0standbylist

Now, here Standby memory has those contents that are being held by the memory and are not in use. But, will be used when needed. As shown in the above screenshot you can see the Standby memory section.

The above command clears the lowest priority Standby memory content. You can set the priority by replacing the 0 in the command to any number between 1-7. 7 being the highest priority.

EmptyStandbyList.exe standbylist

And, this last command clear Standby memory regardless of what priority of content it has. It clears them all.

Creating Command Shortcuts

To create a shortcut of a cmd command, right-click on your desktop and select New>Shortcut. Now, in the location field add the following string.

C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe /c Command

Replace Command in the string with one of the command that you’d like run. Next, you go to give this shortcut administrator privilege in order to work. Becuase, these commands need admin access. We’ve shared on how you can do that in this article.

Are still using DDR2 or DDR3 RAM? You should now opt for a DDR4 RAM. We’ve explained here why.

GUI Alternative?

If you’re not a command line enthusiast and prefer to do these task using a GUI then you got to use SysInternal’s RAMmap. It works pretty much the same with some extra control available.

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