Your PC is not broken nor does it need more RAM. What happens is that Windows has activated, by default, several functions that track what you do, send data to Microsoft and consume resources without you having asked for it. Three quick changes in Settings can make a real difference in the smoothness of your team.

1. Disable memory-sucking ad tracking in the background

Go to Settings → Privacy and security → General. There you will find three switches that should be turned off on any PC you want to keep agile.

The first is the advertising ID. Windows uses it to track you between applications and show you personalized ads. What many do not know is that this monitoring occurs in the background, constantly consuming processor and network connection cycles.

The second is the Language List. It may seem harmless, but Windows uses that data to profile your browsing activity. Turning it off doesn't affect your system's language — it just cuts off a layer of tracking you didn't ask for.

The third is application launch tracking. Every time you open an EXE, Windows records it to “improve your recommendations.” In practice, that is RAM wasted on a log that you don't need.

2. Block advertising hidden within the Settings menu

This does surprise many people: the Windows Settings menu itself can show you advertising. Microsoft calls it Suggested Content in the Settings app, and it's turned on by default.

What we are looking at here is native advertising within the operating system. Not in a third-party app, not in the browser — in the settings menu on your own PC.

To deactivate it, the path is the same: Privacy and security → General, and turn off the “Show suggested content in the Settings app” switch. The effect is immediate: the menu is cleaner and stops loading those suggestions every time you open it.

3. Stop sending optional diagnostic data to Microsoft

This is the most impactful change of the three for users who notice general slowness. Under Privacy and Security → Diagnostics and Feedback, Windows has the option to send optional diagnostic data enabled by default.

The difference between “required” and “optional” is important. The data required is the minimum for the system to work. Optional ones include browsing history, app usage, text entries and more — all sent to Microsoft servers on a regular basis.

Disabling that option doesn't break anything. Windows continues to function normally, but stops allocating bandwidth, memory, and processing to those background streams. On computers with more modest hardware, the change is felt.

Can disabling these options cause problems in Windows? No. None of these three functions is essential for the operating system to function. These are tracking and advertising layers that Microsoft activates by default, but that you can turn off without losing any critical system functions.

Do these settings apply the same in Windows 10 and Windows 11? Yes, with small variations in the location of the menus. In both versions the path starts from Settings → Privacy (or Privacy and security in Windows 11). The switches you are looking for are in the same sections.

How much RAM can be recovered by disabling Windows tracking? There is no exact figure because it depends on hardware and usage. What is documented is that Windows telemetry and tracking processes can consume between 50 and 150 MB of RAM on a sustained basis. On computers with 4 or 8 GB, that is relevant.