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Why Is My Computer Using So Much RAM When Searching Files?
Microsoft is addressing a critical performance inefficiency in Windows 11 File Explorer that affects system resources during file searches. This update focuses on two primary areas: optimizing memory usage during searches and decluttering the user interface.
Optimized Search Performance via Indexing Improvements
The core improvement targets the Windows Search Indexer, the underlying engine powering File Explorer searches. Currently, duplicate indexing operations can occur, causing the system to scan and process the same files or folders multiple times. This redundancy forces your computer to perform unnecessary work, leading to spikes in RAM usage and slower response times.
Starting with Windows 11 Build 26220.7523 (currently available to Windows Insiders), Microsoft has implemented logic to eliminate these duplicate operations. By preventing redundant scanning, the operating system achieves three specific technical benefits:
- Reduced Disk I/O: The hard drive reads and writes data less frequently, preserving drive health and speed.
- Lower CPU Cycles: The processor spends less time managing background indexing tasks.
- Decreased Memory Footprint: Fewer active processes mean less RAM is consumed during active searches.
For users who manage large photo libraries or extensive document archives, this change will make searching for specific items significantly faster and less taxing on hardware.
Streamlining the Context Menu
Beyond performance, Microsoft is refining usability by reorganizing the Context Menu—the list of options that appears when you right-click a file. This menu has become increasingly crowded, often making it difficult to find essential commands quickly.
Testing reveals a strategic shift toward a cleaner interface. Microsoft is migrating secondary commands into a unified sub-menu, tentatively labeled “Manage file” or “Other actions.” This sub-menu will likely house utility functions such as:
- Compress to (ZIP)
- Copy as path
- Rotate right/left
- Set as desktop background
By moving these lesser-used options to a secondary tier, the primary menu remains focused on high-frequency actions, reducing cognitive load and improving navigation speed.
Implementation Timeline
These performance optimizations and interface changes are currently in the testing phase. If validation proceeds as expected, Microsoft plans to deploy these updates to the general public between late January and early February. Users experiencing high memory usage during file operations should prioritize installing this update once it becomes available via Windows Update.