How to Disable Memory Compression to Diagnose Page File Pressure on Windows 11

Memory compression in Windows 11 compresses parts of the system memory to reduce the amount of data written to the page file. When the page file grows unusually large or the system becomes sluggish under moderate memory loads, memory compression may be masking underlying page file pressure. This article explains how to temporarily disable memory compression using PowerShell to determine whether page file pressure is the root cause of performance issues. You will learn the exact commands to toggle memory compression off and on, how to interpret the results, and what to do if the page file remains under pressure after compression is disabled.

What Memory Compression Does and Why It Affects Page File Pressure

Memory compression is a feature introduced in Windows 10 and carried forward into Windows 11. It stores inactive pages in a compressed format within system memory (RAM) instead of writing them to the page file on disk. The goal is to reduce disk I/O and improve responsiveness when memory is under moderate load.

When memory compression is active, the system may appear to have adequate free memory even when the page file is growing. This happens because compressed pages consume less RAM than their uncompressed equivalents, artificially lowering the reported memory usage. If the page file is growing beyond 1.5 times the amount of physical RAM, or if the system becomes sluggish during normal workloads, page file pressure may exist. Disabling memory compression forces the system to use the page file directly, making the true memory demand visible.

You need administrator privileges on Windows 11 to run the PowerShell commands. The procedure is reversible and does not modify registry keys or system files permanently.

Steps to Disable Memory Compression and Diagnose Page File Pressure

Follow these steps to disable memory compression, monitor page file activity, and then re-enable compression after diagnosis.

1. Open PowerShell as Administrator
   Press the Windows key, type PowerShell, right-click Windows PowerShell in the search results, and select Run as administrator. Confirm the User Account Control prompt.
2. Check Current Memory Compression Status
   Run the command Get-MMAgent. Look for the line MemoryCompression. If it shows True, compression is currently enabled.
3. Disable Memory Compression
   Run the command Disable-MMAgent -MemoryCompression. No confirmation message appears. Run Get-MMAgent again to verify the value shows False.
4. Restart the Computer
   On Windows 11 versions before 22H2, a restart is required for the change to take effect. On 22H2 and later, the change applies immediately. Restart anyway to clear any cached compressed pages from memory.
5. Monitor Page File Activity
   Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc), go to the Performance tab, and select Memory. Observe the Compressed value — it should be 0 MB. Then open Performance Monitor by typing perfmon in the Start menu. Add the counter Memory\Pages/sec. A sustained value above 1,000 pages per second indicates page file pressure.
6. Perform Your Normal Workload
   Use your computer as you normally would for 30 to 60 minutes. Note any changes in system responsiveness, application launch times, or disk activity.
7. Re-enable Memory Compression
   Run PowerShell as Administrator again and execute Enable-MMAgent -MemoryCompression. Restart the computer to apply the change. Run Get-MMAgent to confirm the value is back to True.

If Page File Pressure Persists After Disabling Memory Compression

If the Memory\Pages/sec counter remains above 1,000 even with compression disabled, the page file is under genuine pressure. The following sections cover common scenarios and their fixes.

Page File Grows Beyond 4 GB During Light Workload

If the page file expands to more than 4 GB while you are only running a browser and a few apps, a memory leak in a driver or application is likely. Open Task Manager, go to the Details tab, and sort by Commit size. Identify the process using the most private bytes. Update or uninstall the associated software. If the process is a third-party driver, use Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Optional updates > Driver updates to install the latest version.

System Becomes Unresponsive When Compression Is Off

If the system becomes nearly unresponsive after disabling compression, the page file is too small for the current workload. Open Settings > System > About > Advanced system settings, click Settings under Performance, go to the Advanced tab, and click Change under Virtual memory. Uncheck Automatically manage paging file size for all drives, select the drive where Windows is installed, choose Custom size, and set the initial and maximum size to 1.5 times your physical RAM. For example, with 16 GB RAM, set both values to 24576 MB. Click Set, then OK, and restart.

Compressed Memory Remains High After Re-enabling Compression

After re-enabling compression, Task Manager may show a compressed memory value of several gigabytes. This is normal if you have many applications open. If the value stays above 50% of total RAM during idle time, check for background processes consuming memory. Run tasklist /fi "status eq running" in Command Prompt to list active processes. Close unnecessary startup apps using Settings > Apps > Startup.

Memory Compression Enabled vs Disabled: Diagnostic Behavior

Item	Memory Compression Enabled	Memory Compression Disabled
Page file usage	Reduced — compressed pages stay in RAM	Full — all inactive pages go to page file
Reported free RAM	May appear higher due to compression	Accurate representation of available memory
Diagnostic value	Hides page file pressure until RAM is saturated	Reveals true page file demand immediately
System responsiveness	Better under moderate load	May degrade if page file is undersized
Reboot required	No (change applies immediately on 22H2+)	Yes (for versions before 22H2)

Memory compression is a performance feature that can mask page file pressure during diagnosis. By temporarily disabling it, you can observe the true page file activity and decide whether to increase the page file size or investigate a memory leak. After the diagnosis, re-enable compression to restore normal memory management behavior. For persistent page file pressure, check the page file custom size setting and update problematic drivers.