Windows 11 sitting there doing absolutely nothing…yet Task Manager says your memory usage is 60%+ like it’s training for the Olympics? Yeah. That’s not “normal Windows behavior”. That’s Windows doing Windows things – running “helpful” features in the background that you probably don’t use, didn’t ask for and definitely didn’t invite. We’re going to disable two common resource hogs:
·SysMain (formerly Superfetch)
·Widgets (the news/weather panel Windows insists you’re emotionally invested in)
This guide is beginner-friendly, safe (for most people) and reversible.
What Is SysMain & Why Is It Acting Like a RAM Vampire?
SysMain is a Windows service designed to make your PC feel faster by preloading apps it thinks you’ll use. It used to be called Superfetch. On some PCs – especially modern systems – SysMain can cause:
·higher memory usage
·extra disk activity
·performance spikes
·“why is my computer struggling while idle?” vibes
Bottom Line: SysMain’s goal is speed. But sometimes it achieves that by doing too much. Disabling it is a safe troubleshooting step and if it helps – you keep it off. If it
doesn’t, you can undo it in seconds.
Step 1: Disable SysMain (aka “Superfetch”)
Do This:
Click the Search bar (bottom of your screen).
Type: services
Click Services (the system app with the gear icon).
You’ll now see a big list of Windows background services (aka Windows hidden full-time jobs).
Scroll down and find: SysMain
Yes: SysMain (not “sis main,” not “cis main,” not “my main,” not “his main.”)
·Right-click SysMain → click Properties
·Find Startup type (usually set to Automatic)
·Click the dropdown → select Disabled
·Click Apply
·Click OK
SysMain is now officially retired.
Step 2: Turn Off Widgets (aka “Background Bloat With Headlines”)
Widgets are the little news/weather panel on Windows 11. Even if you never open it, Windows may keep background components running so it can stay “updated.” Which is adorable, but also… stop.
Do This:
·Right-click an empty spot on your taskbar
·Click Taskbar settings
·Find Widgets
·Toggle Widgets to Off
Congrats – Windows no longer needs to run a mini web experience in the background just to inform you that weather exists.
Step 3: Restart Your PC (yes, actually really restart)
Now restart your computer so Windows fully applies the changes. Not “close the laptop and hope.” Not “I’ll do it later.” Restart. Now.
What You Should Notice After the Restart
Many (not all) People See:
·lower ram usage at idle
·less random lag
·smoother overall performance
If your PC was acting slow “for no reason” – this can often fixes the “reason”. However, I cannot guarantee this will fix your issue.
FAQ: SysMain + Widgets (Because Windows Loves Questions You Didn’t Ask)
1) Is it safe to disable SysMain?
Yes. Disabling SysMain won’t break Windows. The worst-case scenario is: apps might not “preload” as aggressively and could open slightly slower on some systems. You can always re-enable it.
2) Will disabling SysMain make my PC faster?
Sometimes yes—sometimes no.
If SysMain is causing high disk, CPU, or memory usage, disabling it can make your system feel smoother. If it wasn’t causing problems, you might not notice a difference (which is also fine).
3) Should I disable SysMain if I have an SSD?
If your PC is modern and you’re seeing weird spikes (disk thrashing / high idle RAM usage), it’s worth testing. Many modern systems see little benefit from SysMain, so turning it off can reduce background activity.
4) What if I have an older PC or a spinning HDD?
SysMain can be more helpful there, because it was designed to reduce load times on slower storage. If your system is older, you may want to try leaving SysMain on unless it’s clearly causing issues.
5) Can I turn SysMain back on if I don’t like the results?
Absolutely.
Search Services
Find SysMain
Set Startup Type back to Automatic
Click Apply
Restart (Windows: “You’ll be back.”)
6) What are Windows Widgets and why do they matter?
Widgets are the little news/weather panel on Windows 11. They can keep background components running so everything stays “updated,” even if you never open it. Turning Widgets off is a quick way to reduce pointless background activity.
7) If I toggle Widgets OFF, does it fully disable Widgets?
Important nuance (because Windows loves nuance):
Turning Widgets off in Taskbar Settings usually removes the Widgets button, but depending on your Windows version/config, it may not fully disable every related component behind the scenes.
Beginner move: toggle it off anyway (still worth it).
Advanced move: policies/registry methods can disable it more completely, but that’s outside this beginner tutorial.
8) Why does my RAM usage look “high” even when nothing is open?
Windows uses RAM for caching and preloading. Some RAM usage is normal. The red flag is when it’s unusually high at idle and performance feels worse (stutters, slow app launching, disk usage spikes). SysMain and Widgets are two common culprits to test first.
9) Do I need to restart after making these changes?
Yes. Restarting makes sure Windows stops using the old configuration and starts fresh with the new settings.
10) I disabled SysMain & Widgets, but my PC is still slow. Now what?
Then you’ve eliminated two common offenders – nice. Next usual suspects are:
Too many startup apps
Browser tabs/extensions eating RAM
Windows Update running in the background
Antivirus doing a full scan
Low disk space
If you want, paste your Task Manager screenshots (Processes + Startup tabs) and I’ll help you roast the real culprit.