How to manage Storage Sense settings using Group Policy in Windows 10.

If your Windows 10 computer starts to run slowly, especially when running multiple programs at the same time, one of the new system features may be to blame. It's called “Memory Control,” and its job is to automatically free up RAM when it's running low. Sometimes it works well, but other times it can put unnecessary strain on your hard drive and interfere with your work.

The good news is that you can take control of this feature. With a built-in Windows tool called Group Policy Editor, you can fine-tune how and when Memory Control works. This is especially useful in companies where you need to ensure the same settings for all computers.

In this article, we will discuss which settings can be changed. You will learn how to disable the feature completely if it bothers you, or, conversely, make it work more aggressively. We will show you how to configure its frequency and which processes it will affect first. This will give you complete control over your PC's performance.

How to enable or disable Memory Control settings in Windows 10

Starting with the May 2019 update, you can use policies to enable, disable, and restrict user access to manage the Storage feature using the Settings app.

Enable or disable “Memory Control”

To enable or disable the Memory Control feature using Group Policy, follow these steps.

Step 1: Open the Local Group Policy Editor, type in the Start menu. gpedit.msc, on the right, select "Run as Administrator.

How to open the Local Group Policy Editor in Windows 10.

Step 2: In the editor that opens, navigate to the following path:

Computer Configuration → Administrative Templates → System → Memory Management

Step 3: Double-click the policy on the right. Enable Memory Management.

Step 4: Select “Enabled” or Disabled.

Quick note. Using the “Enabled” or “Disabled” setting will prevent users from changing the status of the feature using the Settings app.

Step 5: Click the button Apply.

Step 6: Click the button “OK”.

After you complete these steps, if you enabled this option, the “Memory Control” feature will start automatically. If you selected the ‘Disabled’ option, “Memory Control” will no longer start automatically, and users will not be able to enable this feature, but they will be able to access the settings page to free up space manually.

Also, if you disable this policy, all other policies related to Memory Control will have no effect. If you plan to configure each policy separately, use the same instructions as above, but on the step 4 be sure to select the setting “Not set”.

Setting up a schedule for automatic disk cleanup

Memory Control can automatically delete some user files to free up disk space. If you want to set up automatic disk cleanup without allowing users to change the settings, follow these steps:

Step 1: Open the Local Group Policy Editor as an administrator.

Step 2: Go to:

Computer Configuration → Administrative Templates → System → Memory Management

Step 3: On the right, double-click the policy “Set Memory Control frequency”.

Step 4: Select the option “Enabled”.

Step 5: In the “Options” section, use the drop-down menu to specify when the Memory Control feature should run automatically. Available options:

• Every day.
• Every week.
• Every month.
• When disk space is low.

Step 6: Click the “Apply”.

Step 7: Click the button “OK”.

Once you have completed these steps, the feature will automatically free up disk space within the time frame you specified.

With Group Policy in Windows 10, you can easily configure how the system uses RAM, especially if you need to limit background processes or speed up performance on low-end computers. This setting is useful in offices or schools, where it is important that devices run smoothly and do not slow down due to memory overload. Through the Group Policy Editor, you can set rules that automatically regulate memory usage by applications and services — all of which helps keep the system in good shape without having to fiddle with each computer individually.

How to disable the deletion of temporary files using Memory Management.

When Memory Management is running, it can delete unused user temporary files. If you want to prevent temporary files from being automatically deleted in Windows 10, follow these steps:

Step 1: Open the Local Group Policy Editor as an administrator.

Step 2: Navigate to:

Computer Configuration → Administrative Templates → System → Memory Management

Step 3: On the right, double-click the policy — Allow temporary files to be deleted by Memory Management.

Step 4: Select the option. “Disabled”.

Quick note. If Group Policy “Enable Memory Management”if disabled, this option does not work.

Step 5: Click the button. “Apply”.

Step 6: Click the button. “OK”.

Once you have completed these steps, Memory Control will no longer automatically delete temporary files. However, users will still be able to manually delete unnecessary files to free up space.

You can always undo the changes using the same instructions, but on step 4 be sure to select the option “Not set”.

How to configure saving the contents of a OneDrive folder using “Memory Control”

Starting with the May 2019 Windows 10 update, you can free up disk space by storing files in the cloud. New files will not take up space on your device. When you have an Internet connection, you can use them just like any other files on your device.

Using Group Policy, you can now disable this setting or set the number of days before the local copy of the file is deleted from your device, leaving only the backup copy stored in OneDrive, which will be downloaded to your PC when first requested.

Step 1: Open the Local Group Policy Editor as an administrator.

Step 2: Go to:

Computer Configuration → Administrative Templates → System → Memory Management

Step 3: On the right, double-click the policy —Set a threshold for preserving content backed up to the cloud using Memory Control.

Step 4: Select the option “Enabled”.

Quick note. Selecting the “Disabled” or “Not set” option: Memory Control will not preserve content that is backed up to the OneDrive cloud. Users will still be able to use this feature manually.

Step 5: In the “Settings” you must specify the number of days from the opening of the file, a backup of which is made in the cloud, after which Memory Control will preserve it. Supported values: 0–365 (instead of 60 available in the Settings app).

If you set this parameter to “zero,” Memory Control will not preserve content that is backed up to the cloud. The default value is ‘0’ or “never preserve content that is backed up to the cloud.”

Step 6: Click the “Apply”.

Step 7:Click the “OK”.

After you complete these steps, the feature will only preserve files that have not been opened according to your configuration.

If you want to undo the changes, use the same instructions, but on step 4 be sure to select the option “Not specified”.

How to configure saving the contents of the Downloads folder using the Memory Control feature

The automatic cleanup tool can also delete old files from the Downloads folder, but you can disable this option or set the retention period for downloaded files to one year (365 days) by following these steps:

Step 1: Open the Local Group Policy Editor as an administrator.

Step 2: Go to:

Computer Configuration → Administrative Templates → System → Memory Control

“Command Prompt” On the right, double-click the policy —Set a threshold value for deleting downloads Memory Control.

Step 4: Select the option ‘Enabled’.

Step 5: “Start” The lowest latency mode on YouTube can dynamically switch to more stable settings when connection problems are detected, which will temporarily increase the response time to maintain broadcast quality. This feature is not available for all channels and may require account verification or additional platform requirements. “Settings” and for an alternative — 365 days.

Quick note. You can select the “Disabled” option to disable this feature, but users will still be able to control it manually using the “Settings” app.

Step 6: Click the “Apply”.

Step 7: Click the button “OK”.

After you complete these steps, the old files in the Downloads folder will be deleted according to your configuration. If you have disabled this feature, Memory Control will stop deleting files from the folder.

Log in to your Twitch account and click on the profile icon in the upper right corner of the page. step 4 be sure to select the parameter “Not set”.

Configuring Memory Control through Group Policy is a powerful tool that allows you to take full control of automatic disk space freeing. Instead of relying on the default system settings, you decide when, how, and which files Windows can delete. This is especially useful in a corporate environment where you need to ensure uniform settings on all computers.

If MSI Center won't install on Windows 11, don't panic — most of the time, the problem can be solved easily. Try running the installation as an administrator, check that the necessary system components are enabled, and make sure that your antivirus or firewall isn't blocking the process. Sometimes it helps to temporarily roll back Windows updates or download the latest version of the program from the official MSI website. In most cases, one of these steps will quickly fix the problem.

Ultimately, these settings make your work with Windows 10 more predictable and reliable. You don't just react to problems, you proactively prevent them, saving yourself time and stress. Once you've mastered this tool, you'll have another way to keep your computer in top shape.