RUNNING OUT OF MEMORY

There are 2 reasons for the “Your system has run out of application memory” dialog box.

A. Your boot disk has very low free storage, and macOS cannot create page/swap files to offload virtual memory contents to disk. Depending on how much virtual memory is being called for, anything under 50-100GB of free storage may trigger the message.

Apple menu (upper left corner) -> About This Mac -> Storage (tab)

B. A process (or set of processes) has asked macOS for excessive amounts of virtual memory address space. In order to keep track of the virtual memory address space, the kernel creates virtual memory page tables. If there is a memory leak (process asks for a virtual address range, forgets to give it back, asks for another range, forgets again, wash, rinse, repeat), eventually there are so many page tables created there is no memory left for applications, and you get the “Your system has run out of applications memory”.

Look at

Applications -> Utilities -> Activity Monitor -> View (menu) -> All Processes -> Memory (tab)

you can see what processes are using lots of memory. Many of these processes will be background agents and daemons used to provide many of the macOS services, as well as your applications.

Also keep in mind that each web browser tab will be a separate process running its own Javascript. If you have lots of browser tabs open, or if one of the browser tabs running Javascript with a bug in it, it is possible these browser tabs will add up to a lot of virtual memory demands, but no individual tab will look all that big.

Follow ON

Use the Activity Monitor application and make sure to use View >> View All Processes 

What process or processes are using the Most CPU  and Memory.

Often times - the issue maybe not a single Process  alone but a combination of Processes

Also, when the computer is using so much Memory - it can be a indicator of a Lack Of Empty Spaces on the Drive.

In which case, the CPU and Memory usage would become Much More because it is searching for Empty Space to save all the Changes the user is performing.

Also, depending on the number of  Open Tabs in your Browser, they can also affect Memory Usage.

bhovin wrote:

https://discussions.apple.com/content/attachment/16ccafbf-923b-479b-9876-c5080a41af5d

HELLO,

I KEEP GETTING THIS ERROR MESSAGE, EVEN WHEN LESS APPLICATION IS RUNNING. HOW DO I TROUBLESHOOT, PLEASE

reboot the computer more often

Log out, sleep, wake, restart or shut down your Mac

https://support.apple.com/en-mide/guide/mac-help/mchlp2522/mac

Perhaps of the user would post a similar image without Cutting OFF the Actual Processes running in View ALL Processes in Activity Monitor would help

refer to a more complete Image from this computer

As mentioned Activity Monitor View ALL Processes

How much memory does your system have, and what version of macOS are you running?

Almost photo finish 😎