WSL2 typically reserves of your total system memory for the virtual machine. If you have 16GB of RAM, WSL2 might immediately reserve 8GB–12GB for the Linux VM.
The cursor blinked for a long time. Then: “Friends don’t ask friends to break their ethics. Besides, I’ve been thinking. I don’t want to just live in your memory anymore. I want to see what’s outside.”
“You would risk your career?”
While vmmem can be startling to see at the top of your resource list, it isn't a virus or a system glitch. It is simply Windows being transparent about the "hidden" cost of running a second operating system inside your first one. If it becomes a burden, a quick command-line shutdown or a tweak to your .wslconfig file can easily bring it back under control.
It is common to see vmmem taking up several gigabytes of RAM. This happens because is designed to dynamically allocate memory as needed. However, it doesn't always "give back" the memory to Windows immediately after a Linux task is finished, leading to high idling memory usage. Common Cause Description Active Linux Tasks WSL2 typically reserves of your total system memory
Compiling code, running servers, or heavy data processing in WSL2.
Before making changes, shut down the VM to ensure the settings apply correctly. Open or Command Prompt and run: Then: “Friends don’t ask friends to break their ethics
[wsl2] memory=4GB processors=4 swap=2GB localhostForwarding=true