The Silent Terminator
Windows 11 is designed to be an aggressive memory manager. If you have a computer with a lower amount of RAM (like 4GB or 8GB) and you open a demanding application—like a modern game or a heavy video editor—Windows might start looking for ways to free up resources. In some cases, to prevent the entire system from crashing due to a lack of memory, the operating system will step in and automatically close background applications. While this prevents a blue screen of death, it is incredibly frustrating to switch back to a document you were working on or a browser with a dozen tabs open, only to find that Windows quietly shut it down without giving you a chance to save your work.
Adjusting Virtual Memory and Background Permissions
To prevent this aggressive termination and stop Windows 11 from automatically closing your applications when resources are tight, you need to increase your virtual memory (page file) and adjust background app permissions.
First, ensure the app is allowed to run in the background. Go to Settings (Windows key + I) > Apps > Installed apps. Find the app, click the three dots next to it, and select Advanced options (if available). Under “Background apps permissions,” set it to Always.
More importantly, increase your page file size to give Windows more breathing room. Press the Windows key, type Advanced system settings, and hit Enter. Under the Advanced tab, in the “Performance” section, click Settings. Go to the Advanced tab in the new window and click Change under “Virtual memory.” Uncheck “Automatically manage paging file size for all drives.” Select your C: drive, choose Custom size, and set both the Initial and Maximum size to a larger value (e.g., if you have 8GB of RAM, set it to 8192 MB or higher, provided you have the hard drive space). Click Set, then OK, and restart your computer.