Troubleshooting High Memory Usage in Windows Caused by msedgewebview2.exe (Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime)

High memory consumption on Windows endpoints is a common operational issue that leads to system slowdowns, application instability, and user complaints. One frequently overlooked cause is msedgewebview2.exe, the runtime process of Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime.

This article provides a technical, engineer-focused guide to identifying, analyzing, and resolving high RAM usage caused by WebView2 and dependent applications.

Scope includes:

• Windows 10 / Windows 11

• End-user systems, VDI, and managed desktops

• Outlook (new), Teams, WhatsApp Desktop, Electron-based apps

• IT administrators, system engineers, and support teams

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2. Product / System Overview

What is Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime?

WebView2 allows applications to embed Chromium-based web content using Microsoft Edge as the rendering engine.

Key characteristics:

• Installed system-wide (Evergreen runtime)

• Runs independently of the Edge browser UI

• Used by modern Win32, UWP, and Electron apps

Executable:

msedgewebview2.exe

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3. Technical Explanation

Architecture Overview

Application (Outlook / Teams / WhatsApp)
        |
        v
WebView2 Control (Chromium-based)
        |
        v
msedgewebview2.exe (Runtime Process)
        |
        v
Windows Memory Manager

Behavior

• Each app may spawn one or more WebView2 processes

• Memory is dynamically allocated for:

  • HTML/CSS/JS rendering

  • Cached web resources

  • GPU-accelerated UI components

• Processes may persist after app closure

Limitations

• Memory is not always released immediately

• Long uptime increases risk of memory fragmentation

• Some apps do not properly terminate WebView2 instances

• Known memory leak patterns in long-running sessions

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4. Common Use Cases and Environments

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5. Identifying the Issue

Using PowerShell (Recommended)

Get-Process | Sort-Object WorkingSet -Descending | Select-Object -First 10

Sample Output (Problematic)

ProcessName        WS(K)
-----------        -----
msedgewebview2     910000
chrome             480000
OUTLOOK            460000

Key Indicators

• msedgewebview2.exe > 500 MB consistently

• Memory usage increases without user activity

• Reduces only after reboot or forced termination

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6. Troubleshooting and Resolution Steps

Step 1: Identify Dependent Applications

Get-Process msedgewebview2 | Select Id,CPU,WS,StartTime

Common dependents:

• Outlook (new)

• Microsoft Teams (new)

• WhatsApp Desktop

• Electron-based business apps

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Step 2: Restart WebView2 Runtime (Safe)

taskkill /f /im msedgewebview2.exe

Note: Dependent apps may briefly reload UI components.

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Step 3: Restart Windows Explorer (Optional)

taskkill /f /im explorer.exe
start explorer.exe

Frees shell-related memory.

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Step 4: Update / Reinstall WebView2 Runtime

1. Download WebView2 Evergreen Runtime

2. Install over existing version

3. Reboot system

This resolves most known leak scenarios.

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Step 5: Application-Specific Mitigation

Outlook

• Disable unused COM add-ins

• Reduce cached mailbox (3–6 months)

• Close Outlook when not required

WhatsApp Desktop

• Keep updated

• Close when idle

• Consider browser version if RAM-constrained

Chrome / Edge

• Enable tab sleeping

• Remove unnecessary extensions

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7. Advanced Monitoring

Track Memory Growth Over Time

Get-Process msedgewebview2 | Select WS,CPU,StartTime

Run periodically. If WS grows continuously, leak is confirmed.

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8. Common Errors, Root Causes, and Fixes

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9. Security Considerations and Risks

• WebView2 runs web content → inherits browser attack surface

• Outdated runtime increases vulnerability exposure

• Killing process is safe but unsaved app data may be lost

• Avoid disabling runtime globally (breaks apps)

Recommendations:

• Keep runtime updated

• Monitor unusual CPU + RAM spikes

• Use endpoint protection with behavior monitoring

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10. Best Practices and Recommendations

• Reboot user systems weekly (especially >5 days uptime)

• Keep WebView2 Evergreen updated

• Avoid unnecessary Electron desktop apps

• Standardize Outlook cache settings via GPO

• Monitor memory trends, not just snapshots

• Prefer browser apps for low-RAM systems

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11. Conclusion

High memory usage caused by msedgewebview2.exe is a known, manageable condition, not malware or OS failure. With correct identification, runtime maintenance, and application hygiene, systems can remain stable even in heavy productivity environments.

For IT teams, proactive monitoring and standardized remediation scripts significantly reduce support incidents and improve user experience.

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