diff --git a/doc/changes/devel/13310.bugfix.rst b/doc/changes/devel/13310.bugfix.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..270da0ff040
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/changes/devel/13310.bugfix.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Fix bug in :func:`mne.sys_info` where calling it in Windows could lead to a an error while trying to get the amount of available memory, by `Eric Larson`_.
diff --git a/mne/_fiff/meas_info.py b/mne/_fiff/meas_info.py
index c83b084d3e2..cbeccc36cab 100644
--- a/mne/_fiff/meas_info.py
+++ b/mne/_fiff/meas_info.py
@@ -1451,7 +1451,7 @@ class Info(ValidatedDict, SetChannelsMixin, MontageMixin, ContainsMixin):
             Helium level (%) after position correction.
         orig_file_guid : str
             Original file GUID.
-        meas_date : datetime.datetime
+        meas_date : datetime.datetime | None
             The helium level meas date.
 
             .. versionchanged:: 1.8
@@ -2884,7 +2884,7 @@ def write_meas_info(fid, info, data_type=None, reset_range=True):
             write_float(fid, FIFF.FIFF_HELIUM_LEVEL, hi["helium_level"])
         if hi.get("orig_file_guid") is not None:
             write_string(fid, FIFF.FIFF_ORIG_FILE_GUID, hi["orig_file_guid"])
-        if hi["meas_date"] is not None:
+        if hi.get("meas_date", None) is not None:
             write_int(fid, FIFF.FIFF_MEAS_DATE, _dt_to_stamp(hi["meas_date"]))
         end_block(fid, FIFF.FIFFB_HELIUM)
         del hi
diff --git a/mne/_fiff/tests/test_meas_info.py b/mne/_fiff/tests/test_meas_info.py
index 9c71bc19491..b0150d00828 100644
--- a/mne/_fiff/tests/test_meas_info.py
+++ b/mne/_fiff/tests/test_meas_info.py
@@ -1001,6 +1001,19 @@ def test_field_round_trip(tmp_path):
     assert_object_equal(info, info_read)
     with pytest.raises(TypeError, match="datetime"):
         info["helium_info"]["meas_date"] = (1, 2)
+    # should allow it to be None, though (checking gh-13154)
+    info["helium_info"]["meas_date"] = None
+    info.save(fname, overwrite=True)
+    info_read = read_info(fname)
+    assert_object_equal(info, info_read)
+    assert info_read["helium_info"]["meas_date"] is None
+    # not 100% sure how someone could end up with it deleted, but should still be
+    # writeable
+    del info["helium_info"]["meas_date"]
+    info.save(fname, overwrite=True)
+    info_read = read_info(fname)
+    info["helium_info"]["meas_date"] = None  # we always set it (which is reasonable)
+    assert_object_equal(info, info_read)
 
 
 def test_equalize_channels():
diff --git a/mne/utils/config.py b/mne/utils/config.py
index c2f3408b427..3500358a38c 100644
--- a/mne/utils/config.py
+++ b/mne/utils/config.py
@@ -687,7 +687,12 @@ def _get_total_memory():
                 "(Get-CimInstance Win32_ComputerSystem).TotalPhysicalMemory",
             ]
         ).decode()
-        total_memory = int(o)
+        # Can get for example a "running scripts is disabled on this system"
+        # error where "o" will be a long string rather than an int
+        try:
+            total_memory = int(o)
+        except Exception:  # pragma: no cover
+            total_memory = 0
     elif platform.system() == "Linux":
         o = subprocess.check_output(["free", "-b"]).decode()
         total_memory = int(o.splitlines()[1].split()[1])