Doesn't downloading add to your memory?

Question

If so, can I add more memory? Then, will I have to get a whole new computer when I've reached memory capacity?

Answer 1

Downloading is merely moving files to your computer. Thnk if it as a file drawer or cabinet... You put a file in the drawer, or you 'download' a file into the drawer, it doens't change the capasity of the drawer.

RAM in the above analogy would be your arms. Longer arms means you can hold more files for working in the file cabinet, but again doesnt' change the capacity of your storage.

Answer 2

Saving any file, including ones you've downloaded, uses up your ROM (Read Only Memory; or your hard drive).
If there is not enough room left on your hard drive you use an external storage to store some of those files; such as an external hard drive or cd's. You don't buy a new pc just because the hard drive is full.

Downloading stuff off the net to view, eg loading a page that contains a video clip, doesn't use ROM unless you save it, and the temporary memory will be cleared when you re-start the pc.
But downloading does use RAM (Random Access Memory) as you are doing it. If you are downloading a big file you may not have much RAM left to run other programs. When you stop downloading the RAM becomes available to use.

Answer 3

Dowloading fills your hardrive. You can get more hardrives but they have very large storage capacity these days so you probably don't have to worry unless you are storing movies on your computer. The run about $60 to $200 depending on what you get. You can even get one that is USB and can run on any computer besides yours.

Memory is is completely different thing. You fill it by turning on your computer starting programs and opening files. Your memory is cleared every time you turn your computer off and to some degree as you close files and programs. sometimes it is a good idea to add memory if you don't have enough to run your stuff, often when that happens your other parts are outdated and it is time for a new computer anyway. Today it's good to have about 1 gig of memory or about 100,000 megabytes. To see how much you have and how much you are using at any given time, hit ctrl alt del (and hold them down till you hit the last key) and click on the processes tab.

oh yeah that other guy recomended cleaning house. Good idea.

Answer 4

I don't want to say too much, because it can get get a little involved.

There are two kinds of memory in a modern computer, RAM and ROM. Downloading a program uses up ROM space on your hard disk. When you run this program it uses up RAM memory.

Think of it like this. If you are going to the supermarket for the weekly shop you might write a list. But as you're driving to the supermarket you don't need the list but when you get there you have to find the list and start reading it.

The paper your list is written on is like your hard drive (ROM). Your brain is like RAM, the list is no good unless your brain can decode it and go to the correct aisle to get what you want. Similarly, when you download something you're effectively writing a list (your storing it in ROM so that you can use it later).

You can increase both RAM (memory) and ROM (hard drive) capacities so you will not need to buy another computer for the moment. Most computers have sufficient RAM for most things unless you're running loads of programs at once or doing image processing or something.

To check your hard drive usage:

Right click on START
Go to explore
Find an item which looks like (C:\)
Right click on it
Go to properties

It will launch a window with a pie chart. The blue area is how much of your hard drive you're using and the pink is how much you have left.

Hope that helps.

Answer 5

What exactaly do you mean? when you download your Hard Drive gets used up, if it gets full then you can't download anymore. You can add a second HD on your computer.

Now Memory is diffrent. depending on what program you are using, that program could be hogging up your memory resulting in your computer running slower. You can also add more memory, to make your computer faster but this has nothing to do with how much you can download and store on your computer.

Answer 6

Downloading & storing files subtracts storage from your harddrive. I think the memory your talking about are your DIMMS chips which the computer uses only temoraily to store data. They dump everything each time you reboot, You can add more mem chips if you have the slots on the motherboard for them. Also no you do not have to buy a new computer when your harddrive is full. Just clean house so to speak , get rid of stuff you do'nt use. Use your OPERATING SYSTEM'S disk utilities to clean things up on your harddrive.

Answer 7

Yes, it adds to your memory. And depending on what it is depends on how much memory you take up. Songs useually don't take up much space. No, you don't have to get a whole new computer, you can always upgrade your memory. Contact a computer hardware company and most likely they can sell the mem. and install it for you. Try the company you bought your computer from, but there are mom & pap companies out there that will do it for a better price.

Answer 8

Downloading information increases the amount of information stored on your hard disk. Information stored on the hard disk can always be deleted (or copied to CD / Floppy Disk etc.) when you have finished with it.
'RAM Memory' is only used temporarily and will not get 'filled-up' in the same way.

Answer 9

Downloading eats your memory. You would have to upgrade your computer to gain space and adding a hard drive is not adding memory.

Answer 10

Everything you download has to be stored somewhere on your pc,, you can back these up on disc then delete them off the pc so you never have to upgrade your hard drive (the storage space).
If you are talking about while downloading a file your systems ram gets slow then yeah, upgrade the ram.