Low virtual memory?

Question

i sometimes get the message (low virtual memory), and all the windows suddenly close, what does it mean and y does it happen? and how can i prevent it?

Answer 1

Vitual memory is the use of hard drive space to supplement limited ram resources. This can happen if you open too many windows/applications at one time. Make sure your disk is not getting full limiting the VM. Why you can increase the portion of the disk reserved for VM, the long term solution is to add more system ram to the pc.

Answer 2

There are a number of things you can do.

Microsoft recommends the page file be 3 times the size of the RAM. But always suggests the more RAM the better.

1.On the desktop, right click on My Computer, select Properties and from the tabs, select Advanced. This opens a window and the top option is Perfromance. Select Settings and that opens another tabbed window. This has a tab at the top labelled Advanced. Select that tab and the window opens allowing you to change your Virtual Memory. Set this to 1.5 times RAM and see if that helps.

2. If you only have 256 MEG I would replace it with something bigger and load as much as the machine will actually carry or 1 MEG whichever is the lower. With the Price of RAM today it's cheap and an easy fix to a problem of low system resources. Often many NB's are only supplied with the Bare Minimum possible to run the OS and programs and it doesn't matter how slow the NB is to the maker.

If you already have 512 MEG or greater the above answer telling you how to up the Virtual Memory would be a workable solution but remember that there is only So Much that you can do with Virtual Memory and then you need to up the Memory Load to make things work properly.

3. You might have low free space on your hard drive. If so, then try deleting unnecessary programs and files.

finally, have a look at the following article. ( http://support.microsoft.com/?scid=kb;EN-US;Q811153 ) Perhaps there is something there that could help. Having said all the above possible solutions, the real fix will ultimately be more RAM. 512MB on a Windows XP computer would be sufficient for the average user.

Answer 3

You can increase the virtual memory.
1. Right click My Comptuer
2. Go to properties.
3. Go to Advanced tab
4. Click Performance
5. Click Advanced tab
6. Click Change in virtual memory section
7. Change it to 50% more for both initial and maxiumum

Virtual memory is basically a file on your hard drive that helps your computer remember things when physical memory (RAM) is full. If you don't have enough virtual memory space alloted your computer may crash from lack of memory available. Increasing the virutal memory allocation will prevent errors in the future.

Answer 4

What windows version are you running? Right click on my computer in the desktop, then click properties... Find your virtual memory setting in one of the tabs and increase it.

Make sure to clean your hard disk of unwanted, temporary files and empty your recycling bin. The virtual memory size is limited to your free disk space.

Answer 5

All of the above are rookies. You can dick with pagefile if you're bored, but the bottom line is you're using up physical memory and exhausing paged memory on disk. The smartest thing you can do is to add physical memory to your system. Memory is cheap. Lame hacks and attempted workarounds cost you time. Blow these dolts off and buy more memory for your system.

Answer 6

You have to many programs running at once. This usally happens at startup. Everything like msn messanger anti-virus aim yahoo. just go into the properties of the programs and uncheck start when windows starts. also you can make the size of the page file bigger but i won't tell you how to do that since i don't want you messing up your computer ;)

Answer 7

just follow the first answer. i would like to add some more to it...in order to increase ur virtual mem size, u need to have enough free hardisk(s) space..if you dont have it then clear up unwanted stuff on ur disk(s)....like temp files...history files and also empty ur recycle bin from time to time

Answer 8

i dont know what it means but like what i like to do is just keep one or two windows open. but like your not suppose to keep hi virtual memory windows. just like one.

Answer 9

It means you don't have enough space on your hard drive. Your computer needs space to "breathe" and to store information. So deleting some files or folders would be really helpful, for you andyour computer.

Answer 10

usually means your starting to get a virus and run a virus sweep now, it happened to me last week and i had to get a new computer. the virus uses all the memory.