what does it mean when your computer has to add virtual mem ory, since it is low?

Question

My computer keeps saying that it is low on virtual memory and I don't know what I am doing to cause this or what I need to do.

Answer 1

Virtual memory is the swap space alloted on the hard disk. It has a minimum and a maximum value. Usually minimum is equal to the physical RAM on your pc. and the maximum is two and half times the RAM.
You can find the virtual memory setting on the location in winXP
start > control panel > system > advanced > performance settings > Advanced > Virtual Memory Change
select the hard disk partition.
select the custom size radio button. Enter values.Press OK
Allocate VM on all partitions of the hard disk.

Answer 2

What is Virtual Memory?
A program instruction on an Intel 386 or later CPU can address up to 4GB of memory, using its full 32 bits. This is normally far more than the RAM of the machine. (The 32nd exponent of 2 is exactly 4,294,967,296, or 4 GB. 32 binary digits allow the representation of 4,294,967,296 numbers — counting 0.) So the hardware provides for programs to operate in terms of as much as they wish of this full 4GB space as Virtual Memory, those parts of the program and data which are currently active being loaded into Physical Random Access Memory (RAM). The processor itself then translates (‘maps’) the virtual addresses from an instruction into the correct physical equivalents, doing this on the fly as the instruction is executed. The processor manages the mapping in terms of pages of 4 Kilobytes each - a size that has implications for managing virtual memory by the system.

Answer 3

Some of the answers you have received are very good and make sense but, in my view, they may be confusing to a novice. So, go to start.., control panel... system and click on system. On the first window that will open, you will see (close to bottom) a number telling you what RAM is installed in you machine, if this number. is less than 512, go to Best Buy and have the geek squad add some memory on your machine. In the mean time, consider making a thorough clean up of your system. Also, if you have a lot stored on your hard drive, take the advice given here by another writer and move it to some other media, preferably on an external hard drive.

Good luck

Answer 4

Simply put, because you obviously don't read the books that are free in any search...

Part of the hard drive is allocated to act as a syrupy slow extension to your computer Random Access Mimory.

It is called "Virtual Memory" or, in Mac and Linux, swap memory, or a swap file, or a swap partition.

If you add some RAM it will be used less. VOILA, no message, if you use enough for the application you run.

Answer 5

Your computer has so much memory built in, But it usually needs more for it to work better, so it makes a place on your hard drive to store and swap out memory. Go to My computer and look at the amount of free space on your C: drive. If it is low, you don't have sufficient space for the swap file. Try and delete some garbage you don't need. Computers need spring cleaning sometimes. Then defrag. You'll be better of running in safe mode for that.

Answer 6

could be your swap file isnt larger enough if you use 2000/xp. if you have an older system you may be asking to much from the memory installed. An upgrade or just a simple check in control panel/system/advanced check memory and cpu usage here. if in 2000/xp

Answer 7

Probably your hard drive is maxed out and there's not enough space for VM. Try offloading your music or pics or vids to dvd. That will free up space for you.

Or, email me your computer's specs and what you have on your hard drive and I'll try to help further.

Answer 8

This page explains the whole deal, how it works, and what you need to do to fix your problem: