what is virtual memory in a computer?

Answer 1

method where hard drive memory is used as RAM.

Answer 2

Temporary storage used by a computer to run programs that need more memory than it has. For example, programs could have access to 4 gigabytes of virtual memory on a computer's hard drive, even if the computer has only 32 megabytes of RAM. The program data that does not currently fit in the computer's memory is saved into paging files.

See also: paging file; Virtual Memory Size; virtual printer memory
Virtual Memory Size
In Task Manager, the amount of virtual memory, or address space, committed to a process.

See also: Task Manager; virtual memory
virtual printer memory
In a PostScript printer, a part of memory that stores font information. The memory in PostScript printers is divided into two areas: banded memory and virtual memory. The banded memory contains graphics and page-layout information needed to print your documents. The virtual memory contains any font information that is sent to your printer either when you print a document or when you download fonts.

See also: PostScript printer; virtual memory
virtual private network (VPN)

Answer 3

Virtual memory is an addressing scheme implemented in hardware and software that allows non-contiguous memory to be addressed as if it is contiguous. The technique used by all current implementations provides two major capabilities to the system:

1. Memory can be addressed that does not currently reside in main memory and the hardware and operating system will load the required memory from auxiliary storage automatically, without any knowledge of the program addressing the memory, thus allowing a program to reference more memory than actually exists in the computer.
2. In multi tasking systems, total memory isolation, otherwise referred to as a discrete address space, can be provided to every task except the lowest level operating system. This greatly increases reliability by isolating program problems within a specific task and allowing unrelated tasks to continue to process.

Answer 4

Virtual memory is when the ram does not have enough memory to run its applications. It borrows memory from the hard drive. This is extremely hard on the processor and will slow your pc down.