what is "virtual memory too low" and how do i fix it?

Question

when trying to connect to dial-up internet i am having problems with the virtual memory too low and its interfering with attempts to connect to internet and also interferes with trying to close and log off.Please help computer novice thanks. Windows xp
How do i fix it to stop it happening each time i try to connect to internet?

Answer 1

http://askbobrankin.com/low_virtual_memory.html

Feelin' Mighty Low (on Memory)
When all of your computer's real physical memory (RAM) is in use, Windows will try to create virtual memory by grabbing a chunk of hard drive space and treating it like real memory. Your software can't tell the difference between real and virtual memory, but you might because virtual memory access is much slower, due to the hard drive activity it requires.

If you encounter the low virtual memory error message, then you have used the maximum amount of real plus virtual memory that is supported on your system. Sometimes programs that crash or ones that are poorly designed will not return their working memory space to the operating system when they're done using it. Other programs that need a large amount of memory to run may fail because Windows cannot "see" the available memory. In most cases, a shutdown and restart will resolve this problem.

Windows Knows Best
If you still see the dreaded "Your system is low on virtual memory" message then the first thing to do is make sure your computer is configured to allow Windows to automatically manage the virtual memory. In Windows XP, follow these steps:

Click Start, then open the Control Panel.
Click Performance and Maintenance, and then click System.
Click the Advanced tab.
Under Performance, click Settings.
Click the Advanced tab.
Under Virtual memory, click Change.
Under Drive [Volume Label], click the drive that contains the paging file (virtual memory) settings that you want to change. In almost every case, this will be your C: drive.
Click to select the "System managed size" option, then click Set.
Click OK three times and restart your computer.

When you allow Windows to manage your virtual memory, it should make the optimum amount of virtual memory available, by automatically shrinking or enlarging the paging file as needed. If that doesn't solve the low virtual memory problem, there are a few more things you can try.

Eliminate Non-Essential Programs
Over time, we tend to accumulate a bit of clutter on a computer. My article "Making Windows XP Run Faster!" will show you how to keep your system updated, eliminate viruses & spyware, scrub the hard disk of unneeded files, slim down your startup selections, and eliminate unnecessary system services. All of these things will free up resources in your computer, making it run faster and more reliably.

Add RAM to Your System
It might just be the case that your computer needs more real, physical memory. By this I mean RAM sticks that can be purchased in most computer, electronics, or office supply stores. If your PC is more than three years old, chances are it's close to being obsolete -- at least in terms of the ability to run today's resource-hogging software packages. And adding RAM to an older computer is the most effective thing you can do to upgrade it.

To see how much memory you have installed, follow these steps under Windows XP:
Click Start, then open the Control Panel.
Click Performance and Maintenance, and then click System.

On the System Properties window, you'll see the type and speed of your processor (CPU) and the amount of RAM. Note that Windows always seems to report that you have slightly less memory than you actually have. For example, if Windows reports 496 MB of RAM, you actually have 512 MB. (Memory will always be installed in 64 MB increments.)

The more RAM you have, the better your computer will perform. I recommend you have a minimum 256 megabytes (MB) of RAM, but with 512 MB or even a gigabyte of RAM, you'll notice much better performance.

Plan B: Recycle Your Computer
If popping the hood on your old PC sounds like too much trauma, consider buying a new one. Computer prices have dropped a lot over the past few years, and the computing power you get for your money is going up. My How to Buy a Computer article will guide you through the Windows vs. Mac issue, what kind of processor you need, and will give you recommendations on monitors and software.

Answer 2

Virtual memory is something that is handle by windows. Its a part of the hard drive that is used sort of like RAM. If it gets full or isn't big enough your system will stall or run slow. It can be caused by too many things running at once. Its also controlled by windows. It can be change manually but not recommended if your a novice. What could be happening is thatyou may have adware or spyware. You need to run a scan. Also check your harddrive space, you may be almost full. If thats the case free up some space on your drive by deleting or moving files to a cd. that should take care of it. Let me know if this helps.

The Syko Ward

Answer 3

Virtual Memory too low means that you've used almost all of your memory (both physical RAM and your virtual RAM AKA swap space that resides on your hard drive). Make sure you are running the least amount of programs that you can. If possible, add more RAM to your computer. Although not ideal, you can also increase the size of Virtual Memory that is in your swap space on your hard drive. Assuming you have Windows XP, click Start-> Control Panel. Double-Click System (if you don't see system, click Performance and Maintenance, then click System). Click the Advanced Tab. Under Performance, click Settings. Click the Advanced Tab here. For Virtual Memory, click Change. If it is not Custom sized, make it custom sized. Then, just add 1000 more MB to the number that is already there and click set, then ok. Note that this takes space on your harddrive. Click ok to exit out of all windows and reboot if it prompts you to.

Answer 4

This message Virtual memory too low appears when the computer can not find adequate free space on the hard disk partition where windows is installed. If you free some space either by copying files from My Documents folder to another partition or on cd/dvd and then deleting them from their original location, it will free space. Another way is to run a temp files cleaning software regularly

The problem you are facing has no apparent connection with connecting to internet.

Answer 5

There is no enough primary memory - RAM . The OS is trying to page files between RAM and HDD. Try increasing it. Try to get 512 MB RAM or higher. Or try uninstalling few unecessary softwares installed. Make sure you dont open too many programs when you connect to internet.

Answer 6

Virtual memory is the memory that Windows uses to compensate for the lack of physical memory. Virtual memory can be decreased or increased on your computer. Virtual memory is harddrive space used to store information. It is much slower than physical memory, but better than nothing.

Answer 7

Buy more RAMs.