Community Newsletter: Q&A: What do you mean, Windows Virtual Memory is too low?!
- 6/28/07 3:54 PM
Low Virtual Memory
by 766Squadron - 6/16/07 8:22 AM In reply to: What do you mean, Windows Virtual Memory is too low?! by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
When you are running programs that need more memory than is available, Windows will use free space on your hard drive to let these programs run.
This process (called paging) moves data out of physical memory (RAM) and onto your hard drive. This results in constant thrashing of the hard drive as it tries in vain to move data to and from RAM, which is much faster.
If you don't have enough free space on your hard drive, you will get an error message that tells you: "Your system is low on virtual memory. Windows is increasing the size of your Virtual Memory Paging file. During this process, memory requests for some applications may be denied. For more information, see Help."
There are several ways in which you can resolve this issue:
Close any unnecessary programs and uninstall any programs you no longer use.
Increase the amount of space on your hard drive by deleting your browser's cookies and temporary internet files.
Move any files you don't use but want to keep to an external storage device such as CD/DVD disks or another hard drive.
If you have another hard drive, uninstall programs you want to keep and reinstall them on the secondary hard drive.
Go into System Tools and run the Disk Cleanup tool.
Scan your computer for viruses and spyware and remove anything that is found.
You may also want to consider upgrading your computer's RAM, www.crucial.com will do a scan of your computer and suggest a memory upgrade providing there are spare memory slots on your motherboard.
There is also an option in the System Control Panel that lets you view your current page file settings and adjust them if you decide to.
Please post back if you need further information.
as per my experience manage your data & security tools.
by K B S - 6/16/07 8:55 AM In reply to: What do you mean, Windows Virtual Memory is too low?! by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
here it is some brief formalities whereas above given replies are sufficient for the solution.
keep the executable files in a manner so that it will not interrupt while another file is being to be executed.
keep all your images or the programes in which it contains in a tiles instead of thumbneil.
do a go with better antivirus(security system) that take the least amount of disk space with ability to scan on background & the preiorty to the main application in which work is going into.
Instead of using administrator account try to manage most of the work on user account.
do a whole system virus scan twice a monthly; manage disk cleanup once a monthly ; disk difragmantation twice annually (not essential every 6 month).
Windows virtual memory
by juliact - 6/16/07 9:07 AM In reply to: What do you mean, Windows Virtual Memory is too low?! by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Disclaimer-I'm definitely NOT the biggest tech-head but for what it's worth I'll bet your hard drive is pretty full and this warning has popped up when you have a few windows or apps open. Best thing to do is close whatever you're not really using. Virtual memory is the computer topping up its RAM by borrowing from the hard drive - hard to do when the hard drive is pretty full!
Hope this helps!
virtual memory Low
by wolfman2006 - 6/16/07 9:08 AM In reply to: What do you mean, Windows Virtual Memory is too low?! by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Well Denice, I would have to say you don't have enough ram on your laptop. What's happening is say your system has 128 megs of ram. Windows is managing your systems virtual memory by default as it does naturally by default. The virtual ram will be set to 1.5 times the amount of ram to I think it is 2.5 on the high end of virtual ram.
Thus all the processes that are running on your pc is using more than the combine ram and the high end of virtual memory. So you have two choices
Increase the amount of ram and let windows remanage the virtual memory. Or Right Click my computer and go to properties.
Choose advance tab abd then select settings under performance
next select the advance tab. At the bottom of the page where it says virtual memory select change. There you can adjust your virtual settings manually. You only need to adjust the high end number.
One thing to note is that you will always get better performance by adding ram as oppose to adjusting the virtual memory settings. This is because ram is dedicated and has a fater speed and virtually memory is ran from the hard drive which is a slower device and in most cases fragmented.
Hope this helps
Rick
Its all in the Latitude!
by 01archie - 6/16/07 9:23 AM In reply to: What do you mean, Windows Virtual Memory is too low?! by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Either you have too many programs running at once, or you just don't have enough memory in your computer.. Right click on My Computer, and click on properties.. Then look near the bottom of the window that pops up, and see what it says.. something like ### MB RAM How much is there?
In WinXP, right click My Computer, and select Properties. Go to the Advanced tab, and under Performance, click Settings. At there, click the Advanced tab. There, you will find one option at the bottom to change your virtual memory. Select Change and increase it.
Just select 'custom' setting
then put 'minimum' at 250
then put 'maximum' at 500
click 'set' & 'OK' your way out
You shouldn't have that many running at startup
by JohnSP - 6/16/07 9:26 AM In reply to: What do you mean, Windows Virtual Memory is too low?! by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
If you have that many tasks running then you can probably remove half of them (remove from startup, don't delete the program itself). You can lookup each one of them at http://www.what-is-exe.com and you can at least verify they are not spyware. Some of the free programs like ims', itunes, aol, etc., should only run at startup if you are using them daily..... otherwise no reason to have them always executing. Go through and lookup each one of yours and you will see that you can probably cut your list in half.
'Windows Virtual Memory is too low'
by llreeves - 6/16/07 9:30 AM In reply to: What do you mean, Windows Virtual Memory is too low?! by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Hi Denise,
Virtual Memory is a place reserved on the hard drive to hold temporary data. When the computer RAM (RAM-memory) runs out of space it sets the extra data on the hard drive for a moment while it takes care of other processes. A computer uses RAM much like we use a desk to set things when we are working. If we have more papers to work on than room on the desk, we might place some papers in an empty drawer until we clear space on the desk. In this illustration, the drawer compares to a computers "Virtual Memory."
If the "Virtual Memory" is low, two things may help. Make room on the hard drive (compared to having a larger drawer) and/or add more RAM (compared to having a larger desk). The first step is to maker sure that the virtual memory is being properly allocated. You will need to have Administrator rights on your PC to do most of the following steps.
Start by making sure there is enough free space on your hard drive. Some claim that the "C" drive should never be more than 90% full. If so, delete files no longer needed or upgrade to a larger hard drive. In any case, the "C" drive free space should be at least double the size of the memory installed. An example would be, if you have 500 megabytes of RAM there should be at least 1 gigabyte of free space on the "C" drive.
Next:
In Windows XP, go to:
[Control Panel]|[System]
Click the {Advanced} tab, usually located on the top right of the window.
The first box below says "Performance," Click the "Settings" button.
A window should appear titled "Performance Options." The bottom section of the window has an area called "Virtual Memory," click "Change."
At this point, most people will select "System Managed Size." Some prefer to choose "Custom size". Both options are simple to do. I like to set the "Initial size" and "Maximum size" both to double the ram size (I have 1 gigabyte of RAM so I set both selections to 2 gigabytes).
After finishing, don't forget to click the "Set" button and the "OK" button. It would also be good to reboot your computer and see if there is any improvement. Likely there will be an improvement to the computer if the RAM hardware is upgraded; however it may not be necessary after performing these steps.
Setting the RAM allocation size is important even if you plan to upgrade the RAM. To change the RAM you will need to consult your computer hardware documentation. Hope this helps.
LR
virtual memory problem
by sanju_py - 6/16/07 10:22 AM In reply to: What do you mean, Windows Virtual Memory is too low?! by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
virtual memory is a pert of ur hard drive which ur system use as if it is the memory.in ur case u can increase ur virtual memory simply by going to system propeties>advanced>in perfomance select settings>select advanced tab>in virtual memory select change>by selecting custom set your needed memory size for ex set initial and final as 700mb u would get approx. 1700mb of virtual memory which would solve your problem
sanju
sanjupy06@yahoo.co.in
Virtual Memory Low
by Solitus3989 - 6/16/07 10:26 AM In reply to: What do you mean, Windows Virtual Memory is too low?! by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I believe that means you have to put more RAM into your system. you can find out how much RAM you have in your computer by right clicking my computer, clicking properties, and under the GENERAL TAB, the last line should say "___MB of Ram". 128 MB of ram is quite low, and 256MB might be pushing it.
Slow Start Up & Virtual Memory
by mab12464 - 6/16/07 10:31 AM In reply to: What do you mean, Windows Virtual Memory is too low?! by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
The best program I use to resolve these issues has been ADVANCED WINDOWS CARE V2. It is free for personal use only.
I was able to clean up everything such as Tasks, Registry, etc.
I am using Windows Vista Premier and I had over 3200 errors. The above program resolved them all.
I also use IObit SmartDfrag Beta3 which is also free for personal use, and it remains active in your toolbar constantly defraging.
I am a happy Camper.
I hope this helps you out.
MAB12464
TRY THIS SOFTWARE IT WILL NOT GOING TO HELP YOU
by froster_mohit - 6/17/07 5:17 AM In reply to: Slow Start Up & Virtual Memory by mab12464Is this software(ADVANCED WINDOWS CARE V2) a god for your computer that solves all your problem.It can just clean registry or can erase useless and junk files
Virtual Memory and other such problems
by yasinghMD - 6/16/07 10:48 AM In reply to: What do you mean, Windows Virtual Memory is too low?! by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Virtual memory is the pagefile.sys, also called the swap file. Low virtual memory could be due to any of these:
1. Too many memory resident programs.
2. Large memory usage – often when editing multimedia files.
3. Low disk space. Page file needs space anywhere from .5GB to 5GB depending upon what your computer is doing.
4. Fragmented hard drive (virtual memory needs contiguous space of hard drive.)
5. Low RAM – greater the RAM smaller the page file or virtual memory.
You could remove unwanted programs and files and de-fragment the hard disk. This may solve the problem.
I have learned some hard lessons after spending countless hours staring at the screen reinstalling programs and windows. As a result, here is how I do it:
1. Clean up the computer. Windows is like a dust mop. It collects and saves leftovers from everything it does. I recommend a clean new install of windows and run updates.
2. De-fragment drive C.
3. Partition the hard drive using a program like partition magic. You need no more than 10GB on C drive for windows XP (15GB for Vista.) Make 5GB D drive for page file (3GB may be enough if you do not edit multimedia.) and put everything else on the remainder (partition E.)
If you are not compulsive about a clean computer, then stop here and install all other programs.
4. I prefer to make a 5GB F partition for all temporary files, Internet explorer files, and other temporary junk. Make at least one or two more partitions for My Documents and data that may use large disk space. You will need to know how to move your page file temporary folder Internet files and documents to other partitions.
5. Do not put data or any personal files on the C drive.
6. Install a firewall like free Zonealarm. Install antivirus if you do stuff like downloads etc.
7. De-fragment again and make an image of C with a program like Acronis disk image. Save the image on partition other than C in a folder dedicated to image files. This will help you revert to – at any time in the future - exactly how your C drive was today.
8. Create a restore point even though it is pointless (Restore points are deleted by windows and replaced with new ones.) and not as useful as a disk image. But it is useful only as a quick and temporary fix (if it is still available when you need it!)
9. If, you know what traps to avoid then, avoid unnecessary hogs like utilities or system-works. I suggest you try restoring the image once, just to be sure that it works. Then save a copy of image file on an external drive. You could make images of other partitions also.
10. I restore the image every few months and do updates etc. and then create a new image. I suggest you save the older image until you are sure that you will not need it any longer.
Enjoy.
NICE IDEA BUT A FEW QUESTIONS
by froster_mohit - 6/17/07 5:31 AM In reply to: Virtual Memory and other such problems by yasinghMD1.YOU TOLD THAT greater the RAM lower the virtual memory
If you are using 128 MB RAM and 30 processes are running(ex. installing adobe acrobat reader 8.0) on your computer.It will use approx.110 MB of virtual memory and even if you are using 512 MB,the case will be approximately same.Just in case of 128MB RAM,your computer will freeze and stop giving response but in case of 512MB RAM your system will running properly.
2.you told that virtual memory needs contiguous hard drive space.
I must tell you that virtual memory in XP is used with the help of a file known as pagefile.sys which is a system file and is always contiguous and it cannot be moved by disk defragmentor.So,no need to defragment pagefile.sys.You can check this while defragmenting
You told that Virtual memory is the pagefile.sys, also called the swap file.In windows 98 and in its prevoius version virtual memory is created by using swap files.Now this is obsolete.
Re: NICE IDEA BUT A FEW QUESTIONS
by yasinghMD - 6/17/07 8:55 AM In reply to: NICE IDEA BUT A FEW QUESTIONS by froster_mohit1. “greater the RAM lower the virtual memory”?
Your comments are correct. Certain programs use mostly RAM. If we run one or ten such programs simultaneously, it would make very little difference in the size of virtual memory. If the RAM is too low the computer could freeze. This is the reason each OS has its own requirement of a certain minimum RAM.
Windows reserves a certain minimum space for page file (approximately 750 MB in XP) determined by the number and size of drivers loaded at start up This size will not change unless more memory is needed. The page file does not get smaller than this minimum even if more RAM was installed.
2. “you told that virtual memory needs contiguous hard drive space.”?
You are correct that it cannot be de-fragmented or moved this way. But page file is not always contiguous. Page file can occupy several contiguous spaces and thus it can also become fragmented. If the free space fragments are too small then page file cannot use them. De-fragmenting allows greater contiguous free space for the page file fragments.
If you cannot move the page file to another partition, you can disable it, reboot and then delete the file. De-fragment the C drive and then re-enable the page file. In such a case, I feel sorry for those who put up with a large C drive with only one (or two) factory set partitions.
3. “swap files....Now this is obsolete”?
My reply was not meant to be so technical. I also left out the details on how to manage or move your files and folders. Others have covered those items.
In nutshell:
1. Provide free contiguous space for virtual memory. This is best done by putting the page file on a dedicated partition.
2. Create an image of C drive to save yourself headaches in the future.
I forgot to mention that we must let the windows monitor C drive only, if at all. Disable monitoring of other partitions. Any data saved in a folder outside the 'Documents and Settings' folder is overwritten by the dumb windows restore utility. This is why I put all my data on partitions other than C, including My Documents.
I hope that my advice will save everyone from the pain of reinstalling the OSs as many times as I have. It was not meant to be so technical.
In my opinion, creating a fixed size of page file can cause problem as you may need greater size some time. Creating a large fixed page file would make the computer start slower because it has to scan the entire file each time. The best practice is to reserve ample free CONTIGUOUS space and then let the system manages its size.
Windows Virtual Memory Low
by Swartswaan - 6/16/07 11:12 AM In reply to: What do you mean, Windows Virtual Memory is too low?! by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Virtual memory in a computer is the same real estate on your hard drive that gets used over and over again. This is done to extend the RAM that you have built-in on the Mother Board. RAM includes the SDRAM/DDR cards or similar that you can plug in on your MB. The CPU (computer's brain) "thinks" it has more memory than there really is. This is, however, controlled by the Operating System (Windows). The OS knows what the limits are as they are set in the factory or by you,depending on the amount of RAM and Hard Disk memory you have. It measures the memory used by your programs/apps against what is available. I have 512 Megabytes of RAM and a Hard disk of 160 Gigabytes, yet sometimes I get a "Not enough menory to display completely" message on my spreadsheet program (Calcs & Autoshapes only and the file size is only 8 Megabytes). This is because I have only 2 Gigabytes of virtual memory set. It happens for several reasons. Some programs use a thing called a stack for complex calculations(it handles the brackets and the sequence of how calcs are done correctly and is a regular pen pusher to keep track of things). There are also other internal invisible (transparent) program managers, so the program's file size will not show the memory used by it - which is more. In the same way graphics programs, read games, are real hogs. The best you can do is to regularly defragment your Hard Disk (you also get free memory defrag programs) otherwise your CPU will use lots of RAM to manage your program's broken up data files on the HDD, + other issues. Try to open only one or two programs at a time. Get a good registry cleaner (but use it carefully). Use a good Folder structure - short names, no spaces, decide categories and departments, and build it up from below. If you use spreadsheets a lot, use calcs in the form of algorithms that can be used in various circumstances. If you use one calc repeatedly, put it in a cell and plug the cell name into your more complex calcs, saving stack space. With a laptop there is another concern. Your RAM is split between program usage and the screen's video needs. See if you can afford more RAM and a bigger HDD so you can reset your Virtual Memory Limit. Oh yes, when not used, plug out all dongles and peripherals and services like infra-red and bluetooth links. Push the kill button! Save the file, then re-link and print/send.
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