Virtual Memory: The unexploited tool in enhancing your PC’s Performance

You could have across such a message that read like “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 …………” every once in a while as you typed away at your keyboard, or keypad for that matter. This is usually followed by non-responsiveness of most/all running programs, and the computer may at times hang.

Virtual memory is an Operating System parameter which gives an application program the impression that it has contiguous working memory (an address space); making the computer work like it has some extra RAM(read memory). If well configured, a computer will be able to support most/all running applications more effectively. With virtual memory, the computer can use hard disk space as random access memory (RAM). The computer uses virtual memory to augment the ordinary RAM that is installed on the computer. If the size of the paging file is reduced, certain programs-such as Microsoft office-may not start correctly or may not start at all. This behavior may occur even if the computer has a large/enough RAM.

To resolve this behavior, the size of the paging file needs to be increased. In this process, the following steps could be used as appropriate for one’s operating system. Please note that certain programs like Microsoft Office 2007 requires Windows XP or higher. Certain other applications like strong anti-viruses may also require more resources.

On Windows XP

1. Click Start, right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
2. In the System Properties dialog box, click the Advanced tab.
3. In the Performance pane, click Settings.
4. In the Performance Options dialog box, click the Advanced tab.
5. In the Virtual memory pane, click Change.
6. Change the Initial size value and the Maximum size value to a higher value, click Set, and then click OK. Setting too high or too low values may adversely affect the machine’s performance, so it is recommended that you set a value that is proportional to amount of free space on a particular drive-usually about 5-10% of the total size for a particular partition. If, say, a partition is 40 GB, you could set the minimum virtual memory value to about 2000 Mb and maximum virtual memory value to about 4000 Mb (the values are usually specified in mega bytes).
7. Click OK to close the Performance Options dialog box, and then click OK to close the System Properties dialog box.

On Windows 7/Vista

1. Click Start, right-click Computer, and then click Properties.
2. On the left side of the System Properties window that opens, Click on the Advanced Computer Settings link. A second window that has a Performance pane will open.
3. In the Performance pane, click Settings.
4. In the Performance Options dialog box, click the Advanced tab.
5. In the Virtual memory pane, click Change.
6. Change the Initial Size value and the Maximum size value to a higher value, click Set, and then click OK. Setting too high or too low values may adversely affect the machine’s performance, so it is recommended that you set a value that is proportional to amount of free space on a particular drive-usually about 5-10% of the total size for a particular partition. If, say, a partition is 40 GB, you could set the minimum virtual memory value to about 2000 Mb and maximum virtual memory value to about 4000 Mb (the values are usually specified in mega bytes).
7. Click OK to close the Performance Options dialog box, and then click OK to close the System Properties dialog box.

You should notice a change-an improvement in your machine’s performance after these changes. Good luck!