Increase Virtual Memory in Windows XP



Virtual Memory is where your operating system temporarily saves files when it no longer has enough physical memory left. When you are running low on RAM (Random Access Memory) your computer will have a hard time launching and running applications, especially if you are trying to do several things at once. The computer will move some data over to your virtual memory in order to free up some operating space. Eventually, this information is transferred back to your RAM when space becomes available. However, if you don't have enough virtual memory left either, then your computer starts to slow down and can even crash. This is because it no longer has enough memory to properly execute even basic tasks.

If you don't resolve this problem, your computer will become very slow and frustrating to work with. In more serious cases, it can crash and you might lose valuable information. To solve this, you can acquire more virtual memory or you can purchase more RAM. Purchasing more RAM for your computer is the better option because you are ultimately increasing your computer's overall capacity and making it a better system. RAM is also a lot faster. Your computer scans and processes information in RAM much more quickly than in virtual memory.

How much RAM do you need?

If you are working in Windows XP then the minimum RAM that it needs to operate is 512MB. However, this is not usually enough for most people and it's not uncommon, or even that expensive, to have as much as 1 or 2 GB. Usually the more RAM you have the better, but most people don't need more than 2GB. If you work on your computer a lot and often run multiple programs at the same time, then you should consider more.

Increaseing the virtual memory in Windows XP

If you increase the RAM but you continue to encounter "low virtual memory" errors then you are going to have to increase your system's virtual memory. You can manually adjust the default settings on your computer to increase the virtual memory, just follow the instructions below:

  1. Select the "Start" menu. Go to "My Computer" and then select "Properties."
  2. Select the "Advanced" tab and then select the "Performance" option. Click on "Settings."
  3. Again, select the "Advanced" tab. Within the "Virtual Memory" section at the bottom select "Change."
  4. Look for the "Paging File Size" and select "Custom Size."
  5. Modify the value for "Maximum Size" and "Initial Size." It is important that whatever size these values are, they should be the same. Usually people select 768MB for these values but you can follow the simple formula of multiplying your RAM by 1.5.
  6. Hit the "Set" button and then reboot your computer.
 

Microsoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.