How to Increase Virtual Memory in Windows Vista

When your computer runs low on RAM (random access memory) that it needs to run a program or perform an operation, Windows will use virtual memory to compensate for this short fall. Virtual memory helps by moving data from RAM to a temporary space on the hard disc called a "paging file." This move frees up RAM and enables it to continue to run the program.If your PC does not have sufficient memory for all the operations that it needs to perform, both Windows and the programs it is trying to run can stop working altogether. To prevent loss of information, Windows will notify you with an error message if your PC is running low on memory.If you get error messages indicating that you have low virtual memory, you will either need to add more RAM, or you'll need to increase the size of your paging file so as to continue to run the programs on your PC. While Windows Vista will often manage this size automatically, you can also increase (or decrease) the size of your virtual memory if the default size assigned by Windows is not sufficient. Here's how:

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Increase Virtual Memory in Windows Vista

1. Click on your "Start" button in the bottom left hand corner. Click on "Control Panel." Click on " System and Maintenance " and then click on "System."
2. Go to the left pane and click on "Advanced system settings." Enter a password or provide confirmation if you are prompted to.
3. On your " Advanced" tab, click on "Settings" under "Performance."
4. Click on the " Advanced" tab. Click on "Change" under "Virtual Memory"
5. Clear the check box for "Automatically manage paging file size for all drives"
6. Go to the "Drive [Volume Label]." Click on the drive which contains the particular paging file that you want to change.
7. Click on " Custom size." In the "Initial size (MB)" or the "Maximum size (MB)," type in a new size in MB (megabytes). Click on Set" and then click on "OK." And you are done!

Tips & Warnings

• Your PC reads data from RAM much faster than it reads data from the hard disc, so adding more RAM to your computer is always more effective than increasing virtual memory, which tends to slow down your system.
• Windows automatically sets the initial minimum size for the paging file at: (the amount of RAM installed on your PC + 300 MB). It sets the maximum paging file size at 3 times the amount of installed RAM. If you get error/warning messages at either of these recommended levels, then follow the steps above to increase the minimum and the maximum sizes.

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