Virtual Memory

Chris Schlotzhauer · From: Colleyville, Tx. USA

My home computer is slowed down to a crawl. My hard drive is full, but I freed up some space. I keep getting a "virtual memory" message from Windows. I've gone through the process increasing the virtual memory paging file (whatever that means), but it didn't help. I still get the message. I can't seem to clean enough hard drive space either. I've used Uninstaller, Windows Add/remove, but it still is 4/5ths full. What is all that crap on a hard drive? And where is it? I think I may need to re-load Windows.

Mark Sonnabaum · From: Denton, Texas, USA

Did you try defragmenting your hard drive yet? Its very common for windows to be misreading that if it hasnt been defragmented for a while. Another thing I usually do to find where huge files are is just highlight sections of the C drive and then right click-properties and see how big they are. Usually you can track it down that way, if you cant they probably are hidden. Re-installing windows is always a good thing to do as well.

Mark

Dave Potter · From: Texas

Without any specific details it's a shot in the dark, but you describe the classic symptoms of a system with insufficient HD space.

I'd suggest you select the option to let Windows manage virtual memory.

As to what's on the HD, it's the OS and whatever applications are installed there. "Where it is" is less important, with the possible exception that the HD may need to be defragmented, as noted previously. I'll note that in many years of experience with doing defrags, which I do once a month or so, I've still never noticed any major performance changes before and after.

If you open "My Computer", wherever it is on your PC (maybe on your desktop, mine's on my Start menu), right click on the HD shown there, and select "Properties". You should get some information, including a graphic showing used and free space on the HD, as well as some options for drive utilities, again depending on the version of your OS.

But, it sounds like your HD is saturated, and, given that Windows uses HD space to create virtual memory for the essential swap files, your options may be to uninstall enough things from the system to free up HD space, or add a new/additional HD.

Another idea would be to press Ctrl-Alt-Del and see what's running. TSR's can slow a machine down noticeably, and there may be some things running you have no use for.

It all depends on the details, which are unknown at this point.

Will Holtz · From: San Francisco, California, USA

The message about not having enough virtual memory means that your computer is trying to juggle too much information at once. Your computer stores the programs currently running and their associated data in random access memory (RAM) -- a type of memory your processor can quickly access. Once you fill up the RAM, your computer starts storing the data it is currently processing on your hard drive. Using space on your hard drive instead of RAM is called 'virtual memory'. Using virtual memory allows your computer to run more simultaneous programs and juggle more information. However the use of virtual memory comes at a cost. Your processor can get and put information into RAM much faster than it can get or put information from the hard drive. Thus, once your computer runs out of RAM and starts using virtual memory, everything will slow down. Generally you want to have enough RAM so that you only need to use virtual memory infrequently.

Are you running lots of programs when you get the virtual memory errors? Or running a program that uses lots of data (such as audio editing)? If the answers are 'no', then do you have current anti-virus software installed and have you recently run an anti-spyware program?

If you aren't running lots of programs at once or using large amounts of data, then erasing your drive and re-installing windows will probably be the easiest way to get your computer running nicely. This is especially true if you are running a version of Windows older than Windows XP.

Ray Minich · From: Bradford, Pa. Frozen Tundra

If "Task Manager" has a list 40 miles long with lots of wierd names that look like junk you're probably a victim of a "drive by download". Also, if you've got a whole lotta little icons in the bottom RHS of your screen then you've gotta lotta processes running. Try killing some of them (like "right click" on 'em & select "exit" where it's offered).

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

Chris, I'm no expert, but you can help us help you by telling us details about your system. If we knew the O.S., processor type, amount of RAM, and the HD size, that might assist us in offering suggestions.

The biggest memory hogs are virtual games, sound files, and hi-res photos or pictures. For most modern computers and operating systems, you really need at least 256 megs of RAM to avoid virtual memory problems.

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