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virtual memory

  • 18-03-2011 08:17PM
    #1
    fryup
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 18,067 ✭✭✭✭


    I'm recently getting a pop up message saying.....your system is running low on virtual memory.

    What is virtual memory? and what can i do to correct this?

    Its an old laptop with win XP service pack 3.

    thanks in advance.


Comments

  • #2
    Capt'n Midnight
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 96,074 Mod ✭✭✭✭Capt'n Midnight


    when all of your RAM is in use and a program wants more memory then Windows use a swapfile on the harddrive as extra memory.

    the file on the harddrive is 100 times as slow as RAM so you will notice your computer getting sluggish.

    solutions are , to reboot (if you only see the vm problem after a while) , increase the size of the swap file , buy more RAM, run less programs or run lighter ones (eg: foxit instead of acrobat reader). Badly written programs have memory leaks and constantly ask for more memory and don't release it back - no real soloution for them other than to restart every so often

    have a look to see what peak memory usage is , run task mamager ( taskman )

    control panel - system - performance , and somewhere in there is the option to increase the swapfile / pagefile


  • #3
    JonathanAnon
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23,718 ✭✭✭✭JonathanAnon


    Can also be indicative of a virus.. What AV are you running?


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