Virtual Memory?
Answers:
Virtual memory is data stored on the harddrive in a special file called the pagefile. It's not as slow as most people think. It is stored contiguously and has special interrupt priority when called by the memory manager. Data in the pagefile is data that is frequently recalled by the OS or applications and has already been read and compiled by the CPU. When it is recalled, it executes immediately.
The amount of VM in the system is 1.5 times the amount of physical RAM. If you have 512Mb RAM, you VM should be 768Mb. Setting it manually will perform better than system managed. Right click on my computer and select properties. On the advance tab, click on the VM setting, set the minimum and maximum to the same amount. This eliminates the system stopping and allocating more from a smaller minimum each time it needs it. another performance opportunity is if you have a second hard drive is to put the pagefile on it. If you do have a second drive and do this, also create a small (64Mb) pagefile in the root directory of the OS drive (C:\) for the system to use.
Right click on "My Computer", click Properties.
A window should show, click the "advanced" tab. In the performance section click "settings".
Another window should show. click advanced, and Click "change" where it says "virtual memory".
(recommend system chooses size)
Assuming you're on Windows XP...
Right-click My Computer
Choose Properties
Go the Advanced tab
Click the first Settings button (in the Performance section)
Go the Advanced tab
Under the Virtual Memory section, click Change
Either change the maximum size of an existing page file, or create a new one. I can't remember if you need to reboot or not (if you do, it will tell you).
Virtual memory (page file) sits on the hard-drive so there are two things to remember:
1. It is much slower than RAM
2. It reduces the amount of hard-drive space available for storing data.
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