Random access memory (RAM) is an integral part of any computer that allows the processor to access temporary files used by programs quickly. Sometimes your PC runs out of available memory when you want to open too many resource-intensive applications or programs. So the virtual memory feature allows Windows to manage and easily run them when your PC is running low on available memory.
While the feature is enabled by default, you can take over and manually configure the amount of virtual memory available on your Windows PC. That will help you manage enough space for resource-intensive applications without causing any memory-related errors. Read along as we explain everything about virtual memory, followed by the steps to configure memory on your Windows 11 PC.
What is virtual memory in Windows 11?
When your PC runs out of available memory, it becomes sluggish or unresponsive. To address such situations, Windows includes a feature called virtual memory. It allows Windows to temporarily offload some tasks from RAM to its storage drives to act as a swap file or page file partition. That frees up space to run more tasks and programs.
The page file created by virtual memory may be slower than the RAM on your PC, Windows will intelligently prioritize the tasks held on RAM and move others to the page file. That makes more room for memory that demanding programs on your PC can use.
When to increase virtual memory
Virtual memory is not a substitute for physical memory. However, this feature is useful for short bursts of performance to run more programs on your PC. This feature is useful when your computer has limited memory and many applications are already running in the background.
The performance you can get from the virtual memory boost also depends on whether your PC has capable hardware – HDDs with more cache or high-speed SSDs (Solid State Drives). ) has enough storage space. Using a high-speed SSD versus a mechanical hard drive (Hard Disk Drive) ensures optimal performance from increased virtual memory on your Windows 11 PC.
We recommend SSDs as they are much more reliable as they don’t have any moving parts compared to hard drives. In addition, they provide faster read and write speeds to make virtual memory work faster.
How to increase virtual memory in Windows 11
Increasing the virtual memory on your PC is a bit complicated. You need to take some additional steps to configure and increase the amount of virtual memory on Windows, as detailed below:
Step 1: Press the Windows + I key combination to open the Settings application.
Step 2: When the Settings app opens, scroll down and click About.
Step 3: In the Device Specifications section on the About page, click Advanced system settings.
Step 4: In the System Properties dialog box, select the Advanced tab. Then click the Settings button in the Performance section.
Step 5: When the Performance Options dialog box appears, click the Advanced tab again.
Step 6: Click the Change button in the Virtual Memory section.
Step 7: When the Virtual Memory window appears on the screen, uncheck the ‘Automatically manage paging file sizes for all drives’ option by clicking the checkbox.
Step 8: Click the Custom size option and specify the amount of disk storage you want to allocate to virtual memory by entering values in the Initial Size and Maximum Size text boxes. Then click Set to save the changes.
The Initial and Maximum sizes correspond to the minimum and maximum amount of storage that you can use as virtual memory as a swap file.
You can find the original size by multiplying your PC’s RAM in MB by 1.5 times. Also you can find Maximum Size by multiplying your current RAM in MB by 3 times.
For example, if your PC has 8GB or 8 x 1024 = 8192MB (Installed RAM x 1GB in MB) RAM. Then the initial size should be 8192MB x 1.5 = 12288MB. Also, the maximum size should be 8192MB x 3 = 24576MB.
Step 9: After changing the Virtual Memory option, click OK to close the window.
Improve your PC performance by allocating more virtual memory
Virtual memory is a useful feature to temporarily allocate more available memory for a particular program. It is useful when you install limited physical memory on your computer. While it’s useful, make sure you calculate it carefully and specify the appropriate ratio
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Source: thpttranhungdao.edu.vn/en/
