Low Virtual Memory
"Recently I installed a game on a friend's computer and when we tried playing it, we would get a message saying 'Your system is low on virtual memory.' Can you please help us fix this problem?"
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Feelin' Mighty Low (on Memory)
When all of your computer's real physical memory (RAM) is in use, Windows will try to create virtual memory by grabbing a chunk of hard drive space and treating it like real memory. Your software can't tell the difference between real and virtual memory, but you might because virtual memory access is much slower, due to the hard drive activity it requires.
If you encounter the low virtual memory error message, then you have used the maximum amount of real plus virtual memory that is supported on your system. Sometimes programs that crash or ones that are poorly designed will not return their working memory space to the operating system when they're done using it. Other programs that need a large amount of memory to run may fail because Windows cannot "see" the available memory. In most cases, a shutdown and restart will resolve this problem.
Windows Knows Best
If you still see the dreaded "Your system is low on virtual memory" message then the first thing to do is make sure your computer is configured to allow Windows to automatically manage the virtual memory. In Windows XP, follow these steps:
When you allow Windows to manage your virtual memory, it should make the optimum amount of virtual memory available, by automatically shrinking or enlarging the paging file as needed. If that doesn't solve the low virtual memory problem, there are a few more things you can try.
Eliminate Non-Essential Programs
Over time, we tend to accumulate a bit of clutter on a computer. My article "Making Windows XP Run Faster!" will show you how to keep your system updated, eliminate viruses & spyware, scrub the hard disk of unneeded files, slim down your startup selections, and eliminate unnecessary system services. All of these things will free up resources in your computer, making it run faster and more reliably.
Add RAM to Your System
It might just be the case that your computer needs more real, physical memory. By this I mean RAM sticks that can be purchased in most computer, electronics, or office supply stores. If your PC is more than three years old, chances are it's close to being obsolete -- at least in terms of the ability to run today's resource-hogging software packages. And adding RAM to an older computer is the most effective thing you can do to upgrade it.
To see how much memory you have installed, follow these steps under Windows XP:
On the System Properties window, you'll see the type and speed of your processor (CPU) and the amount of RAM. Note that Windows always seems to report that you have slightly less memory than you actually have. For example, if Windows reports 496 MB of RAM, you actually have 512 MB. (Memory will always be installed in 64 MB increments.)
The more RAM you have, the better your computer will perform. I recommend you have a minimum 256 megabytes (MB) of RAM, but with 512 MB or even a gigabyte of RAM, you'll notice much better performance.
Plan B: Recycle Your Computer
If popping the hood on your old PC sounds like too much trauma, consider buying a new one. Computer prices have dropped a lot over the past few years, and the computing power you get for your money is going up. My How to Buy a Computer article will guide you through the Windows vs. Mac issue, what kind of processor you need, and will give you recommendations on monitors and software.
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Check out other articles in this category:Posted by Bob Rankin on December 28, 2005 02:05 PM
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Most recent comments on "Low Virtual Memory"
(See all 26 comments for this article.)|
Posted by:
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Hi I am getting the virtual memory low message too but it will not let me open any program, properties, my computer absolutly nothing. I believe my computer is at least 5 years old and I have alot of music, programs, kids games, pictures, movies. Is there anything I can do, i do not want to loss everything I put into this computer. EDITOR'S NOTE: Can you start in Safe Mode? Even if you buy a new computer, you can still transfer all your files from the old hard drive to the new one. The "low memory" message does indicate a problem with the hard drive. |
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Posted by:
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1.37 GB RAM is what the windows system information actually says;the toshiba "notebok maximizer" thing says 1408m does this have some bearing on my problem? |
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Hi im running windows xp 512MB of RAM. Had some problems with virtual memory being to low. Tried your Windows Knows Best thing. Computer is back up and running good again thanks. My question is do you think it would be a good idea to buy more memory. I have been doing alot of video editing and it seems to really suck out the memory. And if so how much should I get thanks. EDITOR'S NOTE: Video editing is about the MOST memory hungry activity of all. I'd get as much as your motherboard can hold, to improve performance. 2GB would be a good starting point. |
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I keep getting the low virtual memory message and cannot open any programs....the PC seems to lock up. Is there anything I can do? EDITOR'S NOTE: If you read the article above, YES! If you're not willing to do that, then NO. |
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Posted by:
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Could you please help me. I would like to buy more memory. What kind of information do I need about my computer when I go shopping and how can I get that information. EDITOR'S NOTE: This should help: http://askbobrankin.com/adding_memory.html |
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Posted by:
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i made what you have say but still my computer is very slow... please help of these..... |
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Posted by:
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why are you saying to fix registry problems are completely 100% free on one of your sites when you get on them the want to charge you for the fix-I don't get it why don't you tell where the completely free-free sites are-they don't fix any problems without a registration number which you can't get without paying for it. EDITOR'S NOTE: You're on the wrong page. See http://askbobrankin.com/do_i_need_a_registry_cleaner.html |
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Posted by:
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I have low virtual memory and my computer has been updating or something for about 12 hours now. Apparently it is windows doing something that is set up to do automatically. How long will it take to complete? EDITOR'S NOTE: Maybe a defrag in process? Or downloading XP SP3 on a dialup line? Ouch. |
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Hi I'm having this virtual memory problem also. I have 2 gigs of Ram. My comp is defraged and everything. According to a software program I have, my memory was at like 70 percent free about 10 minutes before it happened. My comp had a virtual memory crisis when opening a program that appears to only use 10,000 Virtual memory. It was processing for about 5 minutes and still going before I decided to manually shut off the computer. That error message did come up in task bar. I'm checking my virtual memory usage through task manager. I can post a screenshot if that would help, but I'm having a hard time finding the memory leak. 1 program does seem to stick out, though. It seems to be using 5,000 k on mem usage but 250,000k on Virtual memory. It seems stuck there though. It's ssu.exe which is a Spysweeper program that keeps my comp clean of spyware, especially when visiting certain sites with bad advertisers. I'm not sure if that's abnormal or not, as I don't see the virtual or regular memory getting bigger, like I think happens with memory leaks? I have also been having trouble with Internet Explorer. I open a few tabs and a tab will get stuck on a blank white page with the name saying it's connecting but nothing is processing. I think it may be linked to the virtual memory problem but not sure. Thanks for the help. |
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Thanks for the site, information on the virtual memory has proved quite useful. |
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