How can I increase Virtual Memory?

[Robert Montgomery]

How can I increase Virtual Memory?

I went to Search and typed "Virtual Memory" but nothing appeared.

The computer is so slow now.

Robert

 

[Rey Santos]

“Your system is low on virtual memory†error message when you try to start an
Office program
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/826513

 

[Gerry]

Robert

What is the CPU and how much RAM does your computer have? Right click on
the My Computer icon on your Desktop and select Properties to get this
information.

Try Ctrl+Alt+Delete to select Task Manager and click the Performance
Tab. Under Commit Charge what is the Total, the Limit and the Peak?

I would be interested in seeing a Disk Defragmenter report . Open Disk
Defragmenter and click on Analyse. Select View Report and click on Save
As and Save. Now find VolumeD.txt in your My Documents Folder and post a
copy. Do this before running Disk Defragmenter as it is more
informative.

Something to do which will improve performance.

Select Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Disk CleanUp to
Empty your Recycle Bin and Remove Temporary Internet Files. Also
select Start, All Programs, accessories, System Tools, Disk CleanUp,
More Options, System Restore and remove all but the latest System
Restore point. Run Disk Defragmenter.


--



Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Big D]

I would be interested in seeing a Disk Defragmenter report . Open Disk
Defragmenter and click on Analyse. Select View Report and click on Save
As and Save. Now find VolumeD.txt in your My Documents Folder and post a
copy. Do this before running Disk Defragmenter as it is more
informative.

He posts this even if you're having modem problems <sigh>

 

[Gerry]

Big D

Modem? Virtual memory!

Rey has answered the direct question. However, you need to look to the
problem which brought the question. That's the way problems get solved.


--



Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[db.·.. >]

go to www.microsoft.com
and enter in the search:

How can I increase Virtual Memory

--

db·´¯`·...¸><)))º>
DatabaseBen, Retired Professional
- Systems Analyst
- Database Developer
- Accountancy
- Veteran of the Armed Forces

 

[Kelen]

First I'd go ahead and Disk Clean Up and Defrag your drive.
Second "Virtual Memory" is the pagefile , you can increase the size by going
into system properties and performance.

Note that you can only increase to 4096MB , be sure to click set apply and
ok along the way out of the windows.

Upgrading or getting more RAM would be better then using a larger pagefile,
you computer will thank you!

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

How can I increase Virtual Memory?

I went to Search and typed "Virtual Memory" but nothing appeared.

The computer is so slow now.

Increasing virtual memory will not make the computer faster.

Instead of assuming that that's the answer to your problem, you should
find out what's made the computer slow. Please answer the following
questions:

1. Has it always been slow or is this a recent occurrence? If it's
recent, when did it happen?

2. What did you do or change just before it got slow? Change or add
hardware? Install new software?

3. What anti-virus and anti-spyware software do you run? Do you keep
it all up to date?

4. What programs do you have starting automatically when you boot? Has
that list changed?

 

[db.·.. >]

hmm? not so fast.

if the computer is burdened
by low virtual memory, then
it's performance is also
impeded and can even
stall, i.e. zero performance.

thus, a properly set v.m.
can make the computer
faster if it's performance
is hindered by an improperly
set v.m.

--

db·´¯`·...¸><)))º>
DatabaseBen, Retired Professional
- Systems Analyst
- Database Developer
- Accountancy
- Veteran of the Armed Forces

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

hmm? not so fast.

if the computer is burdened
by low virtual memory, then
it's performance is also
impeded and can even
stall, i.e. zero performance.

thus, a properly set v.m.
can make the computer
faster if it's performance
is hindered by an improperly
set v.m.

Not correct. If there isn't enough virtual memory to run a particular
program, then that program can't run at all.

 

[db.·.. >]

that is a true statement.

further, if that program does
not run correctly or stalls,
then that dysfunctional
software has the propensity
to destabilize windows and
its performance.

--

db·´¯`·...¸><)))º>
DatabaseBen, Retired Professional
- Systems Analyst
- Database Developer
- Accountancy
- Veteran of the Armed Forces

 

[John John (MVP)]

I guess it's probably no use mentioning anything about NT's process
isolation, it takes more than dysfunctional software to destabilize
Windows NT operating systems. You are no longer in Windows 9x,
Dorothy...

John

 

[Robert Montgomery]

Robert

What is the CPU and how much RAM does your computer have? Right click on
the My Computer icon on your Desktop and select Properties to get this
information.

Try Ctrl+Alt+Delete to select Task Manager and click the Performance
Tab. Under Commit Charge what is the Total, the Limit and the Peak?

I would be interested in seeing a Disk Defragmenter report . Open Disk
Defragmenter and click on Analyse. Select View Report and click on Save
As and Save. Now find VolumeD.txt in your My Documents Folder and post a
copy. Do this before running Disk Defragmenter as it is more
informative.

Something to do which will improve performance.

Select Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Disk CleanUp to
Empty your Recycle Bin and Remove Temporary Internet Files. Also
select Start, All Programs, accessories, System Tools, Disk CleanUp,
More Options, System Restore and remove all but the latest System
Restore point. Run Disk Defragmenter.


Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~

Thanks, Gerry.

The CPU is an AMD Duron Processor. The speed is 1.19 Ghz. There are 248
megs of RAM.

Total is 831444.
Limit is 854268.
Peak is 849148.

Disk Fragmenter recommended defragmenting, so I'm doing that now.
I forgot to look for "VolumeD.txt before defragmenting.

In the System Tools folder, all there is is a shortcut for Internet
Explorer, so I wasn't able to run Disk Cleanup.

 

[Robert Montgomery]

Increasing virtual memory will not make the computer faster.

Instead of assuming that that's the answer to your problem, you should
find out what's made the computer slow. Please answer the following
questions:

1. Has it always been slow or is this a recent occurrence? If it's
recent, when did it happen?

2. What did you do or change just before it got slow? Change or add
hardware? Install new software?

3. What anti-virus and anti-spyware software do you run? Do you keep
it all up to date?

4. What programs do you have starting automatically when you boot? Has
that list changed?

The computer slowed after I installed a security package. The security
package is set to automatically download updates daily from the ISP.

The speed of the computer increased again after I deactivated the virus
protection segment of the security package, but I reinstated the virus
protection because it's important.


I'm frequently getting a message saying that Virtual Memeory is low, and
that Windows will increase the Virtual Memory automatically to compensate.

I saw somewhere in Properties that Windows is set to adjust Virtual
Memory automatically for the programs.

Robert

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

The computer slowed after I installed a security package. The security
package is set to automatically download updates daily from the ISP.

The speed of the computer increased again after I deactivated the virus
protection segment of the security package, but I reinstated the virus
protection because it's important.

OK, thanks. That's much clearer now.

What security package is it? Some of them are terrible performers, and
typically slow down the system. Many of those don't do a good job of
providing security either. Yes, virus protection is important, but
some of the anti-virus programs are very poor at providing it.

 

[Gerry]

Robert

What is your computer make and model?

You need to increase the RAM installed if you want to see reasonable
performance.

How old is the computer?

You should be able to gather more information from Task Manager. With
the Processes tab open select View, Select, Columns and check the boxes
before Peak Memory Usage and Virtual Memory size. What are the figures
for the 6 processes using the largest amounts?

--



Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Robert Montgomery]

Robert

What is your computer make and model?

You need to increase the RAM installed if you want to see reasonable
performance.

How old is the computer?

You should be able to gather more information from Task Manager. With
the Processes tab open select View, Select, Columns and check the boxes
before Peak Memory Usage and Virtual Memory size. What are the figures
for the 6 processes using the largest amounts?

The front of the computer says "LG" and "52X Max". The computer is
several years old. I don't know exactly how old.


My Docments folder doesn't contain a file called "volumed.txt". There
are several folders in the Documents folder, but none of them go by that
name.


Peak Memory is about:

127,000
70,000
42,000
34,000
23,000
21,000

Virtual Memory is about:

136,000
86,000
32,000
40,000
16,000
17,000


Robert

 

[Robert Montgomery]

OK, thanks. That's much clearer now.

What security package is it?

It's Shaw Secure. (http://shawsecure.ca//)

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

It's Shaw Secure. (http://shawsecure.ca//)

Sorry, I don't know anything about it, and can't comment on it
directly. But it's not one of the names that I would consider to be a
good choice.

 

[Gerry]

Robert

"LG" and "52X Max". That sounds like the name of your CD Drive not your
computer.

Open Disk Defragmenter and click on Analyse. Select View Report and
click on Save As and Save. Now find VolumeC.txt in your My Documents
Folder and post a copy. Do this before running Disk Defragmenter as it
is more informative.

Earlier I said VolumeD.txt but it will be VolumeC.txt if you are
producing a report on your C drive.

You should be able to gather more information from Task Manager. With
the Processes tab open select View, Select, Columns and check the boxes
before Peak Memory Usage and Virtual Memory size. What are the figures
for the 6 processes using the largest amounts?

You need to provide the image names and the figures so that I can see
which use the most memory on your computer.

--



Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~