Virtual memory

  • Thread starter Thread starter ROBERT GEISLER
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ROBERT GEISLER

I use my comp for web browsing, and a little WORD or EXCEL. Nothing very
demanding. PC has 768 mb of RAM.

Windows periodically pops up a balloon form the systems tray telling me that
it is expanding virtual memory. What is going on? Can I do anything to
expand virtual memory on my own.
In MY COMPUTER properties, VM is set to 384MB.

Can anyone suggest a solution?

Thanks

Bob
 
ROBERT GEISLER said:
I use my comp for web browsing, and a little WORD or EXCEL. Nothing very
demanding. PC has 768 mb of RAM.

Windows periodically pops up a balloon form the systems tray telling me
that it is expanding virtual memory. What is going on? Can I do anything
to expand virtual memory on my own.
In MY COMPUTER properties, VM is set to 384MB.

Can anyone suggest a solution?
The message means that the system is expanding the size of the pagefile
because it is too small.
Let the system manage the pagefile size (i.e. remove the limitation of
384MB, instead select "let the system manage the pagefile size").
Jim
 
Dixonian69 said:
is that a joke??

xbox 360?

Andrew is, at best, a joke. But most of the time he is just a
p.i.t.a. providing answers that are either incorrect, irrelevant, or
both.

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
 
Thanks for the help Seems to have done the trick.. Amazing how simple it
is when you know what you are doing.

Bob
 
molov127 said:
Yeah, these are all mistakes...besides letting windows xp manage your
page file. The page file is a mix between RAM and virtual memory so
your page file should be higher than your RAM, logical....



No, this isn't correct. The page file is *not* "a mix between RAM and
virtual memory." The page file is disk space that WIndows uses to
substitute for real memory (RAM) when there isn't enough.

The Windows definition of "virtual memory" is the sum of RAM and the page
file.

How big should the page file be? That depends on how much RAM you have and
what apps you run, but in general, since the page file is used to substitute
for RAM when there isn't enough, the more RAM you have the less page file
you need.

Read the excellent article :Virtual Memory in Windows XP" by the late MVP
Alex Nichol here: http://www.aumha.org/win5/a/xpvm.htm
 
Yeah, these are all mistakes...besides letting windows xp manage your
page file. The page file is a mix between RAM and virtual memory so
your page file should be higher than your RAM, logical....
I have a guide if you want to take the time to read it, otherwise, skip
to the bottom.

NOTE:If you are advanced and have unique tweaks of your own, you may
want to reconsider....
If you are having problems with performance in runescape and get lag,
it isnt that you have too many programs installed and not enough hard
drive space, its that your virtual memory paging file is too low to
support your programs, or too many programs are running. Heres a good
way to fix it.
Open up task manager while your playing. Check how much memory
runescape client or your browser with runescape in it is using. Can
your virtual memory accomodate this? If so then check how much memory
other programs are using. Usually scanners and etc will use up memory
and slow down runescape. Wait till they are done or shut them down to
speed up runescape/other programs.
If you dont know how to check your virtualy memory, then do this.
Right click on my computer - whether it be in start menu or on the
desktop
select properties
under the general tab check how much ram you have - this is not your
virtual memory!
now keep this number in mind
go to the advanced tab
in the performance field, click settings.
at the bottom, check how much virtual memory pagefile size you have
Does your virtual memory accomodate the memory needed by runescape
well?
If it doesnt, you may have some settings wrong.
subtract your RAM amount from 2048
So if you had 256 RAM...youd get 1792
General Page File Usage minus Random Access Memory equals page file
size
GPFU-RAM=PFS
2048-512=1536
2048-768=1280
2048-1024=1024
Now keep the number you get in mind.
Click 'change' beside the number of virtual memory you have in the My
Computer Properties window
Click No Paging File and click set. CLick ok and restart your computer.
This resets your paging file and sets it closer to the front of the
drive for faster access and prevention of fragmentation.
Now go in to the same place in my computer properties,
right click mycomputer
select properties
select advanced tab
select settings in performance field
select change by my virtual paging file size
Now, select custom and put in the number you got from above
(subtract your RAM amount from 2048)
in the initial and maximum size boxes. Click set and your set.
You should notice smoother performance and etc.
If you get a negative result, set the page file you had before.
When all said and done, runescape has more space to work in, exploiting
the flexibility.
Now, if there is no noticable change, buy some more ram or get a new
computer with a faster processor and better motherboard!
P.S. I used the number 2048 because thats the most general number you
can come up with when comparing and setting your page file (which is a
combo of your RAM and system or OS virtual memory)

URGENT UPDATE!

Users with 1024 (1 gig) of ram or lower:
The amount of RAM you have should be your initial page file size, the
number you get from the above info should be your maximum.
Users with over 1024 ram:
Use the number you get above as your initial page file size.
Multiply your current RAM by 1.5-2.5 for your maximum page file size.
The multiple depends on whether you have a fast user switching based
system.

For you bob, id use these current settings, (which are also mine.)

Initial page file size: 768
Maximum page file size: 1152-1280 (Although windows suggests 1147 for
me)
 
No, this isn't correct. The page file is *not* "a mix between RAM and
virtual memory." The page file is disk space that WIndows uses to
substitute for real memory (RAM) when there isn't enough.

A page file is also created and used even when you have enough real
memory (RAM).
 
Plato said:
A page file is also created and used even when you have enough real
memory (RAM).


Allocations can be made, and often are, to the page file when there's enough
RAM, but the allocations aren't used when RAM is available.
 
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