Virtual Memory

The computer keeps saying I'm low on virtual memory. Can I fix this? I dont need defragmenting & I didnt have much to clean up either.

Virtual memory is used to store data such as pictures as an example you open that can't be stored in the physical memory because there isn't enough. For example and for arguments sake let's say you have 10mb of physical memory and open an image that is 12mb. If left to the physical memory you wouldn't be able to open it, so instead windows will write the excess data to disc in a temporary file. This is not ideal since it's very slow, there is no alternative though.

Unless your dealing with very large files and/or have many things open at once you shouldn't be getting that error. You can increase it by going to start>control panel>system>advanced>performance settings>Advanced (again) and clickc the change button at the bottom under Virtual Memory. Increase the amount that is listed.

Do you have a lot of programs open when you get this error? How much RAM do you have? Anyone else logged onto the computer with programs running?

It says I have 640mb but I thouhgt I had only 32. Maybe at a guess I increased it w/an addition card I installed last year, may have given me 64? I didnt have more than usual running- maybe 2 IE & my AIm crap. Spyhunteer scanning. Since my last puter meltdown I'm the only one that logs on so no other applications from another user. I've been having email problems so I wonder if I have a bug shitting around in here. McAfee & Avg say nay though. Windows automatically increased my memory size to account for my low virtual memory. I did download about 5 views of the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti into my pics. Along w/1 or 2 others. Could that be it? I'll have to find my current system info & have a look see?

I believed my slow computer was a result of being consistently low on virtual memory but I did increase it w/no change in time to pull up my pages. It has gotten much worse. Support is only confusing me into a deeper hole of despair. Any more suggestions?
They say: Try to avoid having a pagefile on the same drive as the system files. Avoid putting a pagefile on a fault-tolerant drive, such as a mirrored volume or a RAID-5 volume. Pagefiles do not need fault-tolerance, and some fault-tolerant systems are slow because they write data to multiple locations. Do not place multiple pagefiles on different partitions on the same physical disk drive.
My brain cannot comprehend this *censored*.
Multiple drives? What's that mean? I thought C was it. Just one? Do I have more w/an additional memory card & where do I find it? I added another memory card last year but what I don't know is is that another separate file area to place documents/files, etc?
A page file is what? Like 'My pictures' or 'My Music' under 'My documents' or what Im saving in it? I have a lot in my pictures, if I split it up into another file also under 'My Documents' would that make a difference? Or do I HAVETO save it to 'removable' disk?
I don't recall creating a mirrored volume. I don't think I have a RAID either. I can't check into my fav sites w/o using up an entire evening so if anyone has any suggestions, I'll do anything to fix this. I even considered way way expensive satelite DSL from a new co that thinks they can provide it here. But that doesn't fix my problem. The puter is slow for a reason. It really sucks when it takes minutes for each & every page to load each time.

Bunkyhead wrote:They say: Try to avoid having a pagefile on the same drive as the system files. Avoid putting a pagefile on a fault-tolerant drive, such as a mirrored volume or a RAID-5 volume. Pagefiles do not need fault-tolerance, and some fault-tolerant systems are slow because they write data to multiple locations. Do not place multiple pagefiles on different partitions on the same physical disk drive.

None of that applies to you unless you have two or more harddrivesor you have partitioned your single drive, I'll assume you don't and I know you didn't partition your drive.

Let's start form the beginning.....

Do this first, restart your computer and logon to your desktop..... hit and hold ctrl-alt-delete. This will open up windows task manager.

Click the applications tab, there should be none running.

Look at the very bottom and note the amount of processes, at this point it should be around 35 to 40.

Note the CPU usage, that should 0. It may jump a few percent here and there but for the most part it should remain at 0. Note that if you have a security software that runs a check at startup it may be higher if it's running at the moment.

Click the performance tab and note what it says under physical memory?

Let me know what each of those are.

Under Applications: nothing
Amt of processes: 45
CPU usage: jumps around from 0-2-4-5-7-10% mostly around 2 & 4%
Same w/physical memory- jumps around these figures:
Total-653312
Available-aorund 396664 & 396776 or so
System Cache- around 233480 & 233456 or so

how do you know I didn't partition my hard drive, eh?

Bunkyhead wrote:Under Applications: nothing
Amt of processes: 45

Although not a huge amount that can definitley be reduced. Processes are the background programs runnning. Some are neccesary to be always running others are optional. Just for example some of those processes would be for you anti-virus which you do want running. Others may be for your printer, do you really need to know how much ink you have 24/7.

Start down by the clock where the icons are, if there's a icon there most likely it's running in the background. Whatever you don't need constantly running see if there's a preferences menu and look for a option to run at startup. Uncheck it if there is, by disabling many of these you reduce the amount of overhead you are using for physical memory.

CPU usage: jumps around from 0-2-4-5-7-10% mostly around 2 & 4%
Same w/physical memory- jumps around these figures:
Total-653312
Available-aorund 396664 & 396776 or so
System Cache- around 233480 & 233456 or so

Just like the processes that is average. The most important thing is that you have plenty of physical memory available.

Sounds to me like you have a virus, system, or other issue. Is it just when your on the internet that it slows down or all the time?

What you can do is when it slows down is open up the task manager and see what is using your resorces. If you click the processes tb it will tell you what is utilizing the CPU, the same for your ram... see if it get significantly reduced.

how do you know I didn't partition my hard drive, eh?

Because your a Bunkyhead that's why.

NEPAForum Admin wrote:Sounds to me like you have a virus, system, or other issue. Is it just when your on the internet that it slows down or all the time? Always on line because if Im here I'm online
What you can do is when it slows down is open up the task manager and see what is using your resorces. If you click the processes tb it will tell you what is utilizing the CPU, the same for your ram... see if it get significantly reduced. I'll have to work on it tomorrow, thx loads

how do you know I didn't partition my hard drive, eh?

Because your a Bunkyhead that's why.

You got me there! [/quote]

What I meant was if your not connected to the internet does your computer work OK. Is it just that the pages load very slow once you connect to the internet?

Do you still get the virtual memory error? As I mentioned above you have plenty of physical memory available at startup. If you connect directly to the internet once you start up your computer you should not be having any troubles as far as memory goes.

I'll tell ya one thing, this site loads much quicker than the other. I saved a pic of whats running in task manager for later retrieval. I don't know what the hell the things running are & when I try to stop them I get a warning so I quit there for now. I haven't gotten the virtual memory error in about a week, but it's about the time when it shows up. The only problem I [i]seem to have[/i] is when I am connected to the internet. I can bring up pages from file w/no problem even when I'm connected. It's the pages on the net that are a slow go. It's killing me. I'm addicted to the sites but it takes too long to be there since I had this problem. I need to clean my house, my dog needs a bath, & I have to color. I guess I'll just have to be logged on all day & just come back periodically to click to the next & walk away til it loads. Norton is what you'd recommend? I still have McAfee but I do believe my script has run out. I use Avg, Spyhunter, Adaware & Mcafee but I guess I need to splurge on the anti virus kings I guess! Thx again for your help Mr Broadband!

Bunkyhead wrote: I use Avg, Spyhunter, Adaware & Mcafee but I guess I need to splurge on the anti virus kings I guess! Thx again for your help Mr Broadband!

I never recommended Norton, I use AVG, it works fine. BTW, if you have both McaFee and AVG running at the same time there's a good chance that is what the problem is. You should have only one virus scanner running....

When you say slow, how slow, on dial-up it a page like this could take as long as 10 seconds or more.

This site is quicker because there is a whole lot less than what is avaialble on the "other".

I never recommended Norton
(sorry, it was my cousin, I forgot you gave me info on the spyware dwnlds?)
I use AVG, it works fine.
Do you think the free version is good enouhg?
BTW, if you have both McaFee and AVG running at the same time there's a good chance that is what the problem is. You should have only one virus scanner running....
I don't open them to do a scan simultaneously, but Avg is always visible onscreen for email scan AutoPOP3
When you say slow, how slow, on dial-up it a page like this could take as long as 10 seconds or more.
109 mississippi's slow

Bunkyhead wrote:Do you think the free version is good enouhg?

Probably as goos as any, if your running older versions of a pay for program that you no longer update with out a doubt it is better.

I don't open them to do a scan simultaneously, but Avg is always visible onscreen for email scan AutoPOP3

Maybe but if they are both installed both will be running in the background. It is almost inevitable that they will have a conflict. Uninstall one of them.

You wouldn't happen to have a firewall running that came with McaFee would you?

NEPAForum Admin wrote:You wouldn't happen to have a firewall running that came with McaFee would you?

Nope, I was too cheap, just got virus scan for the basics.
So what you are saying is Avg free (updated weekly version) is better than McAfee outdated version, ok? So should I uninstal McAfee until I resubscribe to it? & Then uninstall Avg? I do watch when the Adaware snags the Spyware as bugs but I didnt expect it w/these two. My email seems to be better (but it may be my imagination) since I disabled McAfee email scanner & let the Avg do the job itself. But..the loading of the pages is still slow. I'll keep trying til something works. I can't take the upload speeds. It's like driving a moped when I had a 200 Hp Gt. Although a 500Hp V12 would be the best, I will make do JUST fine w/anything other than a moped. Ya know!