How do I free up my virtual memory

bella · Jun 13, 2005

Hi I recently upgraded my PC from Windows ME to Windows XP Pro.. I also added more ram to it, it was at 128, and i upgraded to 512.
I play a game called Secondlife, and I use Paint Shop Pro and Yahoo. Thats pretty much all I use my PC for.
My problem is that ever since i upgraded the memory, my system tells me that I am low in virtual memory, and i have to reboot ALOT.
Is there anything I can do to fix this problem?

Thanks,
Bella

P.S My pc meets all the requirements to play the game.

DavidGP · Jun 13, 2005

First off double check XPs virtual memory settings

1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
2. Click Performance and Maintenance, and then click System.
3. On the Advanced tab, under Performance, click Settings.
4. On the Advanced tab, under Virtual memory, click Change.
5. Under Drive [Volume Label], click the drive that contains the paging file that you want to change.
6. Under Paging file size for selected drive, click to select the System managed size check box, and then click Set.
7. Click OK three times.

When you are prompted to restart the computer, click Yes.
Click to expand...

make sure its set to system managed size.

also as you have updated to XP... is XP upto date with SP2 and any further updates required?

bigbazza · Jun 13, 2005

What are the pro's and cons for setting virtual memory to "system managed size" versus the "same size maximum and minimum" for a light user.

I don't do intensive CPU work, don't play serious games.

I have just set my Maximum and minimum to 500mbytes, for my P2/400 with 288mb RAM, XP Pro with SP2.

What settings would you recoomend for my system. Bazza

===

Halo said:

make sure its set to system managed size.
QUOTE]
Click to expand...

DavidGP · Jun 13, 2005

Bazza I have mine on a non OS 2nd HD and at a fixed 1gb max/min ( just playing with settings was set to 512/512 ) major plus point is/was less fragmentation as a fixed VM is not shuffling its size around up and down up and down ( getting seasick )! These days with users using GBs of ram the PF is hardly used as in the days of 9x .. I just checked mine after using Photoshop, Office, Interent etc and the PFs only used 260mb ( 512mb ram BTW )

Now with XP and above and the way they handles memory usage it maybe less of a benefit if at all, still couldnt hurt tho.... one thing to try with XP is to set the min to 0 and the max to a size large enough to handle your daily usage.. check your PF usage in performance ( ctrl-alt-del ) and double it, this will by all accounts give you the benefits of a Fixed PF plus scope to enlarge if needed.

Contrary to all the +/- opinions out on the wwwebby and this is my personal view... a fixed pf has lessened fragmentation of my HD, when it was on the OS drive.... now its on a 2nd HD my OS drive hardly fragments at all ( no PF on it ),

I think imho your is set about right.. just check after you have used all your daily used apps the PF usage and set x2 that, I've found thats pretty much an ok setting or try the option in italics.... at the end of the day its what method you feel is right for you and works, I dont have any memory issues or slow apps because of PF size or location.

Not a bad read for you Bazza http://www.petri.co.il/pagefile_optimization.htm

BUT for the purpose of troubleshooting Bella's problem its easy to start with default then see whats going on.

bigbazza · Jun 13, 2005

Halo, thanks for the link. Very informative tutorial.
I have my VM set to 512/512 on another partition on the same hard drive, for the moment. Will run it for a while and see what happens.

I had a permanent swap file on my W98SE drive set at 200/200 and, you are right, I thought that fragmentation was less than with different Max/Mins.
That is the main reason I am trying 512/512 in XP. Bazza

Robert · Jun 14, 2005

Hello Bella
It might be since upgrading to XP that you no longer have enough spare hard drive space left for Xp to flex its muscles and do its thing. My experience with Xp Pro is that it is a very efficient memory manager as long as you have plenty of space for it. Have you gotten rid of all your gunk in the form of tmp files and such like? Suggest you as a first step, do a defrag and after that download and run CrapCleaner (available here at MG).
Just another opinion!
Cheers
Robert

bella · Jun 14, 2005

i didnt update to the sp2 because i heard it interferes with the game i play

DavidGP · Jun 14, 2005

bella said:

i didnt update to the sp2 because i heard it interferes with the game i play
Click to expand...

Fair do's.... have you checked for any updates for the game so it plays ok on SP2? ( just curious )

also did you check that your Virtual Memory setting was as I quoted? also whats the min and max value in the boxes too.

and are you still getting the same messages of low VM?

theefool · Jun 14, 2005

I've read a lot of different articles that explain the perfect optimization of pagefile size. I've read numerous forums on proper pagefile sizes. I've seen some forums that have huge debates on this topic. Some of the debaters are *********, the anandtech ppl, and a few others.

They all contradict with a lot of stuff. If anyone wants links, I can give them.

In the end there are usually different things that people suggest.

Let the system manage it.

1.5 to 2.5 times the amount of ram you have set as min and max.

Monitor your Peak Commit Charge on heavy loads then add your amount of ram.

Turn the page file off, but have at least 2 gigs of memory in the computer.

I could go on....

I personally use 2.5 times the amount of memory, then I monitor my peak commit charge, then lower my size by portions. Then do a few tests with perfmon and then I'm done. But that is just me.

ej25lvr · Jun 14, 2005

recently ive been getting the virtual memory low warning also only when i play ut2004. i followed what halo said to check settings. its set to custom size,initial size 384/max768,then below it says recommended1534/current384. im running xp 2000 sp2. any ideas on how maybe i should set mine so i can play ut2004 for longer than 20 mins without getting the warning? thanks for any thoughts

theefool · Jun 14, 2005

ej25lvr said:

recently ive been getting the virtual memory low warning also only when i play ut2004. i followed what halo said to check settings. its set to custom size,initial size 384/max768,then below it says recommended1534/current384. im running xp 2000 sp2. any ideas on how maybe i should set mine so i can play ut2004 for longer than 20 mins without getting the warning? thanks for any thoughts
Click to expand...

How much memory do you have? With what you give me, I can give you a down and dirty setting to set. Not optimized, mind you, but a good setting to put.

Or just take current amount of memory and multiply by 1.5.

Just a quick note: Service pack 4 is available for windows 2000....

ej25lvr · Jun 14, 2005

i have 1 gig of memory should it be set as custom or managed by system

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How do I free up my virtual memory

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