Virtual Memory

I don't understand anything about, even after reading about it. Looked up in My Computer on how it was set and it shows as per pic below.

It recommends a higher setting than I have now and have read that the virtual memory should be 1.5 times the amount of RAM on the computer. I understand that if I increase the virtual memory that it will take up space in the Hard Drive. My RAM is 2.5 GB. When I chose "System" instead of calculating the minimum and checked out the Windows Defrag window, it told me to defrag the HD and saw a green field that I never saw before. Is that the virtual space that "System" selection put there? I reverted back to custom and chose the initial MB as shown on the pic, checked the Defrag Windows and the "green field" was gone.

If done "custom" in Virtual Memory, how much should the minimum (initial size) be in MB? I've got no clue. :confused Please advise me as how it should be set. Thank you.

BTW: I noticed that the computer ran a bit faster when I tried the "System" button, but don't like to see that I need to defrag the HD even after having defragged it. Oh and yeah, "free space" on my HD is 96%

 

I set the initial and maximum to the same number, and usually use the 1.5 rule as well, and never go over 2 times. Also check to see it is all contiguous, in the same block, and if not (it is split into different sections) set it to zero, restart, and set it again. If you have a slave drive you can add a page file to that as well, although recently I discontinued that practice. Multiple page files won't work on an external or flash drive, as I found out early on when I had no slave to try it on. Seems silly to set it so high if you have a lot of RAM, but then again the Operating System probably needs more as it is more resource hungry. Lots of articles on the subject, the reason I set it as I do (static) is so the system won't have to go through the adjusting of it as needed, and also have the GB's to spare now.

 

With 2.5 GB of RAM it figures to be about to be a lot at 3.75GB= approx 3750 MB? :-o

When I had "system" allocate the virtual memory it showed as being lower at 2570 MB than the recommended 3837 MB. As I wrote in my previous post, the "system" allocated created the "green field" in the Windows Defrag as being the virtual space on the HD and as said before, windows defrag told me to defrag. After I defragged the HD and analyzed again, it told me (again) to defrag the volume.

Will try your suggestion and may come back again if that also creates a "green field" in Windows Defrag as being the virtual space allocated on the HD, cause I don't like virtual memory to take up space in my HD and getting messages to defrag every time even though it doesn't need to be done.

Thanks

 

Okay, I did set the virtual memory in "custom" as 1000 MB minimum and also as the maximum. Went to check the Defag window and it still had a (smaller) green field shown in the HD. This time the Defrag window didn't tell me to defrag the HD.

On both occasions ("system" and "1000 MB") the green field was shown as one contiguous file.

Since I have an external HD and when I make an image of the C Drive, will that green field also be included in the image? Would it in any way affect the quality of the image?

For now I've set it back to the original size and no green field is showing anymore in the Windows Defrag window.

Why would the Windows Defrag window in analyzing mode tell me to defrag if I set it at the recommended MB? Even after defragging the HD?

Thank you.

 

Something I forgot to mention is that when I did set it back as "custom" and as the original sizes of 768 MB and 1536 MB, Windows Defrag window after analyzing it, doesn't prompt me anymore to defrag the HD.

Originally I had only 512 MB RAM (2 sticks) but added 2 GB of additional RAM last year in the 2 additional slots. Perhaps that has something to do with it? :confused

Thank you for any response to my queries.