Virtual Memory

[tim]

Smething seems to have slowed my PC down - keep getting low virtual memory messages. Haven't added anything new to it in the last few months and this has been happening for only a couple of weeks.

Any pointers or help please. I'm no techie so be gentle with long words.

Cheers

 

[RogerS]

Virus? Trojan?

Possibly your Page File (ie where the virtual memory is stored on your hard disk) is getting fragmented..not easy to fix IIRC unless you use something like Perfect Disk (which costs money).

Disk fragmentation?

How much memory do you have and how much space allocated to your Virtual Memory. Seem to remember that the ratio between the two is important vis a vis poerformance and so if your VM setting has got changed/altered then that might explain it?

How much spare space have you got on your hard drive?

Empty the Recycle Bin ?

Huge amounts of IE cache and temporay internet files hogging up your disk which means that the Page File is having to work VERY HARD as its' now scattered to the four winds.

You don't have this problem with the Mac OSX (sorry...couldn't resist that one :wink: )

 

[Anonymous]

Tim

Not sure if you know this but virtual memory is actually hard disk space and used to be called a swap file. In windows, there is an option to manually allocate virtual memory space or to allow Windows to manage it for you.

You can check these settings from the control panel by clicking system>advanced>settings>advanced.

Assuming that the swap file is managed by Windows which is the default and dynamically sizes the swap file size, I would suggets that you have insufficient space on the C drive (swap file usually at C:\).

You can delete temporary files from C:\documents and settings\your name\local settings\temp and empty the windows explorer cache from within IE (Tools>internet options> delete files)

Also, you might find some stuff in C:\Windows\Temp , these can be deleted.

Empty the recycle bin.

Have you got loads of stuff stored on the desktop? This is actually part of the C:\ drive too and maybe these things could be stored on another drive?

You can also move the swap file to another drive with more space on it in control panel>system


Roger, so Mac OX does not use virtual memory? Must have a lot of RAM in there then

 

[RogerS]

Tim

You can also move the swap file to another drive with more space on it in control panel>system

Sure does...I stuck in a spare drive in my PC and stuck the swap file on that. Much better performance!

Roger, so Mac OX does not use virtual memory? Must have a lot of RAM in there then

How about 2Gb? Enough? No...OK..well, the Mac does use VM but in all the reading that I've done UNIX manages file space in a far superior way to Windoze (UNIX doesn't need the backward compatibility baggage required by Windoze might explain it) and that the disk does not need defragging...indeed, most UNIX gurus recommend against defragging IIRC

 

[tim]

Thanks guys.

I had already done most of the things you both suggested.

Where do I find the swap file? Can see it on Sequoia view in C:\ but not visible when I look there - even though system and hidden files are visible. It would make sense to move it to my removeable hard drive but I don't see how if I can't get hold of it

Free space = 10Gb

BTW there are two user profiles on the PC - mine and my wife's. Her's is 7.45mb, mine is 1.1Gb. Can't find where details of this is stored but I imagine that this might be partly to blame.

edit: having deleted some temp files, my profile is now 3.43Gb - what's going on

 

[Chris Knight]

Tim,

Your free space is very low by today's standards - how big is your disk?
Here's how to adjust page file size (It used to be called a swap file in windows 95/98/ME but in XP is called a page file).


1. Enter the Control Panel
2. Open the System icon
3. Click on the Advanced tab
4. Click on the Performance Settings button
5. Click on the Advanced tab here as well
6. In the Virtual memory section click on the change button
7. In the window highlight your system drive (if you have more than one). This will be the one that shows a current Paging file size range.
8. Make note of the recommended and Currently allocated values in the area just above the OK button.
9. In the middle of the Window select Custom Size.
10. Set the initial size to the noted Recommended value
11. Set the Maximum size to double that amount
12. Click on the Set button
13. Click the OK button
14. Make note of the value shown for Total Paging file size for all drives. It should now show the initial size value that you set in step 10. If not repeat from step 6.
15. If the value is correct click apply then ok.
16. Click OK again.
17. Reboot your computer and off you go.


If you have plenty of RAM you can reduce page file size - I have 1.5 GB Ram and a page file of the same size.

 

[tim]

Chris

Disk is 55Gb.

Have done all you suggested - not sure if its any faster. Can anyone tell me whether have a profile size of 3GB is a problem and how I can tell what that is made up from.

Cheers

Tim

 

[RogerS]

Tim

When you say profile are you looking at the various users and seeing 3Gb allocated to your user name? If so then that will be reflecting all your documents, programmes whatever that you have 'assigned' to your user..so the size is variable and depends on what you are storing.

If you are feeling strong, do a CTRL-ALT-DEL and call up Windows Task Manager. That will then open into a tabbed window, click on the column marked CPU which will order all the various processes on your PC according to how much CPU time they are using. If you are doing nothing else then System Idle should be consuming around 90-95%. If there is another process hogging resources then let us know what it is.

Then take a look at Memory Usage and see if there is any program consuming huge amounts of memory.

A quick check on experts exchange suggests increasing the paging file...also as Chris suggested.

 

[Chris Knight]

Tim,
Your disk is effectively full in terms of its ability to operate smoothly. Defragmenting and other housekeeping tasks that go on in the background consume disk space on a temporary basis. I suspect you are simply getting interference between calls to the disk by programs, operating system etc. and stuff is being swapped in and out of memory unnecessarily.

I suggest you buy a new disk and install it. If your machine has room for another internal disk put the new one in the case. Otherwise get an external disk. Either way, they cost relatively little for a lot of storage space. If you do this, you can move all your documents etc to the new disk, this freeing up space on the old disk for the operating system to flex its muscles.

BTW when did you last empty the recycle bin and how much space have you got allocated for it? Also System Restore consumes a lot of space if left unchecked.

A final thought, you need another disk to backup your present one - they all get hosed sooner or later!

 

[RogerS]

Tim

If you have a firewire port on your laptop then I can bring over an external drive for you to backup to if you like. Or you can bring your laptop (?) over to me. I'm around this Easter

Roger

 

[tim]

Thanks guys -esp Roger - sorry I didn't answer the phone, in the middle of a glue up, always the way.

It does seem better now and there is nothing huge hogging the resources ie its running between 85 and 95% system idle.

I do have another (external) drive which is my back up drive and also has my music on etc - 165Gb but thats getting full as well now. Maybe I should add another?

Cheers

Tim