How To: Change the Operating System's Virtual Memory Settings (2024)

FAQs

How To: Change the Operating System's Virtual Memory Settings? ›

Click Start > Settings > Control Panel. Double-click the System icon. In the System Properties dialog box, click the Advanced tab and click Performance Options. In the Performance Options dialog, under Virtual memory, click Change.

Click Start > All Programs > Control Panel > System > Advanced > Performance > Settings > Advanced > Virtual Memory.

However, with advancements in technology and more efficient operating systems, this rule is not as rigid as it once was. For a system with 16GB RAM, setting the virtual memory between 24GB to 32GB is a good starting point, but adjustments might be needed based on specific use cases.

To reset virtual memory in Windows 10, go to the Control Panel, select System and Security, then select System. Go to Advanced System Settings, then select Performance Settings. Under the Advanced tab, select Change and then adjust the virtual memory size. Once the changes have been made, select Set and then OK.

Allocating too little HDD space for virtual memory can result in a computer running out of RAM. If a system continually needs more virtual memory space, it may be wise to consider adding RAM. Common OSes may generally recommend users not increase virtual memory beyond 1 ½ times the amount of RAM.

Microsoft recommends that you set virtual memory to be no less than 1.5 times and no more than 3 times the amount of RAM on your computer.

Summary: Low virtual memory on a Windows PC is caused due to insufficient RAM or low paging file value. You can fix the issue by simply disabling multiple apps running simultaneously or increasing the virtual memory limits. Read this blog for a list of methods to resolve the low virtual memory issue on your Windows PC.

To start Performance Monitor, click Start, click Control Panel, click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Performance Monitor. Here is a summary of some important counters and what they tell you: Memory, Committed Bytes: This counter is a measure of the demand for virtual memory.

What is the purpose of virtual memory settings? ›

Virtual memory enables data that is in RAM and not currently being used to be transferred to the hard disk. This frees up room in RAM for other programs and data. When the data on the hard disk is needed again, any other unused data is transferred to the hard disk before the original data is transferred back to RAM.

As a rule of thumb, the paging file should be a minimum of 1.5 times the size of your installed RAM, and a maximum of 3 times your RAM size. For example, if you have 8 GB RAM, your minumum would be 1024 x 8 x 1.5 = 12,288 MB, and your maximum would be 1024 x 8 x 3 = 24,576 MB.

Click Start > Settings > Control Panel. Double-click the System icon. In the System Properties dialog box, click the Advanced tab and click Performance Options. In the Performance Options dialog, under Virtual memory, click Change.

Virtual Memory - High Usage

This could be slowing down some operations. Some actions that might help performance are: Exit and restart Revit. Specify fewer worksets when opening/saving a file.

A good starting point is to allocate 2 GB for Windows 10 or later desktops. If you want to use one of the hardware accelerated graphics features for 3D workloads, VMware recommends two virtual CPUs and 4 GB of RAM.

In the System Properties dialog box, click the Advanced tab and click Performance Options. In the Performance Options dialog, under Virtual memory, click Change. In the Virtual memory dialog box, select a drive. Under Paging file size for selected drive, type new values for initial and maximum sizes for the disk.

Open virtual machine's configuration > Hardware > CPU & Memory. Set the required amount of RAM by selecting a value in the drop-down menu: Note: we strongly recommend keeping the value within the recommended range.