Week 6 Posting - Virtual Memory

 Virtual Memory

    Virtual memory is an incredibly useful tool for expanding the capabilities of a system. When RAM was in limited supply, more expensive, etc., the system could utilize the hard disk drive for support in the memory department. This technique is still being utilized on modern systems. There are a couple of ways to adjust the amount of virtual memory that is allocated to the system in Windows 10. Users can type “advanced system settings” in the Windows search bar or utilize the command prompt to modify the values. While inside this setting, it is recommended to not disable the use of virtual memory. “Usually, if you disable paging file, some applications may stop working, some system features may not work efficiently, and you may end up with some weird behaviors.” (Huculak, 2019).

    When creating these page files, it is important to reduce the reliance on this virtual memory as much as possible, regardless of the type of drive being used. Solid state drives are known for having a limited number of write functions, while hard disk drives are a bit more forgiving. This is important because solid state systems should reduce the amount of page files being written to the system as much as possible. In addition, RAM is utilized first with virtual memory kicking in only after the RAM is full. With that in mind, RAM is far cheaper and more widely available today. This emphasizes the point of upgrading the RAM in a system before increasing the virtual memory and hoping for a meaningful change. 

 

Reference: 

Huculak, Mauro. “Running Low of Virtual Memory? Use These Steps to Increase It on Windows 10.”        Windows Central, 14 Nov. 2019, www.windowscentral.com/how-change-virtual-memory-size-windows-10. Accessed 8 Oct. 2022.