Adjusting the Page File in Windows 10

Are you seeing warning messages like, “Your system is low on virtual memory”? This is because your Windows 10 PC doesn’t have enough RAM and is trying to write to virtual memory, but the page file that serves as virtual memory has a file size limit that’s too low. If you don’t want to see these error messages, you need to increase virtual memory on Windows 10. Keep in mind that if you set your paging file size at the upper limit, you could experience significant system slowdown, since data reads and writes to the hard drive where the paging file is stored are much slower than normal RAM. The minimum recommened size is usually enough of an increase to meet your needs. This is often double the amount that the system automatically sets.

Should You Change Virtual Memory in Windows 10?

Increasing the virtual memory in Windows 10 should only be used as a temporary fix to remove the errors. However, since performance when the system uses the paging file is always slower than when it uses RAM, it’s not a good idea to keep your system running under these conditions. You can use the increased virtual memory solution so that you can continue using your computer until you have time to purchase additional RAM memory cards and upgrade your system. You shouldn’t use this as a permanent solution.

What Is Virtual Memory in Windows 10?

Two terms you may hear used interchangeably are “virtual memory” and “paging file.” Both of these refer to a file on your hard drive where Windows temporarily moves information that it would normally store in RAM. Whenever you no longer have enough RAM memory available, Windows uses this paging file instead. The configured size and capacity of this file is referred to as virtual memory. While it isn’t an actual hardware memory card like RAM, it serves the same purpose. There are a lot of reasons why your Windows 10 PC might slow down. One of the most common is a combination of two things: not having enough RAM and not having enough virtual memory. This combination can lead to poor performance and error messages. The easiest way to fix both of these issues is to increase virtual memory in Windows 10.