The reason for a slow computer may be due to the processor overheating, or the processor itself being old and unable to handle the heavy tasks required by the computer. It might be that the issue is not related to the processor itself, but rather to the RAM. As we all know, the size of the RAM affects the speed of execution of operations, and as it gets full, the computer’s burden becomes heavier and it becomes difficult to work with the same efficiency. When we were young, we used to try to solve this RAM problem specifically by searching for ways to increase its size, by typing “how to increase RAM space” or “free programs to increase RAM” on the internet. However, now that we have matured, we remember those days, smile, and know for sure that there is no such thing. But what if I told you that our innocence was in place and that there was a way to increase the size of the RAM — virtually!
Windows has a feature called “Virtual Memory” which works by compensating for the processor with “virtual RAM” in case the real RAM is full. Windows automatically sets a specific size for this memory, but you can control the size by increasing or decreasing it in easy steps if you are using Windows 11. Let’s see how.
Increasing Virtual Memory in Windows 11
First: What is Virtual Memory
The hard drive in your device, whether it’s an SSD or HDD, stores all essential files such as images, music, games, documents, videos, etc., permanently on its vast memory, which can be over a terabyte (1000 gigabytes). The hard drive is not the only storage space on the device, as there is another storage memory known for its incredible speed, which is the RAM. But its size generally does not compare at all to the size of the large storage units, and the function of this simple storage memory is different from that of the hard drive.
RAM stores files as well, but unlike the hard drive, the type of files stored is not permanent and is called up quickly when needed. For example, when you open a browser like Google Chrome and leave it running in the background while working on another program, the data consumed by the browser is stored in RAM space until it is quickly called upon when needed. The same applies to any program or file you open temporarily, and of course, the more files and programs opened, the more burden on the RAM until it becomes full.
Here comes the importance of “Virtual Memory,” a very old technique that is already present in most operating systems under different names. For example, you can find it in Windows as Memory Paging, in Android phones from other manufacturers as RAM Expansion, and in Samsung phones as “RAM Plus.” Regardless of the name, the mechanism is the same: temporarily moving data from RAM to the main storage unit if the available amount of RAM is limited, in order to keep more working programs in the background at the same time.
In other words, this technology will not increase the actual capacity of the computer’s RAM, so it will not make it 16 gigabytes if the RAM is originally 8 gigabytes, but it simply helps the RAM to accommodate as much temporary data as possible for the programs without causing “lag” or forcing a closure of the programs while running in the background, by reserving a small space from the hard drive and treating it as actual RAM, even though it is not, hence the term “Virtual Memory.” However, since the primary storage unit, even if it is an SSD, is much slower than RAM, the speed of the device will not improve; in fact, the device may become slower. Nevertheless, the benefit you will gain is that you will be able to open more programs and files up to a certain limit.
Second: Recommended Size for Virtual Memory
Virtual memory has a limit, and if you exhaust it and reach its maximum, which happens after using up all the RAM space, Windows 11 will display an error message saying: the device is slow due to the virtual memory being full, it has reached its limit and attempting to run any additional applications may fail.
Windows 11 manages virtual memory automatically, but as mentioned, you can control the size of this memory yourself. Windows configures the Paging file based on the size of the RAM, and the mentioned file size (virtual memory) ranges from 1.5 to 3 times the size of the actual RAM, according to Microsoft. So, if your RAM space is 8 gigabytes, for example, the lowest size reachable by increasing the size of the virtual memory is 12288 gigabytes (1024 megabytes [1 gigabyte] multiplied by 8 [RAM size] multiplied by 1.5 [lowest possible size for virtual memory]), while the maximum size will be 24576 (1024 megabytes multiplied by 8 multiplied by 3 [maximum possible size for virtual memory]).
This means that the smallest storage space for RAM after increasing the size of the virtual memory will exceed 12 gigabytes, while the maximum space will exceed 24 gigabytes (if the RAM size is 8 gigabytes); again, this does not mean an increase in computer speed, but rather the ability to open more programs and applications — reminding you of the importance of this information. Microsoft recommends increasing the size of virtual memory by making the RAM size bigger than the virtual memory size by 3 or 4 times because that will help the system’s stability. However, it is better to let your device decide the number by itself, and don’t forget that this space will be deducted from the total hard drive capacity.
Third: Controlling Virtual Memory Space on Windows 11
If you want to increase the size of the virtual memory manually on Windows 11 to avoid the error message mentioned above when opening more programs and applications on the device, you can do this very easily; open the Run window by pressing the Win + R keys together on the keyboard, then type the command [sysdm.cpl] and press Enter. When the System Properties window appears, go to the “Advanced” section and at the bottom of the Performance section, click on the Settings button to bring up another window. Go to the Advanced section and at the bottom of “Virtual memory,” click on “Change” and uncheck the box next to “…Automatically manage paging file” to set the manual value, and when finished, click “OK”.
Remember that increasing the size of virtual memory more than necessary poses a risk of instability to your device, so it is always recommended to leave the “Paging file” command to Windows to manage, but if you insist on modifying it manually, follow Microsoft’s recommendations to avoid harming your device.
Fourth: Increasing the Actual RAM Space to Improve Performance
Due to the importance of this matter, we would like to emphasize it one last time: increasing virtual memory is a temporary solution that cannot be relied upon for a long period, and it does not increase the speed or performance of the device, but only allows for the accommodation of more programs and applications. To truly improve the performance of the device, you need a solution that increases the size of virtual memory permanently, and this solution is to increase the size of the RAM itself.
Fortunately, changing RAM is a very easy task, especially when it comes to desktop computers. The only downside to this is that it will cost you some money, and another problem you may face is the lack of additional slots for RAM. In this case, you will have to get rid of the old RAM or sell it and buy new RAM in its place instead of benefiting from both.
