What Is Windows Virtual Memory, and Do You Need to Increase It?

The story of virtual memory began when RAM in the early computers was very small and counted literally in kilobytes. Besides that, the cost was high, the access time was slow, and the physical size was so large and bulky. 

This massive physical size made it difficult to add more memory to a computer. That was when Tom Kilburn and his team came up with the idea of virtual memory. 

I’ll show you what virtual memory really is, what it does, and how it works. Then, chip in ways to improve its capacity to hold more data. 

Let’s begin.

What Is Windows Virtual Memory?

Virtual memory allows your computer to use more memory than what’s currently available in your PC’s RAM. Here’s how it works. 

When your physical memory gets full, virtual RAM transfers data from your RAM to your hard disk. It does this repeatedly with the hardware and software working together to make the exchange possible. 

For example, 8GB RAM isn’t enough to run multiple programs at once, especially if you play high demanding games and run other apps. It just won’t work. 

That’s where virtual memory comes in. It moves non-active data to your hard drive or solid-state drive to get more space in RAM. 

It essentially acts like a backup for when your RAM gets full.

What Is the Purpose of Virtual RAM?

The main goal of virtual memory on Windows 10 or 11 is to prevent your computer from slowing down or even crashing when you’re out of memory.

Without it, your system could grind to a halt once your RAM is full. That’s where you get an error message like insufficient memory.

However, because of virtual RAM, most users will likely not experience the error message in the entire computer lifespan, especially in today’s modern PCs.

How Does Virtual Memory on Windows 11/10 Work?

Let’s break down how virtual RAM works further:

How RAM manages your data

When you’re using a program, the physical memory stores its data, managed by the memory management unit (MMU). Its goal is to make sure that the data is correctly mapped to RAM so that your system can easily access it. 

So, what happens when RAM is full?

Your computer will move the data that is less active out of RAM and store it in virtual memory. 

At that moment, the operating system will keep track of all the data that gets sent to virtual RAM. That way, it can send it back to RAM when the program needs it again. 

The MMU then helps your computer to pick up where it left off with the currently running program without you noticing any disruption. 

The OS turns data into pages

Now, there has to be some sort of organization to make the whole process work seamlessly. This is where pages come in. 

Your OS splits the data into chunks called pages. It then saves these pages on your hard drive. And when the program needs it, the system copies it back to RAM and converts virtual memory address to a real one.

That said, how your operating system manages the exchanges between your storage and RAM depends on the type of virtual memory. I’ll briefly go over the types of virtual RAM in the next section.

Types of Virtual Memory

There are essentially two main types of virtual RAM. Let’s quickly go over them and see what each of them does:

1. Page file (Paging)

Paging is a widely used form of virtual memory on Windows 10 and 11, and it’s used in modern operating systems. In terms of how it works, it uses the same process I talked about previously: 

• Breaks data into small chunks called pages.
• Moves less active data to a page (or paging) file on your hard drive when RAM is full. 
• Copies data from the page file back into the memory whenever the system needs it. 

Paging manages memory more efficiently by permitting the OS to swap out smaller bits of pages (data) instead of large sections of memory. 

This means that, even when your memory is low, the system can keep running several applications by switching less critical data to the page file.

2. Swap file (Swapping)

In the swapping system, the computer moves entire processes or programs out of RAM into the swap file on the hard drive.

So, instead of moving small data like what paging does, it swaps an entire program that’s not in use to free up space. This method dramatically decreases your PC’s speed, especially when you compare them to paging.

Swapping is less common because modern computers come with more RAM, like Copilot PCs, where you need at least 16GB of RAM. 

So, the OS doesn’t have to swap an entire program to your hard drive or SSD. It’s just not necessary. Plus, modern operating systems have more advanced memory management techniques, which reduce the need to rely on swap files.

Here’s a side-by-side comparison:

Should You Increase Your Virtual Memory on Windows 10/11?

If you’re using a modern PC or have the latest RAM upgrades, you don’t need to increase your virtual RAM. The reason is that Windows will automatically adjust the size of the paging file based on current needs. And that reduces the need for you to make any tweaks manually. 

That said, if you get low memory warnings, you may have to adjust the paging file size yourself. But this is rare with 16GB RAM or more, though. 

Besides, even if you increase your virtual memory, you won’t get the same performance boost as upgrading your RAM. It’s much slower, and adding more RAM is often the better option. So even if you decide to increase it, it should only be temporary.

However, you can increase your virtual memory when: 

• You frequently run out of RAM, which causes system slowdowns or crashes, and you don’t have immediate means of upgrading your memory. 
• Running intensive programs like video editing software or large databases. This consumes a lot of RAM, so it makes sense to increase it. 

Again, even if you fall into these categories, you should only see this as a temporary solution. You should upgrade your RAM to avoid the downsides of continually using virtual RAM. 

In the next section, I’ll show you how to check your page file size and increase it.

You need to find out the amount of RAM you need before deciding to increase your paging file size. Because if it turns out your system memory is small, increasing your virtual memory won’t help much long-term.

How to Check Your Current Virtual Memory Allocation

It’s important to check the current paging file settings. This baseline information can help you make informed adjustments and know how your system is currently configured and performing.

It can also help you to avoid overallocation since too much virtual RAM can consume lots of disk space and ultimately affect your system performance.

Check out the steps below:

• Type View advanced system settings in your search bar and click on the result to open. 

• Make sure the Advanced tab is selected. Then, click Settings under Performance. 

•  Go to the Advanced tab and click on Change under Virtual memory. 

• Here, you can see the current paging file size for each drive. You can use this information to tailor the size of the memory to your specific needs. 

How to Increase Virtual Memory in Windows 10/11

Now, let’s find out how to increase your virtual memory on Windows 11 and 10. Luckily, the steps are easy to follow.

Windows 10 

• Open the Settings menu by pressing the Windows key + I. Then, click on System and select About.
• Click Advanced system settings under Related settings section in the About window. 

• Select Settings under the Performance section in the Advanced tab. 

• Now, click on the Advanced tab and select Change under Virtual memory. 

• Now, uncheck the Automatically manage paging file size for all drives box. Then, click on the Custom size option.
• Next, set the initial and maximum size in megabytes for the paging file.
• After setting the custom size, click on Set and OK. 
• Then, restart your computer to activate the change made to the Windows 10 virtual memory. 

Windows 11 

• Press Windows + I to go to the Settings app. 
• Click on System, scroll down and select About. 

• Now, select the Advanced system settings link. 

• Click on the Advanced tab and choose Settings under Performance. 

• Go to the Advanced tab, and under Virtual memory, click on Change. 

• Untick the Automatically manage paging file size for all drives box, click on Custom size, and set the initial and maximum size for the paging file. 

When you’re done, click OK and restart your computer to effect the changes.

Important Factors to Consider When Adjusting Virtual RAM Size

As I said before, the paging file is only an additional memory to your RAM. Don’t mistake it for the actual system memory.

So, the initial custom size should be 1.5x your installed RAM, and the maximum size should be 3x installed memory.

Also read: How To Check How Much RAM You Have

For example, if you have 4GB of RAM, the minimum size should be 6,144MB (1.5 x 4GB x 1024), and the maximum should be 12,288MB. 

That being said, this formula isn’t set in stone. That’s because the 12GB maximum size is too much and can cause your system to be unstable. 

In my opinion, the ideal size should be around 8GB. If you set it to this size and your paging file still needs more memory, you should get more RAM.

Common Issues You May Face When Increasing Virtual RAM

Even though you can increase your virtual memory on Windows 10 and 11, it comes with its pros and cons. Let’s go through them:

• Your PC performance might reduce. I’ve touched on this a bit, but it bears repeating. Since virtual RAM uses an HDD or SSD, it’s much slower compared to your physical memory. If you rely on it too much, your computer will start facing performance issues. This should be a temporary fix.

• Your computer might become unstable. If you set your paging file size too high, you may face instability issues. Technically, a larger paging file can accommodate more data. But set it too high, and it’ll confuse the system, which can cause your computer to glitch or misallocate memory resources. 
• SSDs could wear faster. Solid-state drives are much faster, but they have a limited number of read/write cycles. If you consistently rely on the paging file, the constant swapping of data between the memory and your SSD can shorten its lifespan. Of course, this will have major consequences on your PC later on. 
• Swap files can’t handle high demands. If you’re a heavy user or gamer, you shouldn’t even try adding more space to your virtual memory on Windows 10 or 11. It just can’t manage intensive tasks since it’s already too slow. Physical RAM is still the most crucial resource if you play games or do 3D rendering, for example.
• You might experience compatibility issues with modern SSDs. Some modern solid-state drives, like the Samsung 990 Pro and Crucial MX500, are designed so that they don’t rely on virtual memory to prevent excessive wear. So, if you heavily rely on the paging file, you might get slower system responses and incompatibilities.

Check out this article for more details: Best SSD for Your Gaming: Top Choices for Your Gaming Needs

What Is Virtual Memory: Explained in Detail

Virtual memory can help manage your computer’s resources if you’re out of physical memory and running multiple programs or tasks. But it’s not a magic fix.

Increasing your page file should only be in urgent cases and if your system is constantly lagging. It should be a temporary fix, even if you’re using it for basic tasks.

If you’re a heavy PC user, it’s better to get more RAM. However, if you still want to increase it, make sure to monitor both your RAM and paging file to strike the right balance between performance and efficiency.

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