# memory question



## jfarnsworth (Oct 12, 2005)

My pc just gave me a warning saying my virtual memory is used up or at full capacity and pages won't load properly. What the heck does that mean? I've never seen that pop up before :idunno: . How do I clear up some of this virtual memroy?


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## Tgace (Oct 12, 2005)

http://www.askdavetaylor.com/how_can_i_fix_too_little_virtual_memory_in_windows.html


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## bignick (Oct 12, 2005)

Pretty much covers it.  To execute, a program needs to be in your physical memory (RAM).  The concept of virtual memory is that not all of the program is needed at once, or the program is bigger than physical memory so parts of it can be stored on your hard drive in "virtual memory"  that way, when the program needs a part of the program that it doesn't have in RAM in can just swap it in from Virtual Memory and swap a piece out that it won't need.  It's not very common that this pops up, and unless you see it again, I wouldn't worry too much.


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## mantis (Oct 13, 2005)

jfarnsworth said:
			
		

> My pc just gave me a warning saying my virtual memory is used up or at full capacity and pages won't load properly. What the heck does that mean? I've never seen that pop up before :idunno: . How do I clear up some of this virtual memroy?


 the above answers are the correct answers
 bottom line either close the applications you have running, or buy more memory. (once in a while check how much your applications are taking from memory by doing alt+ctrl+del and view the task manager) in there you can see if there is a crazy application that's using up all your memory. if you use firefox it has a major memory leak, so you gotta restar firefox every once in a while, also running games or graphics in general take up your memory.
 finally, if your hard drive is full then the swapping step becomes hard because the CPU doesnt find the free are to swap files between RAM and the hard drive.
 good luck


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## Bob Hubbard (Oct 13, 2005)

Reboot your system, then check and see how much space is free on C:.
If it's less than 500MB, free up some space.  Better yet, always try to keep at least a gig free.  Windows is a pig at times.


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## michaeledward (Oct 13, 2005)

Log in with administrator privileges ... 

type    rm -r

hit enter.






Okay ... that's a geek joke. Perhaps the only one I know. Fortuneately, it doesn't work in Windows. But I would suggest that no one actually use those instructions :uhyeah: .


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## mantis (Oct 13, 2005)

michaeledward said:
			
		

> Log in with administrator privileges ...
> 
> type    rm -r
> 
> ...


 doesnt work
 i think it is "format C:"
 but you have to be booting on a cd or something...


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## OnlyAnEgg (Oct 13, 2005)

Bob Hubbard said:
			
		

> Windows is a pig at times.


Name a time it's not.


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## michaeledward (Oct 13, 2005)

mantis said:
			
		

> doesnt work
> i think it is "format C:"
> but you have to be booting on a cd or something...


Yes, 'format C:' is the Wintel command for this particular action. 

I think (think mind you) Unix does not require a separate boot disk for the command to work.  The '-r' part of the command means recursive; removing the files from the lowest level of the file structure, to the highest level of the file structure. The remove command will run on every file up to the directory containing the 'rm' executable file. At least that is how I understand the command to work. I never would actually use this command .... wadda ya think I am ... crazy 

The other geek joke I know is: kill -9


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## Bob Hubbard (Oct 13, 2005)

OnlyAnEgg said:
			
		

> Name a time it's not.


 When the machine is powered down.


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## OnlyAnEgg (Oct 13, 2005)

Bob Hubbard said:
			
		

> When the machine is powered down.


Ippon!


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## OnlyAnEgg (Oct 13, 2005)

In a legitimate answer form, though, I typically do not allow Windo$e to run it's own VM.  I allocate 3x my RAM amount to VM and never have any trouble.  You let Win run it, it'll use every point on your drive it can.


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## bignick (Oct 13, 2005)

and to get really geeky, you need to throw the -f switch to the end of the rm command as well so you get rm -rf * .  Otherwise it won't remove directories.  And if you're gonna blow something away...you might as well blow it ALL away.

Alright anyone that's been in a computer lab until 3:30 in the morning writing a compiler only to have it blown away by your partner typing "rm -rf *" instead of "rm -rf *~" raise your hand......

Just me?...oh, nevermind then...


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## Andrew Green (Oct 13, 2005)

Bob Hubbard said:
			
		

> When the machine is powered down.


 Mine is rarely a pig when my computer is on... but then I got it set too dual boot and am running Linux 95% of the time...


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## bignick (Oct 13, 2005)

You mean you let the M$ black hole suck up all that space and you don't even use?


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## Andrew Green (Oct 13, 2005)

Unfortuntaly, it does get some space...  Occasionally I need it, either for testing a site with Internet Explorer, or Grading MS Office based assignments.

 It does get a fairly small piece though, but for now it's one of those neccessary evils.


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