Windows 11 Virtual Memory Alert: Understand & Fix Low Memory Issues

Updated: 19 May, 2025 • 0 • min read

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Experiencing performance issues on your Windows 11 or Windows 10 computer can be frustrating. One common alert that users encounter is related to virtual memory. If you frequently see messages like “Your system is running low on virtual memory,” it’s a sign that your computer is struggling to manage its resources efficiently. Addressing this issue is crucial for maintaining a smooth and responsive user experience.

The specific messages you might see are typically similar to these:

Your system is low on virtual memory. To ensure that Windows runs properly, increase the size of your virtual memory paging file.

Or, you might see a message indicating that Windows is attempting to adjust the size itself:

Your system is low on virtual memory. Windows is increasing the size of your virtual memory paging file. During this process, memory requests for some applications may be denied.

Both messages point to the same underlying problem: the system needs more virtual memory than is currently available. This can happen for various reasons and often results in noticeable slowdowns.

Understanding Virtual Memory¶

To comprehend why you’re receiving low virtual memory alerts, it’s essential to understand what virtual memory is and how it functions within your operating system. Virtual memory is a memory management technique employed by Windows and other operating systems to compensate for a physical RAM shortage. When the amount of RAM required by currently running applications exceeds the available physical RAM, the operating system uses virtual memory as an overflow.

This virtual memory is not a separate physical chip but rather a dedicated space on your hard drive (or SSD). This space is known as the paging file or swap file. When RAM becomes full, the operating system moves less frequently used data or code blocks from RAM to the paging file on the hard drive. When that data is needed again, it is swapped back into RAM, potentially pushing other data out to the paging file. This process of moving data between RAM and the paging file is called paging or swapping.

While virtual memory allows your system to run more applications simultaneously than your physical RAM alone would permit, it comes at a cost. Accessing data from a hard drive or even an SSD is significantly slower than accessing data directly from RAM. Therefore, heavy reliance on virtual memory can lead to a substantial decrease in system performance. If your system constantly needs to swap data between RAM and the paging file, operations will slow down considerably, leading to the symptoms associated with low virtual memory alerts.

Symptoms of Low Virtual Memory¶

The most common symptom you will notice when your system is running low on virtual memory is a significant decline in overall system performance. Applications may take an unusually long time to open, load data, or perform tasks. Switching between different programs can become sluggish and unresponsive.

Beyond general slowness, you might encounter specific application errors or even system instability. Programs could crash unexpectedly, or you might receive error messages indicating that an application could not allocate sufficient memory. In extreme cases, the system might become unresponsive, requiring a restart. While low virtual memory isn’t the only cause of these issues, it is a frequent culprit, especially when using demanding applications or running many programs concurrently.

Windows low virtual memory

Understanding the relationship between physical RAM, virtual memory, and the paging file is key to diagnosing and resolving these issues. Here’s a simple illustration of how they interact:

mermaid graph TD A[Physical RAM (Fast)] --> B(Currently Active Data/Programs); B --> C{RAM Full?}; C -- Yes --> D[Move Less Used Data]; D --> E[Paging File on Disk (Slow)]; E --> F{Data Needed Again?}; F -- Yes --> G[Move Data Back to RAM]; G --> B; C -- No --> B; H[Applications] --> A; H --> E;
Diagram: How Physical RAM and Virtual Memory Interact

When the “RAM Full?” condition is met (C), data is moved to the Paging File (E). If data from the Paging File is needed again (F), it’s moved back into RAM (G), potentially displacing other data. This constant swapping, especially under heavy load, leads to performance bottlenecks.

How to Fix Low Virtual Memory Alerts¶

There are several approaches to resolving low virtual memory issues, ranging from simple temporary fixes to more permanent solutions. The most effective strategy often involves a combination of these methods. Let’s explore the primary ways to tackle this problem.

The most straightforward solution, albeit often the most expensive, is to increase the amount of physical RAM installed in your computer. More RAM means your system is less likely to rely heavily on the slower virtual memory. If you frequently work with large files, run virtual machines, or use memory-intensive applications like video editors, 3D modeling software, or certain games, upgrading your RAM can significantly improve performance and eliminate low virtual memory errors caused by insufficient physical memory. Check your computer’s specifications to determine the maximum RAM capacity and the type of RAM it uses before purchasing upgrades.

Alternatively, and often the first step users take due to its cost-effectiveness, is to adjust the size of the virtual memory paging file. While this doesn’t add physical RAM, it increases the available space on your hard drive that Windows can use for swapping. This can alleviate issues if the current paging file size is set too low or isn’t automatically managed effectively by the system.

Step-by-Step Guide: Adjusting Paging File Size¶

Adjusting the paging file size involves navigating through the system settings. The process is slightly hidden but accessible through the system’s advanced settings. Follow these steps carefully:

Open System Properties:
- Click on the Start button.
- Search for “Control Panel” and open it.
- In the Control Panel, find and click on System. You might need to change the “View by” option to “Category” and click on “System and Security”, then “System”, or change “View by” to “Small icons” or “Large icons” to see “System” directly.
- In the left-hand panel of the System window, click on Advanced system settings. This will open the System Properties window.
Access Performance Options:
- In the System Properties window, navigate to the Advanced tab. This tab contains settings related to performance, user profiles, and startup/recovery.
- Under the “Performance” section, click the Settings… button. This opens the Performance Options window.
Navigate to Virtual Memory Settings:
- In the Performance Options window, click on the Advanced tab.
- Under the “Virtual memory” section, you will see the current size of the paging file and a description. Click the Change… button to modify the virtual memory settings.
Configure Paging File Size:
- The Virtual Memory window will appear. At the top, you’ll likely see a checkbox labeled “Automatically manage paging file size for all drives”. If this box is checked, Windows is currently managing the paging file size dynamically. While this is often sufficient, it can sometimes lead to the low memory alerts if Windows is slow to increase the size or if the drive lacks sufficient free space.
- To manually control the size, uncheck the “Automatically manage paging file size for all drives” box.
- Below the checkbox, you will see a list of drives. Select the drive where you want to configure the paging file. Typically, the system drive (where Windows is installed, usually C:) is the most appropriate place for the paging file due to its speed (especially if it’s an SSD) and constant availability.
- After selecting the drive, you have a few options:
  - System managed size: This reverts to Windows managing the size for that specific drive.
  - No paging file: This disables the paging file on the selected drive. This is generally not recommended for the system drive as it can lead to instability if RAM runs out completely.
  - Custom size: This option allows you to specify the minimum (Initial size (MB)) and maximum (Maximum size (MB)) size of the paging file in megabytes. This is the option you will choose to manually increase the virtual memory.
Set Custom Size (Recommended Approach):
- With “Custom size” selected for your system drive, you need to enter values for the Initial size and Maximum size.
- What values should you use? Microsoft traditionally recommended setting the initial size to 1.5 times the amount of installed RAM and the maximum size to 3 times the amount of installed RAM. However, with larger amounts of RAM (16GB or more) and fast SSDs, these multipliers might be overly generous. A common modern recommendation is to set the initial size equal to your installed RAM and the maximum size to 2 or 3 times your installed RAM, or even just let Windows manage it if you have plenty of RAM and disk space.
- Example Calculation: If you have 8GB of RAM (which is 8 * 1024 = 8192 MB):
  - Initial size: 1.5 * 8192 MB ≈ 12288 MB
  - Maximum size: 3 * 8192 MB ≈ 24576 MB
- Enter your calculated values into the “Initial size (MB)” and “Maximum size (MB)” boxes.
- Click the Set button next to the size boxes. This applies the custom size to the selected drive.
- Click OK in the Virtual Memory window.
Apply and Restart:
- You will be returned to the Performance Options window. Click Apply, then OK.
- You might be returned to the System Properties window. Click Apply, then OK.
- Windows will likely inform you that you need to restart your computer for the changes to take effect. Save any open work and click Restart Now when prompted.

After restarting, the system will use the new, larger paging file size. Monitor your system to see if the “low virtual memory” alerts reappear.

Advanced Considerations¶

While increasing the paging file can help, it’s important to understand its limitations. It’s not a substitute for sufficient physical RAM. Over-reliance on virtual memory will always be slower than using RAM.

Placing the paging file on a different drive can sometimes improve performance if you have multiple physical drives (especially if your primary drive is an older HDD and you have a faster SSD, or vice versa). However, it is generally recommended to keep the paging file on the fastest available drive, which is often your system drive if it’s an SSD. Avoid splitting the paging file across multiple drives unless you have a specific reason and understand the implications.

Monitoring your system’s performance using Task Manager after making changes is crucial. Pay attention to the “Memory” usage on the “Performance” tab and observe the “Hard fault” count (indicating when data needs to be retrieved from the paging file). A high hard fault count suggests significant paging activity.

Conclusion¶

Low virtual memory alerts are a clear indicator that your Windows 11 or Windows 10 system is struggling to cope with the memory demands placed upon it. While simply increasing the size of the virtual memory paging file can provide temporary relief and prevent the specific error messages, it doesn’t address the root cause if the system genuinely lacks enough physical RAM for your typical workload. The most effective long-term solution often involves evaluating your system’s RAM capacity against your usage patterns.

By understanding how virtual memory works, identifying the symptoms of low memory, and applying the troubleshooting steps outlined above – from adjusting paging file settings to identifying resource-hungry applications and potentially upgrading hardware – you can significantly improve your system’s stability and performance. Don’t let low virtual memory hold back your productivity!

Did you experience low virtual memory alerts? What steps did you take to fix it? Share your experiences and tips in the comments below!

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