Change Your Virtual Memory and Tweak Your PC for Free

I can make your PC faster than me on a Saturday night.

For free.

Your computer uses RAM, physical memory, when it’s running. And when you’re doing tons of things on your PC and your RAM gets jammed — think of it like a highway during commuter’s traffic — your PC starts using Virtual Memory to ease the flow of data. Virtual memory is stored on a “Swap” file, which your system automatically makes smaller or bigger depending on its needs.

If you want to speed up your computer while you’re multitasking — you know, too much YouPorn.com reading The Guardian while editing porn family photos — you can always buy more RAM.

Or you could save your cash, and change your PC’s Virtual Memory settings for free.

1. Launch Windows menu Start > Settings > Control Panel.
2. Open System > Performance > Virtual Memory.
3. Check Let me specify my own virtual memory settings.
4. Make sure you pick the right drive. Now we’ll change the Minimum settings. What the Minimum settings should be is debated. Some people say the Minimum settings should be your RAM size times 2, plus 10% (e.g., 252 MB x 2 = 508 MB, 252 MB x 0.1 = 25.2 MB. 508 MB + 25.2 MB = 532.2 MB). You could do this, but I’m not really into math, so I just set my Minimum settings to 250 MB.
5. See Maximum setting next? Your Maximum settings should already be correct. So like the ugly bird at the pub, just leave them alone.
6. See that Disable virtual memory check box? Leave it blank.
7. Click OK (click “Yes,” you’re sure) and you’re done with your PC tweak.

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