How to Increase Virtual Memory in Windows

Increasing virtual memory in Windows can help improve system performance—especially if your PC has limited physical RAM or you regularly use memory-intensive programs like video editors, design software, or games. Virtual memory acts as a backup for RAM and prevents programs from crashing when your system runs low on memory.

In this detailed guide, I’ll walk you through how to increase virtual memory in Windows using tried-and-tested methods. This includes explanations based on my experience, practical steps, and key settings you need to be aware of—whether you’re on Windows 10 or Windows 11.

What Is Virtual Memory in Windows?

Virtual memory (also called the paging file) is a hidden file on your system drive that acts like additional RAM. When your physical memory (RAM) fills up, Windows uses part of your hard drive as temporary memory to continue operations.

By default, Windows automatically manages this space. But for users who work with demanding software, manual adjustment of the paging file size can provide smoother performance.

When Should You Increase Virtual Memory?

You may consider increasing virtual memory if:

• You experience system lag or “Out of memory” errors during normal use.
• You often run multiple heavy applications simultaneously.
• Your system has less than 8GB of RAM, which can limit multitasking.
• You use data-heavy software (e.g., Photoshop, AutoCAD, DaVinci Resolve).

I faced these exact issues on an older laptop with 4GB RAM. Increasing virtual memory made the system noticeably more stable during multi-tab browsing and editing tasks.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Increase Virtual Memory in Windows

Step 1: Open Advanced System Settings

1. Press Windows + S, type “Advanced system settings”, and press Enter.
2. In the System Properties window, click the Advanced tab.
3. Under Performance, click the Settings button.

This opens the Performance Options window where you can control visual and memory-related settings.

Step 2: Access Virtual Memory Settings

1. In Performance Options, go to the Advanced tab.
2. Under the Virtual memory section, click Change.

This will open the Virtual Memory dialog box where you can see the current paging file settings.

Step 3: Disable Automatic Management (Optional but Necessary for Custom Settings)

1. Uncheck “Automatically manage paging file size for all drives”.
2. Select the system drive, typically C:.

Once disabled, you’ll be able to manually set your preferred virtual memory size.

Step 4: Choose a Custom Size

In this section, you’ll enter values for:

• Initial size (MB)
• Maximum size (MB)

Recommended settings:

• Initial size: 1.5 times the size of your installed RAM.
• Maximum size: 3 times the size of your installed RAM.

Example:

• If you have 8GB RAM (8192MB):
  • Initial size: 8192 x 1.5 = 12288 MB
  • Maximum size: 8192 x 3 = 24576 MB

Enter these values, then click Set.

📝 Tip from experience: Don’t max out the maximum size too aggressively—Windows still needs breathing room. Keeping it between 1.5x to 3x RAM has worked best for me in everyday use.

Step 5: Confirm and Restart

1. Click OK to save your changes.
2. Restart your PC when prompted to apply the new virtual memory configuration.

Additional Tips and Best Practices

1. Use an SSD If Possible

If your system drive is an SSD, your paging file will work faster compared to a traditional HDD. This translates to quicker system responsiveness when RAM fills up.

In my setup, moving from an HDD to SSD dramatically reduced stutters when virtual memory kicked in.

2. Avoid Over-Provisioning

Setting the maximum virtual memory to extremely high levels (e.g., 50GB or more) can backfire. It may consume disk space unnecessarily and even slow down the system when paging occurs frequently.

Keep the maximum size reasonable—based on how much physical RAM you have and how heavy your workload is.

3. Monitor Usage with Task Manager

1. Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc).
2. Go to the Performance tab > Memory.
3. Observe the Committed memory value.

If the “Committed” usage consistently approaches the limit, your system is heavily relying on virtual memory. This can guide whether to increase it further or consider a RAM upgrade.

4. Adjust Visual Effects for Better Performance (Optional)

If increasing virtual memory isn’t enough, consider turning off some visual effects:

1. Go to Performance Options again (Windows + S > Advanced system settings).
2. Under Visual Effects, select Adjust for best performance or manually disable specific effects.

Common Questions and Issues

Q: Can I delete the paging file to free up disk space?

Not recommended. Disabling virtual memory or setting it to zero can lead to application crashes and system instability, especially on low-RAM systems.

Q: Does virtual memory affect gaming performance?

Yes, to some extent. If your system runs out of RAM during gaming, virtual memory helps prevent crashes. However, physical RAM is always faster. Don’t expect virtual memory to substitute real RAM performance.

Q: Should I allow Windows to manage virtual memory?

For most users, yes. Windows does a decent job of dynamically managing it. However, manual tuning can be useful if you need consistent performance in specialized tasks (video editing, 3D rendering, large Excel sheets, etc.).

My Personal Recommendation

On my own PC with 8GB RAM, I’ve set virtual memory to:

• Initial: 12288MB
• Maximum: 24576MB

This balance has worked well for multitasking, running Chrome, Photoshop, and OBS Studio all at once without slowdown. It’s particularly helpful when dealing with memory leaks or background processes that gradually consume RAM.

Conclusion

Increasing virtual memory in Windows is a practical way to enhance performance, especially on systems with limited RAM. Whether you’re working with heavy applications, multitasking frequently, or just want your system to run smoother, adjusting the paging file gives you more flexibility.

By following the steps above, you can customize your system to better match your workload—and prevent slowdowns or crashes due to memory exhaustion.