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Q: Will I be able to free up some space in my pc by deleting a bunch of downloads (e.g. .pps, .mpg)?  It’s giving me “your computer is running low on virtual memory” warning thing and webpage loads soooo slow, slower than being on old dial-up.  My OS is XP and it is a compaq.  So, can I free up some memory by deleting a lot of old attachments that were downloaded from emails?  Or am I stuck with having to take my pc in for someone to install more memory?  I have thousands of my personal photos (Picasa) and almost as many music CDs in here (music match jukebox, an old program) which I want to save. 

– Margo B.
Fort Walton Beach, Fla

A: You are mixing up a few things, Margo, but this makes for a great question on basic computer terminology that will surely be beneficial to lots of my readers.  So let’s get you all educated!

When we’re talking about computers and we use the word “memory” we’re generally talking about the short-term storage called RAM, for Random Access Memory.  A computer uses RAM to store programs and data while the programs are running.  RAM is one of the fastest kinds of memory in your computer; second only to cache memory directly onboard the central processor.  Memory speed is important because it has a direct bearing on your system’s overall performance speed.  RAM generally takes the form of chips that plug into slots on your computer’s motherboard.  The contents of RAM memory are erased when the computer is shut down.

Another type of storage in a computer is mass-storage provided by various disk-drives.  These include magnetic drives (such as hard disks, and the now mostly-obsolete floppy disk), optical disks (CD, DVD, and Blu-Ray), and solid state drives (flash drives, including so-called “thumb” drives).  Mass-storage devices can hold quantities of data far larger than RAM, and unlike RAM, they retain their contents even when the computer is powered off, making them ideal for long-term storage of programs when they are not running, and storage of data files, such as the PowerPoint Slideshows (.pps) and Motion Picture (.mpg) files you mentioned.  There is a tremendous difference in the speed of mass-storage devices compared to RAM.  Reading from and writing to mass-storage is orders of magnitude slower than reading and writing to RAM chips.

The quantity of RAM installed in a computer is one of the factors that determine how many simultaneous programs, or how large a quantity of data the computer is capable of handling.  Windows has a clever way of allowing you to run more software than can physically fit within the installed quantity of RAM.  It allocates a chunk of storage on the hard-disk, and uses it the same way it uses physical RAM.  This is called virtual memory, because the memory doesn’t physically exist.  The drawback of virtual memory is the speed.  Too much reliance on virtual memory causes the computer to constantly wait for data to be read from or written to the disk.  This is also why you might often see your hard drive’s access light on and hear the hard drive grinding away.

Windows automatically adjusts the size of the virtual memory cache, making it larger or smaller to fit the changing memory demands.  The message you cited is simply Windows performing some housekeeping and enlarging the size of virtual memory.  However, this is a sign that you are pushing the limits of what your computer is capable of handling.

How to fix this?  Well, it’s not really an error.  Deleting your files won’t really help, because although they are using storage space, they are not using RAM or virtual memory unless you are running their program, and have those files open.  The best thing you can do is make sure you have the maximum amount of RAM installed that your computer can handle.  If that exceeds 4 gigabytes, you’ll need a 64-bit version of Windows to take advantage of it.  If memory is maxed, and you’re still experiencing slowdowns, it may just be that you’ve outgrown your old computer, and it’s time to consider upgrading to a newer and faster one.