Virtual memory can be a bit mysterious if you’re not into Windows tweaks all the time, but it’s basically Windows’ way of giving itself some extra breathing room when physical RAM runs out. If the system keeps throwing high memory usage errors or you notice weird lag spikes, tweaking the virtual memory might help. It’s kind of a band-aid fix—sometimes your RAM just isn’t enough, but increasing virtual memory can prevent those annoying freezes and crashes, at least temporarily. Just keep in mind, if you’ve got a really small SSD or HDD, this can slow things down because disk access is slower than actual RAM, but hey, better than nothing when everything else fails.
How to Fix High Memory Usage by Adjusting Virtual Memory in Windows 11
Method 1: Changing Virtual Memory Settings Manually
This method is good if you’re seeing constant high memory errors and suspect your system isn’t managing the paging file efficiently. It applies mostly when your system doesn’t automatically allocate enough space or if you’ve been fiddling with other performance tweaks. Expect to see a bit more stability after this, or at least fewer errors popping up.
- First, you gotta open Windows Settings. Do this either by clicking the Start menu and selecting Settings or pressing Windows + I.
- Next, click on System, then head to About.
- Scroll down and click on Advanced system settings — this usually opens a new window called System Properties.
- Under the Advanced tab, click on Settings in the Performance section.
- In the new window, switch to the Advanced tab again and look for the Virtual memory section — yep, it’s under here.
- Click the Change button. Now, here’s where the fun begins. Usually, Windows manages this for you, but sometimes, you’ll want to uncheck Automatically manage paging file size for all drives. This lets you pick your own partition.
- Select the drive where you want to change virtual memory, then choose Custom size.
- Now, enter how much virtual memory you want in MB. A good rule of thumb? Set it to about 1.5 to 3 times your RAM if you’re low on memory. For example, if you have 4GB RAM (which is 4096 MB), try entering 6144 MB for both initial and maximum size.
- Click Set, then OK on all windows, and give your system a quick restart.
On some setups, this can take a reboot to fully kick in, but it generally helps smooth out those cringey high memory errors, especially if they kept popping up after heavy app uses.
Method 2: Use a Script or External Tool (Optional)
If the UI tweak sounds a bit too manual or you want a quicker way, there are scripts or apps—like Winhance—that can automate the setting for you. These are especially useful if you’re tweaking on multiple machines or just hate messing around with system dialogs. Because of course, Windows has to make it a bit more complicated than it needs to be.
Another way is to tweak the registry, but honestly, that’s for advanced users. You can find guides online, but messing with registry values can break things if done incorrectly. Stick with the GUI unless you’re comfortable with command line or PowerShell tweaks.
When to Revert and Reset Virtual Memory
If things start feeling sluggish or you notice weird performance dips, you can always revert to automatic management—just check the box that says Automatically manage paging file size for all drives and restart. That’ll let Windows handle it again, which is often safer if you’re unsure about sizing.
And remember, messing with virtual memory is a good fix for some issues, but if your RAM is actually too small, getting an upgrade might be the better solution long-term. This tweak buys some time, but it’s not a substitute for actual physical RAM.
Because of course, Windows loves to make simple things look complicated sometimes. Still, adjusting virtual memory can definitely improve stability if you’re running into that high memory toast every other day.
Summary
- Adjust virtual memory from Advanced system settings if you hit high memory errors.
- Set size to about 1.5–3 times your RAM—more if you want some buffer.
- Restart after changing settings to apply changes.
- Use automatic management if manual tweaks cause issues.
Wrap-up
Hopefully, this makes the whole process a little less mysterious. It’s not a perfect fix, but for a user who’s tired of seeing high RAM errors and crashes, bumping up virtual memory can be a lifesaver. Just keep an eye sometimes on disk space—if your swap file gets too big, your drive needs to breathe, too. Worked for me — hope it works for you.