If you are running windows xp just follow these instructions if you have the extra space on your hard drive(virtual memory is on your hard drive)
1.right click on the "my computer" icon
2.click on "properties"
3.Go to the "Advanced" tab at the top right
4.Under the Performance section click on the "settings" button
5.Click on the "advanced" tab at the top (should be in the middle at the top)
6.At the bottom of the menu under the "virtual memory" section click on the "change" button
7.mark the "custom size" bullet
8.Change the size to a larger initial size and maximum size according to what you need, but remember, the space is being pulled off of your hard drive, so don't overdo it especially if you don't have much available space on your hard drive. If my answer has helped you, recommend me = )
If a person is getting a message that says they are running low on virtual memory from their pc, it usually means that Windows isn't managing the memory correctly. If the virtual memory minimum is too low, then a person can go into the system and edit the amount of virtual memory manually which should fix the problem.
You need to delete some programs or buy a new ram card to make memory bigger!
To determine if the virtual memory minimum is too low on your device, you can check the system settings or consult the device's specifications to see if it meets the recommended requirements for optimal performance.
When a PC runs low on virtual memory, system activity causes what is called "thrashing", when memory is repeatedly paged out to, and read back from, the hard drive.
The solution to resolving low virtual memory is two part, part one is increasing the physical memory in the machine (RAM). If one can't increase the physical memory then one can increase the page file size. If neither of these work, then there is probably a application that is corrupt on the machine and needs addressing.
more RAM
main cause is spyware or malware or virus - scan and delete the virus\worm\spy sometime it happen due to low memory - increase virtual memory
The Dell Dimension 2400 is a computer that has a capacity of 1GB of RAM. It would be better to upgrade the RAM in order to get past the low virtual memory errors than can sometimes appear on the machines. The Dell Dimension is an old computer that has XP operating system installed compared to the current Windows 8.
Well, darling, pagefile.sys is essentially a virtual memory file used by Windows to supplement physical RAM when it's running low. Think of it as a backup dancer for your computer – it steps in when the main act (RAM) needs a breather. So, in a nutshell, pagefile.sys helps keep your system running smoothly when it's feeling a bit overwhelmed.
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/use-overdisk-to-see-what-is-using-your-hard-drives-space-windows/
when there are too many processes available and memory is low, than processor remains busy in swapping in and out the pages from disk in order to overcome it: 1) increase memory 2) reduce multi programming level
Cygwin is one of the best tools for Unix installation in Windows 7. Just download and run it for installation. Memory usage and thread utilization of Cygwin are comparably low.