How to increase virtual memory in Windows 11

If your Windows 11 PC starts slowing down during heavy multitasking or memory-intensive tasks, increasing your virtual memory can help. Virtual memory—also known as a paging file—acts as a backup to your system’s physical RAM. It uses a portion of your hard drive or SSD to temporarily store data when your RAM is full.

I’ve personally used this method to improve system responsiveness on devices with low RAM, especially during video editing, gaming, or running multiple apps simultaneously. This guide will walk you through how to increase virtual memory in Windows 11 in a safe and effective way.

What Is Virtual Memory in Windows?

Virtual memory allows your PC to compensate for RAM shortages by temporarily moving inactive data from RAM to a reserved space on your storage device. This space is called the paging file or swap file.

When configured properly, virtual memory can:

• Prevent system slowdowns and freezing

• Improve multitasking performance

• Allow larger applications to run smoothly

However, it’s important to set it manually and not rely solely on Windows’ automatic settings, especially on low-RAM systems.

How to Check Your Current Virtual Memory Settings

Before increasing it, you should first check the existing configuration.

Steps:

1. Press Windows + S and search for Advanced System Settings.
2. Click on View advanced system settings.
3. In the System Properties window, under the Advanced tab, click Settings in the Performance section.
4. In the Performance Options window, go to the Advanced tab.
5. Look under Virtual memory and click on Change.
   

Here, you’ll see the current size and location of the paging file.

Step-by-Step: How to Increase Virtual Memory in Windows 11

Now that you’re in the Virtual Memory settings window, follow these steps to increase the paging file size.

Step 1: Uncheck Automatic Management

By default, Windows manages the paging file size automatically.

1. Uncheck the box “Automatically manage paging file size for all drives”.
   

This allows you to manually configure the settings.

Step 2: Select the Drive

1. Click on the drive where Windows is installed (usually C:).
   
2. Select the option Custom size.
   

Step 3: Set Initial and Maximum Size

Now you’ll need to set the Initial size and Maximum size (in MB).

Recommended Rule of Thumb:

• Initial Size (MB): Equal to your installed RAM (in MB).
  
• Maximum Size (MB): 1.5 to 3 times your RAM.
  

Example for 8 GB RAM:

• 8 GB = 8192 MB
  
• Initial Size: 8192 MB
  
• Maximum Size: 16384 MB (or up to 24576 MB if needed)

Note: Always leave enough free space on your drive. Do not allocate your entire storage to virtual memory.

Step 4: Click Set and Apply

1. After entering the values:
   • Click Set
   • Then click OK

2. You’ll be prompted to restart your computer to apply the changes.
   

Restart to activate the new virtual memory settings.

Optional: Move Paging File to Another Drive

If your system has multiple drives, especially an SSD + HDD setup, you can place the paging file on the faster drive (typically the SSD) for better performance.

Steps:

1. In the Virtual Memory window, select a non-system drive.
2. Set custom values as described above.
3. Select your system drive and choose No paging file to disable it there.
4. Click Set, then OK, and restart.

Important: Only do this if your secondary drive is faster or less occupied. Avoid placing the paging file on external or USB drives.

How to Confirm That Virtual Memory Has Increased

After restarting:

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
2. Go to the Performance tab.
3. Click on Memory.
4. Look for Committed memory. This shows used + available virtual memory.
   

If the available committed memory has increased, your changes have taken effect.

When to Increase Virtual Memory

You should consider increasing virtual memory if:

• You regularly see “Low Memory” warnings
• Apps crash when RAM usage is high
• You’re running large apps (e.g., Adobe Photoshop, AutoCAD, video editors)
• Your PC has 4 GB or 8 GB of RAM and you multitask heavily
  

In my experience, virtual memory acts as a helpful safety net on low-RAM systems and improves stability during demanding workloads.

When Not to Rely on Virtual Memory Alone

While virtual memory helps, it is not a replacement for RAM. It’s significantly slower than physical memory, especially if stored on a mechanical hard drive.

If your system frequently hits its memory limits, consider:

• Upgrading RAM (if possible)
  
• Disabling startup apps
• Cleaning temporary files
• Using lightweight alternatives to memory-heavy applications

Tips for Managing Virtual Memory Wisely

• Avoid setting maximum size too high; it may waste drive space or cause system instability.
• Don’t disable virtual memory entirely, even if you have 16 GB+ RAM—some apps and processes still rely on it.
• Always keep at least 1.5 times your RAM available in virtual memory for smoother performance.
  

Troubleshooting: If Virtual Memory Is Not Increasing

If you face issues applying changes:

• Run Disk Cleanup to free up space.
  
• Ensure you’re logged in with administrator privileges.
  
• Check for disk errors using chkdsk in Command Prompt.
  
• Temporarily disable antivirus software (if it blocks system changes).

Final Thoughts

Learning how to increase virtual memory in Windows 11 is a practical skill that can boost your system’s performance and stability, especially if you’re on a low-RAM PC or laptop. While it won’t match the speed of real RAM, it’s a reliable backup that helps prevent slowdowns, crashes, and freezes.

I’ve used this method many times on older machines and laptops with limited memory. As long as you follow the sizing guidelines and monitor your system performance, virtual memory can be a valuable tool in your Windows 11 optimization toolkit.