Virtual Memory Flashcards
(20 cards)
What is the purpose of virtual memory in Windows?
To allow more applications to run than physical RAM alone can support.
What is the paging file in Windows?
A file on the disk drive where inactive data from RAM is moved to free up physical memory.
How does Windows handle running out of physical RAM?
It swaps inactive data from RAM to the paging file on the hard drive.
What happens when an application that was swapped out becomes active again?
Windows swaps it back into physical RAM, possibly swapping out other inactive data.
Why can’t applications run effectively directly from the paging file?
Hard drives transfer data much slower than RAM.
What is disk thrashing?
A condition where the CPU constantly swaps data between RAM and the paging file, slowing down the system.
How can you tell if disk thrashing is happening?
Constant hard drive activity and very slow application performance.
How can you fix disk thrashing?
Close unnecessary applications or add more physical RAM.
Where do you manage virtual memory settings in Windows?
Windows Settings > System > About > Advanced System Settings > Performance Settings > Virtual Memory.
What are the default settings for virtual memory in Windows?
Windows automatically manages the paging file size.
When should you manually set a paging file size?
When running memory-intensive applications.
What is the general rule for paging file size?
Initial size = 1.5× RAM, Maximum size = 3× RAM.
What is logical segmentation in virtual memory management?
Assigning virtual addresses to applications, hiding their physical RAM locations.
What is a page fault?
When an application that was paged out needs to be loaded back into RAM.
How can moving the paging file improve system performance?
By placing it on a separate drive from the system drive or spreading it across multiple drives.
How is the paging file used in system crashes?
It can store a memory dump file to help diagnose the crash cause.
When moving the paging file, what should you consider?
The speed and workload of the drive you move it to.
What are key symptoms of a system suffering from inadequate RAM?
High disk usage, slow application performance, and poor response time.
What happens if the system has very little RAM?
The paging file might need to be 2× or more the size of the physical RAM.
What happens if a system has lots of RAM installed?
A large paging file may not be necessary.
