What is the virtual Memory?? How it helps??

What is the virtual Memory?? How it helps??

Computer memory has a hierarchy that is basically defined by the size of memory and the time the processor takes to access them. The fastest memory is also the most expensive therefore a way to have memory at relative cheaper cost came to be. The types of memory according to hierarchy are:

• Cache memory – The fastest memory that is located between the processor and main memory. Every byte is transferred to cache where the processor first look into before it goes to main memory. The cache can be of several levels typically this are Level 1 (L1) and level 2(L2) caches.
• Main memory – The second fastest memory to be accessed and are of two types, RAM and ROM, RAM (Random Access Memory) is known as volatile since it loses information once data is gone, memory can be read into or written into. Examples include DDR2, DDR3 and SDRAM. ROM (Read Only Memory), memory that doesn’t lose info once power is gone, this is where the BOOTSTRAPPER is located, and that is the program that loads the Operating System.
• Secondary memory-Memory that store information that is not needed to perform operations on and also stores processed information. Data from here is first transferred to main memory for processor to access it. Examples include hard disk, DVDS,CD and Flash drives.

Virtual memory is memory that is user created where a part of the Secondary memory (hard disk) is hived off to be used as main memory. To increase main memory got to Control Panel, click on Systems then on the left panel click on Advanced System Settings. Choose the advanced tab option and click on performance tab, the performance tab has an option called Advanced, choose it. You can now adjust the virtual memory as you desire. Virtual memory is sometimes referred to as Page File.

After increasing virtual memory and there is no change you need to install or upgrade your RAM.