Increase Virtual Memory in Windows 11 (Fix Lag & Free Up RAM), by Britec09 on YouTube. 8 min 54 s.
- Video length
- 8 min 54 s
- Time to do it
- 10 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 7
What you need
Steps
Check how much RAM you have. Open Settings, go to System and About, or open Task Manager, click Performance and look at Memory. Note the total in GB.
Work out your sizes in MB. Multiply total RAM in MB by 1.5 for the initial size and by 3 for the maximum. For 16 GB RAM that is 24,576 MB initial and 49,152 MB maximum.
Open the Start menu, type advanced system settings and open View advanced system settings. In the Performance section click Settings.
In Performance Options go to the Advanced tab and click Change under Virtual memory.
Untick Automatically manage paging file size for all drives, select your system drive, usually C:, then choose Custom size.
Type your calculated numbers into Initial size and Maximum size in MB. Click Set, then OK on each window to apply the change.
Restart your PC so Windows rebuilds the paging file with the new size.
Tips and common mistakes
Keep the paging file on your system SSD rather than a slow external drive for better performance.
Never set the maximum below the initial size, or Windows will reject the values.
Leave a restore point before you change settings so you can undo them if the PC misbehaves.
Do not disable the paging file completely, even with plenty of RAM, as some apps expect it.
Questions
Will this give me more RAM?
No. It gives Windows more disk space to use as overflow when physical RAM fills up. Real RAM upgrades still make the biggest difference.
How much virtual memory should I set?
A common rule is 1.5 times your RAM for the initial size and 3 times for the maximum, in MB. You can go smaller if disk space is tight.
Why does Windows say my changes need a restart?
The paging file is in use while Windows runs, so the new size only takes effect after a reboot.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
