What Is a Virtual Memory System?
A virtual memory system denotes an area located on a computer’s hard drive that allows programs to operate without the need to load them into the physical memory. Computers have basically two kinds of memory systems: random access memory (RAM) and virtual memory (VM). When there is not an adequate amount of physical memory or RAM, available to run all the applications that a user may have opened at any one time, the system uses virtual memory to make up the difference.
A virtual memory system denotes an area located on a computer’s hard drive that allows programs to operate without the need to load them into the physical memory. Computers have basically two kinds of memory systems: random access memory (RAM) and virtual memory (VM). When there is not an adequate amount of physical memory or RAM, available to run all the applications that a user may have opened at any one time, the system uses virtual memory to make up the difference. If the computer did not have the ability to access the virtual memory when it exhausted the RAM, the user would receive an error message indicating that other applications would have to be closed in order to load a new program. The virtual memory process works by seeking locations on the physical memory that have not been accessed for a certain period of time. This information is then copied to an area on the hard drive. The available space that is freed up can now be used to load the new program.
