virtual memory

My computer has been whining at me for about a month now, and I haven't been listening. It told me a few times that it (desperately) needed to increase the size of it's virtual memory, and if I would be so kind, please click "OK". I didn't, though; mostly because I didn't understand what it was asking.

So I did a little research. For those of you who don't know, be enlightened:

A computer has a little pocket of memory space set aside (every time you turn it on) that the programmes that you use delve into. Did you just open an Internet Browser? That just took a little memory out of the pocket. Is Microsoft Word open? That too takes a little memory.

I called my ex-boy toy, Doug, to have him walk me through manually increasing the virtual memory. He asked what the symptoms were.

"Well, it's to the point where nothing will open, besides my internet browser. No music, nothing."

How did it get that way?

"Well, I'd open Photoshop (a HUGE programme), have my music running, plug my PalmPilot in to my computer, and have about five internet browsers open ..."

Yeah, Kathryn, that'd do it ...

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So we increased it ... by about 200 times. Instead of having an itty bitty pocket of memory, it is now lardantuan, to better fit my needs.

Yay.