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Last updateSun, 09 Apr 2017 3pm

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More Memory

Computer memory is one of the necessary requirements in the making of a working computer. Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8 as well as Windows 2008 and 2012 servers each have minimum memory requirements to operate.

Many programs require or desire memory space to function. In many cases, Windows will page out memory space to the hard drive to allow other programs or windows functions to perform effectively. Page filing is a Window feature to use part of the hard drive as virutal memory. That's right Virtual memory and you have to believe me for now. Another article will address virtual memory as part of performance management. Physical memory is measured in nanoseconds. A nanosecond (ns) is a time equal to one billionth of a second (1/1,000,000,000 sec). Hard disks (virtual memory) are measured in milliseconds. A millisecond (ms) is a thousandth (1/1,000) of a second. So , there is a 1 million times factor difference between physical memory and swap filing.

Windows 7 require 2 GB (GigaByte = 1,000,000,000 bytes or 1,000 MB) minimum for simple functions such as email, typing simple documents, view pictures, and Internet browsing. You can try more programs and see how far you can go. To function normally with office applications, picture management, basic account activities, heavy Internet activities, and more, 4 GB is the recommended minimum. When you install programs, they are loaded on the hard drive. But, when you run programs simultaneously, they take memory space. Many programs will require programs or some part of a program to be resident thus cannot be swapped to the hard drive at any time.