Computer Memory & Hard Drive Usage

(Scroll about half way down to check how much RAM Memory is in your computer)

All computers have two types of memory; 1. The hard drive (permanent non-volatile memory), and 2. RAM (volatile) Memory

A good analogy of how a computer utilizes these two types of memory is to visualize your computer as two common pieces of furniture.

Before your computer is turned on, all of the operating system, Windows, and it’s options are stored on the bookshelf “Hard Drive”. The desk surface RAM Memory is completely empty, and everything your computer “knows” (Your documents, photos, etc.) is stored on the bookshelf.

In order for your computer to do anything useful, the operating system, Windows, must be opened onto the desk surface. Then any options such as anti-virus programs and others are loaded onto the desk surface RAM Memory. This is called “Booting the Computer”, and depending on your computer’s overall speed and other variables, may take from 30 seconds to several minutes to fully boot-up. After these critical components have been opened, you can then open a program such as your word processor, Internet Explorer, Email program or others.

A computer can only operate on or use programs when they are opened on the desk surface, RAM Memory. The amount of desk space RAM Memory, in your computer, dictates how many and what size of programs you can open.

Too little desk space RAM Memory will necessitate that your computer clean off the desk a little, to make room for another program. In that the computer can’t know if you will need a previously opened program in the near future, it will swap out the first program to a temporary place on the bookshelf Hard Drive. Then load the second program that you elected to run. This procedure is sometimes called Paging, or Virtual Memory.

See this for more about paging.

When you elect to go back to the first program, the computer must first swap the new program to the bookshelf Hard Drive, then swap the old program back to the desk surface RAM Memory.

Hard Drives are over 100 times slower than RAM Memory. Swapping programs to and from the bookcase Hard Drive takes much time. The more you open and close programs, the more swapping must be done, and the slower your computer operates.

The solution to many computer performance problems is to have more desk surface, RAM Memory. Making your desk larger by installing more RAM Memory will allow your computer to open more programs without having to swap programs to the hard drive as often.

Check Your Computer’s RAM Memory

The two current versions of Windows have a slightly different look to the windows.

Use the one that best matches your particular computer.

1. Click once on the Windows Start button.

2. Double-Click the Control Panel choice.

1. If you see “Switch to Classic View”, Click once on the words. (Windows XP Only)

2. Click once on the words “Classic View”. (Windows Vista Only)

1. Scroll down to the System Icon.

2. Double-Click the System Icon.

1. The amount of RAM Memory in your computer.

(Depending on the speed of your computer, this data may require a while to appear on the screen.)

2. The speed of the CPU in your computer. (The Faster the Better)

(Upgrading your computer’s CPU is usually not an option. Adding more RAM Memory is your best option.)

RAM Memory is where most computer manufactures try and save money by installing only a small amount of memory. Most low cost computers come with way too little memory. Windows XP computers will perform best with something between 500 to 1000 megabytes (0.5 GB to 1.0 GB) of RAM Memory. Windows Vista computers require even more memory for the best performance. Any computer technician can add more memory to your computer.

If you wish to do your own memory upgrades, Crucial Memory (http://www.crucial.com) is a good place to start. Crucial has an easy to use online way to determine what kind of memory your particular computer can use, and an easy way to order it.

Doing your own memory upgrade is a relatively safe and easy task, but you should be aware of some pitfalls and a few dangers to yourself and to your computer, before you start. Before you open your computer, please read this.

All computers are “Neat Freaks”. Each time your computer is turned off the desk surface is completely cleaned off and the swap area of the hard drive is emptied. You can help your computer’s performance by turning off and restarting your computer from time to time. We recommend that a computer be turned off at least once a day. If your computer has little RAM Memory, you may need to turn your computer off and restart it more often.

Check Your Computer’s Hard Drive Space

Too little free Hard Drive space will also greatly slow your computer’s performance.

1. Click once on the Windows Start button.

2. Double-Click the Computer choice.

1. Right-Click once on the Hard Drive Icon.

(Your hard drive may be named differently, but will contain C: within the name.)

2. Click once on the Properties choice.

Your computer’s Hard Drive should be no more than two-thirds full.

A too full Hard Drive will greatly slow File Swapping!

If your hard drive is more than 2/3 full, you may want to remove some older files, or uninstall some unused programs, to free-up more space on the drive.

Digital photographs, music files, and video clips use a lot of storage space.

If you are keeping all of your valuable photographs only on your hard drive, you should consider copying them to one or more CD-ROMs.

Hard Drives are prone to failure or virus infection, which can destroy all of your photographs. A CD-ROM disk should last several decades.

After you copy all of your photos to a series of CD-ROMs, and after you have viewed the CDs to insure that the photos have been copied properly, you can then delete the photos from your hard drive. This may free up a large amount of space on your drive.

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