Swap File Not On HDD

Ah which came first, the chicken or KFC? In order to control and recognise USB and it's drive, you need the OS booted, and the OS requires VM...

Don't know why you can't increase VM - if your HD is too small, you could create a compressed partition but do NOT compress the whole drive. VM must reside in an uncompressed partition.

If this is a little drastic (and it is) try de-fraging the drive. It's possible the VM is fragmented if it was increased before.

Hi BabyGuinness

Thanks. Sounded too good to be possible anyway.

The fact that you're getting a message "virtual memory too low" proves that there is VM. You can increase the VM size say from 3 to 4 times your RAM. There is a trick here. Don't let Windows manage your computer's VM, you're in control here not Windows. Say your RAM is 256MB you can set VM from 768MB-768MB as long as your HDD space would allow, that space on HD will have fixed (not varies, i.e. say 512-768) allocation on HD. You might be required to restart your system.

After the restart you will notice improvement in your computer's performance.

Hope this helps.

I had to make VM real damn big three times before I got it right. I was using big picture maps with several 1 meter orthoquad photos in autocad. The previous advice is correct but depending on how small your ram and how big your project, it could take a few tries to guess the right amount of VM. Do not let windows set it ........a damn palm tree will grow faster than windows does this task.

Hi,

I agree that this is a "sounds to good to be true" situation but it reminded me of something I've heard of before. http://www.sandisk.com/Retail/Default.aspx?CatID=1472

Sandisk claims that a new feature they're adding to some flashdrives called "ReadyBoost" allows you to use a USB flashdrive as additional RAM for your system. It only works in Windows Vista, here is the Microsoft page for it: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/features/details/readyboost.mspx.

I've never tried it (I use XP) so I don't know if it works or not, though I'm always suspicious of these quick fix products.

Good luck

"Virtual Memory" is not memory, its the swap file on the hard drive. If you have the flashdrive plug in all the time when computer boots, you can set the swap file there. Problem is if you pull it out before shut down, you computer will crash. If you forgot to put it back before turn on, it may not boot.

You cannot use flashdrive as RAM. They're too slow. Using them will become "wait for lunch and dinner time".

Slow with CAD is also due to slow graphic card on the notebook.

So bottom line is, get a new notebook.

Pineapple

Yes!

With notebook prices dropping and specs getting much advance, we'll be happy with a new one.

For the OS though, I will still stick with XP Pro.