Hi, Suzie.
Quickie simplified answer: Virtual memory is a part of your hard drive
which is treated "sort of" like RAM. When the computer needs more RAM than
you really have, it stores a part of what's in there on the hard drive in a
"page file" (sometimes called a "swap file"); then it can reuse that part of
RAM for its current needs. When it needs what's in the page file, it first
writes it back to RAM (swapping out something else first, if necessary),
then uses it.
It would seem that more real physical RAM would cut down the need for page
file space, but Win2K and WinXP use the page file differently than earlier
Windows; they always need at least a small page file, even if you have lots
of RAM. There are plenty of places where virtual memory, page files, etc.,
are discussed at length. MVP Alex Nichols' excellent article is at:
Virtual Memory in Windows XP
http://aumha.org/win5/a/xpvm.php
Another explanation is at:
Optimize Virtual Memory for Performance in Windows XP
http://www.microsoft.com/WindowsXP/expertzone/columns/mcfedries/03june16.asp
These say they are for WinXP, but they work for Win2K, too.
My preference is to go to System Properties | Advanced | Performance
Settings | Advanced | Virtual Memory Change. (Whew! Getting there is half
the battle! And this is in WinXP; Win2K is slightly different, but you can
find it.) Once I get there, I choose the System managed size; I just set it
and forget it. ;<)
RC
