How to reset virtual memory (page file) in Windows 11?

If your computer doesn't have enough RAM or is always full, you can rely on virtual memory to unload inactive files from physical memory. However, if this doesn't go well, you may need to reset virtual memory in Windows 11.

We often see our computers lagging, most likely due to high RAM usage in Windows 11. There are ways to reduce RAM consumption, but this may affect your experience. And, this is where virtual memory can help.

Sometimes it is necessary to reset virtual memory in Windows 11, therefore, it is essential to understand the concept and process correctly, which we discuss in the following sections.

How does virtual memory work and why do I need to reset it?

Virtual memory works much like the physical RAM on your computer. The difference between the two is that files are loaded into RAM first and if it is full, inactive files are offloaded to virtual memory, also known as the page file.

While RAM is a separate piece of hardware, virtual memory is stored on the hard drive. So while you can increase the former by adding more chips, increasing the latter will only take up free storage space on the drive.

Setting up virtual memory can be very beneficial for those who have low RAM installations or are running high resource consuming applications. If you're not sure how, check out our tutorial on how to increase virtual memory in Windows 11.

Also, it’s worth mentioning that Windows can handle more than just page file allocation. However, if you don't see the desired results, you always have the option of configuring it manually.

But often, the configured page file may not be optimal, or you may not get the correct results. In this case, we recommend that you reset virtual memory in Windows 11 and let the operating system handle it or increase the page file size, as appropriate.

How to reset virtual memory in Windows 11?

1. Press Windows S to launch the search menu, enter View advanced system settings in the text field, and click the related search results.
2. Click the Settings button under Performance.
3. Next, navigate to the Advanced tab in the Performance Options window and click the Change button.
4. Now, uncheck the Automatically manage paging file size for all drives checkbox at the top.
5. Select the drive from the list where the paging file is located, select the No paging file option, and click Set.
6. Click Yes on the confirmation prompt that appears.
7. When finished, click "OK" at the bottom of this and other windows to save your changes, then restart your computer for these to take effect.
8. After the computer restarts, open the Virtual Memory window again, check the Automatically manage paging file size for all drives checkbox, and click OK at the bottom.
9. Finally, restart your computer again for the new changes to take effect.

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