# Wtf?!?! - How to adjust memory allocation Windows XP



## cdifoto (Dec 1, 2007)

> Lightroom version: 1.3 [396184 Beta 1]
> Operating system: Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition Service Pack 2 (Build 26'')
> Version: 5.1 [26'']
> Application architecture: x86
> ...


I'm not putting these specs in my signature since they're my almost-never-used desktop, but I'm curious about this.

I have 2GB RAM available, but only 716MB are being allocated to LR.  How can I change that?


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## mikeholley (Dec 1, 2007)

This looks like the default Windows Virtual Memory setting. To change it go to Control Panel and then System. Click on the Advanced Tab and then on the Setting button under "Performance Management".

This opens the "Performance Options" window. In this window, click on the Advanced tab. At the bottom you will see "Virtual Memory". Click the "Change" button and there you will see two fields where you can enter new values.

Do you think Lightroom needs more then..? My VM is set to around this and I've not had any problems.


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## mikeholley (Dec 1, 2007)

Some additional information on this from an Adobe Tech Note on Lightroom freezing:

Virtual memory allows the system to use hard disk space to store information normally stored in RAM. Windows XP manages virtual memory by using a paging file. You specify the minimum and maximum size of this file. If the size is different from the default in Windows XP, applications may return errors. However, some applications may require a non-default size for the paging file. Change the size only if other applications aren't adversely affected.
To set the paging file to the default size:
*Note:* You must be logged on as an administrator to change the size of the paging file.

Quit all applications. 
Choose Start > Control Panel > System. 
Click the Advanced tab, and then click Settings in the Performance area. 
Click the Advanced tab, and then click Change in the Virtual Memory area. 
From the Drive list, select a hard-disk partition that has free space equal to at least three times the amount of the computer's installed RAM. To determine the amount of space available on a hard-disk partition, click the drive letter; the amount of space available appears in the Paging File Size For Selected Drive area. 
In the Initial Size box, enter a value equal to one and a half times the amount of the computer's installed RAM. 
In the Maximum Size box, enter a value equal to twice the amount of the Initial Size value. 
Click Set, and then click OK to close the Virtual Memory dialog box. 
Click OK to the alert "The changes you have made require you to restart your computer." 
Click OK to close the Performance Options dialog box, and then click OK to close the System Properties dialog box. 
Click Yes in the System Settings Change dialog box. Windows restarts.


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## cdifoto (Dec 1, 2007)

mikeholley said:


> This looks like the default Windows Virtual Memory setting. To change it go to Control Panel and then System. Click on the Advanced Tab and then on the Setting button under "Performance Management".
> 
> This opens the "Performance Options" window. In this window, click on the Advanced tab. At the bottom you will see "Virtual Memory". Click the "Change" button and there you will see two fields where you can enter new values.
> 
> Do you think Lightroom needs more then..? My VM is set to around this and I've not had any problems.



My desktop is inherently slow, having an older AMD single core processor and slow-ish system bus, but neither my desktop nor laptop are problematic with Lightroom per se.  I don't see how that's related to virtual memory settings though - it's the real RAM that isn't being taken advantage of.  I don't do heavy multi-tasking, so if I allocated 1.5GB or so to LR instead of the current amount, I would assume that'd result in better LR performance.

As far as the instructions go, Step 5 is impossible.  I don't have any partitions.


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## billg71 (Dec 3, 2007)

cdi, step 5 isn't impossible, if you don't have any partitions you don't have a hard drive. Every drive has at least one partition.

I have to disagree with Adobe's recommendation. Allowing the page file size to vary can and will cause fragmentation on the drive the page file is located on if page file requirements exceed the minimum size specified. The idea was valid back in the days when 512Mb was a whole lot of RAM and a 1'Gb hard drive was a large drive. In the present, with most folks running LR and/or PS on at least 2Gb of RAM, the page file size has become almost a non-issue. Disk space is cheap and lots of RAM has become the norm. Setting the page file minimum and maximum size to the RAM size and keeping it fixed is not even a noticeable resource drain on a 2''Gb hard drive. And most of us run a lot more than that.

For example, I have 4Gb RAM installed on my XP Pro 32-bit system. The OS sees 3.12Gb of that, my page file is set at a min and max of 4'96 Mb. I have *never* seen the page file utilization reach 1Gb. And I've watched it on a lot of programs, including CS3 and AutoCad while running some pretty memory-intensive routines. Actually, in my experience, Nikon's Capture NX seems to be the real resource hog, using up to 9'' Mb regularly. Most of the stuff I do in LR and CS3 runs the page file at a max of 5''Mb, plus or minus.

The most important thing to do is set the Page File to the same setting for minimum and maximum. That way you avoid changing the actual file size on the disk and the resulting fragmentation and performance hit. You can start off with twice the RAM size, run some memory-intensive apps and watch the Page File Usage display in Task Manager. If  usage is maxing out the size you've set, make it bigger. If not, you can just leave it alone or make it smaller. With disk space as cheap as it is today, there's no real benefit in spending time tweaking it down, if you can't max it out at twice your  memory size just leave it there.

My apologies for getting sidetracked on the VM thing, to answer your original ? I don't think there's anything in the LR preferences that allows you to choose memory allocation. Although it's readily available in CS3, LR doesn't seem to have that option. Maybe Melissa will pick up on this, and you can always put in a Feature Request at the Adobe site.

HTH,


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## Kiwigeoff (Dec 3, 2007)

It is allocated automatically I believe.


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## cdifoto (Dec 3, 2007)

Kiwigeoff;4''5 said:
			
		

> It is allocated automatically I believe.


That's a shame.


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## zkraut87 (Dec 6, 2007)

Hey Billg71, you seem to know what you are doing.  I just recently have gotten CS3 and every time I try to install it the thing tells me I have to have 1 GB of ram.  I have absolutely no clue at all of how to adjust my computer to have 1 GB of ram.  If you could help I would greatly appreciate it!  Thank you!


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## Mick Seymour (Dec 6, 2007)

zkraut87 said:


> I just recently have gotten CS3 and every time I try to install it the thing tells me I have to have 1 GB of ram.  I have absolutely no clue at all of how to adjust my computer to have 1 GB of ram.



How much memory do you have in the machine?


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## zkraut87 (Dec 6, 2007)

i have just about 4' GB of usable memory left...started with 7' something.


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## billg71 (Dec 6, 2007)

zkraut87 said:


> i have just about 4' GB of usable memory left...started with 7' something.



You're talking about disk space available. When PS says it has to have 1G of memory to install, it's referring to RAM. The only way to get more RAM is to physically install more memory cards.

If your computer is running on a 8'G hard drive and less than a gig of RAM, you need a new computer. Even if you could find the RAM to install, chances are it would be more expensive than currently available, faster RAM. And your processor might run CS3, but you'd be taking a lot of breaks waiting for it to perform an operation.

Why don't you right-click on the My Computer icon on your desktop, select Properties and post the info you get in your signature. Then the folks who're trying to help would know what to base their advice on instead of guessing.


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## Kiwigeoff (Dec 7, 2007)

Ok this is starting to drift away from LR to PS problems, please take them to the lounge or a PS forum where you will get dedicated help.


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## Craig M (Dec 7, 2007)

raw and hard drive space are two different things all together.  you can check your ram via control panel/system.  Look at the main page.  It should show the CPU and Ram.


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