Published: May 9, 2006
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Published: May 9, 2006
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Ever notice how each PC has a personality of its own? Or maybe even multiple personalities? In the course of a week, your computer may act friendly, moody, and sometimes downright mean.
However, dont take a hammer to your PC just yet. The following is a list of common symptoms and treatments to help even the most troublesome PCs. You dont even have to be a psychologist (at least not yet) to deal with your PCs neuroses.
These solutions deal specifically with Windows XP, but overall youll find these tips work for all versions of Windows starting with Windows 95 to Windows XP.
On This Page
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You keep getting a Your system is running low on virtual memory message |
You keep getting a Your system is running low on virtual memory message
Perhaps youre more than familiar with this scenario: Youre working on your PC and notice performance getting gradually slower and slower. Programs become harder to open and close. You wait forever for Web pages to display. And then, you get some serious-sounding virtual memory is too low message, like the one displayed below.
By the way, dont worry. This message isnt as scary as it sounds.
Viewing a virtual memory low message
Virtual memory is the space your PC uses when it’s short of RAM (Random Access Memory), which is the memory used when running programs like Microsoft Office Word or Microsoft Office PowerPoint.
So what can you do to correct this problem and prevent this message from coming up in the future? The following are some solutions to keep your PC from displaying the “virtual memory minimum is too low” message.
Solution #1: Bump up the virtual memory size on your PC
The first solution is to increase your PC’s virtual memory settings. To do so, you first need to determine how much RAM you currently have.
| • | To find the amount of RAM on your PC:
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Finding the RAM on your PC
| • | To increase the virtual memory on your computer:
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Solution #2: Add more RAM to your PC
If you keep getting that dreaded “Your system is running low on virtual memory” message – even after you’ve increased your PCs virtual memory – then you may need to buy more memory for your PC. To really work well, Windows XP needs a minimum of 256MB of RAM. The more RAM you have, the better.
If you’re at work, you should contact your company’s IT administrator before updating the memory on your computer. They may have some available and can help you install it.
If you do need to purchase some more memory, stop by your local computer shop. You can probably buy memory from them, and they’ll probably install it for you. Or, you can buy memory online. Check out Windows Marketplace for a great selection of memory.
Your windows slide off the desktop . . . and you can’t grab them
We’re all familiar with moving program windows around the desktop. You can click-and-hold the window’s title bar to move it around. But what do you do when you accidentally move a window’s title bar off the desktop so you can’t grab it anymore? The window is stuck in that inconvenient position.
Solution: Use your keyboard to help move your window
The trick to moving these stubborn program windows is by using your keyboard.
To use your keyboard to move a window:
| 1. | Select the program window you’re trying to move. Then, press ALT + SPACEBAR on your keyboard. The program’s shortcut menu is displayed.
Accessing a window’s Control menu |
Your taskbar has disappeared
The taskbar is that horizontal bar at the bottom or your computer screen that displays open programs on your desktop. The taskbar also contains the Start menu, which allows you to navigate to various programs installed on your PC. In many ways, it’s your command central.
Thus, there’s nothing more frustrating than going to start a program, only to find the taskbar gone. A PC without a taskbar will pull you to a grinding halt.
The good news is that the taskbar never disappears. It just hides. It may be hiding behind other open windows, or at the top or side of your screen. You can also (unintentionally) make the taskbar so thin, that it seems invisible.
The following are possible reasons as to why your taskbar has vanished, as well as solutions to keep your taskbar from ever running away again.
Solution #1: Find your taskbar behind other windows
| 1. | If you don’t see your taskbar, minimize all windows on your desktop. See if your taskbar is hiding behind your open windows.
Finding your taskbar behind maximized windows |
| • | The Lock the taskbar check box |
| • | The Keep the taskbar on top of other windows check box |
Locking and keeping your taskbar on top of other windows
Now your taskbar will always be visible, no matter how many windows you have open. Locking your taskbar also keeps you from accidentally moving it around.
Solution #2: Find your taskbar elsewhere on your screen
If you have tried minimizing all windows on your desktop, and still don’t see your taskbar—perhaps it’s been moved. Maybe you’ve moved it yourself by accident. Or, perhaps someone’s playing a practical joke on you. Regardless, the following will help you get your taskbar back to its proper size.
| 1. | As you did in the previous steps, minimize all windows on your desktop. If you don’t see your taskbar at the bottom of the screen, perhaps it’s hanging out to the side or top of your desktop.
Finding a hiding taskbar on your desktop |
| • | The Lock the taskbar check box |
| • | The Keep the taskbar on top of other windows check box |
| • | Click OK. |
Solution #3: Thicken up your taskbar
You can make your taskbar a thin line—so skinny it’s hard to see. To see if you’ve done this unintentionally, perform the following:
| 1. | Minimize all windows on your desktop. Look at each side of your screen. If you see a thin strip, that’s the taskbar.
Finding a taskbar that’s become a thin strip |
Where to find more help
This article covers three common PC problems. But if you’re still unable to find the solution to your particular PC problems, check out Microsoft’s support page. There, you’ll find various self-support and assisted support solutions. You’ll find answers to cure even the most disturbed PC.
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Chris Tull Chris Tull is a freelance writer and designer based out of the Dallas/Fort Worth area. He is the author of Web Designer’s Guide to Adobe Photoshop (Wordware, 2006). |
