If I'm not mistaken, memory available to programs uses a combination of harddrive space and physical RAM, and all software running uses physical RAM first, until it's exhausted. After that, the next memory allocation function that any program calls results in harddrive space being used.
Now I have 2 files in my computer's root directory, one called swapfile.sys (about 250MB in size), and one called pagefile.sys (about 8GB in size). Which one is actually used for memory allocations to the harddrive when physical RAM runs out? And what is the other one used for?
Also, when a program does exhaust the computer's physical RAM, and the next allocation function starts using harddrive space, does the entire memory space that program is using switch over to harddrive usage (dumping its RAM contents to the harddrive)? Or does it keep using physical RAM for previously allocated memory, while using harddrive space for the newly allocated memory that exceeded the physical RAM space.
When I'm looking at System Information on my PC, I see that it says "Installed Physical Memory (RAM)" is 8GB, but below that it says "Total Physical Memory" is 7.86GB. Where did that extra 0.14GB of physical memory go? Is that the amount being used by the OS (leaving only 7.86GB to be used by software)?
Now I have 2 files in my computer's root directory, one called swapfile.sys (about 250MB in size), and one called pagefile.sys (about 8GB in size). Which one is actually used for memory allocations to the harddrive when physical RAM runs out? And what is the other one used for?
Also, when a program does exhaust the computer's physical RAM, and the next allocation function starts using harddrive space, does the entire memory space that program is using switch over to harddrive usage (dumping its RAM contents to the harddrive)? Or does it keep using physical RAM for previously allocated memory, while using harddrive space for the newly allocated memory that exceeded the physical RAM space.
When I'm looking at System Information on my PC, I see that it says "Installed Physical Memory (RAM)" is 8GB, but below that it says "Total Physical Memory" is 7.86GB. Where did that extra 0.14GB of physical memory go? Is that the amount being used by the OS (leaving only 7.86GB to be used by software)?