virtual memory

1. A memory management system in a computer that temporarily stores inactive parts of the content RAM on a disk, restoring it to RAM when quick access to it is needed. This allows software to operate as though the computer has more RAM than it actually does.

Example Sentences

The hard drive is, in short, used as “virtual memory.”

Read more on Seattle Times

But bear in mind that if you don’t add RAM to your computer and the operating system is using your SSD as virtual memory, you might conceivably be hitting that ceiling much sooner.

Read more on Seattle Times

It may be that other programs or possibly malware are chewing up memory, causing Windows to have to write to “virtual memory,” which means storing application data on your disc drive.

Read more on Seattle Times

Finally, Windows may be configured to reserve more of your disk space for virtual memory than you need.

Read more on Seattle Times

I sometimes need to run Windows, which I do in virtual memory using Parallels Desktop, but I don’t want that as my main operating system.

Read more on Seattle Times