Tech Support Pits:

From Trish===
Dear Webby
Hi Webby, Trish from Oz here yet again.
Another question for you:  What is the difference between 
'virtual memory' and 'Available memory' on my computer.  
I'm not a total idiot and understand that 'available means 
available' but can you please explain the difference for me 
and perhaps other "not so up to the moment computer users.
 
ps my computer tells me:
'total virtual memory' is:2.00 GB
'available virtual memory' is 1.96 GB
'total physical memory' is 256.00 MB
'available physical memory' is  41.76 MB
 
Does this mean that I have almost no memory left or what, 
by or what should I start seriously deleting 'stuff'
Trish

Dear Trish
Physical memory is what your RAM chips can hold.
Virtual memory is a corner of the hard drive reserved and 
designated as fake RAM. 

When the real RAM chips are getting full, (having little RAM 
available for new stuff), then stuff that is not currently active, 
like minimized windows, is snuck over to the fake RAM on 
the hard drive, thus freeing some real RAM for the active 
windows.

In your example, the corner of the hard drive, that is 
fenced off and reserved for use as fake RAM, is 2 GB.
0.04 GB of that has stuff parked on it, and 1.96 GB is 
empty parking spaces.

Your real RAM, on RAM chips, is 256 MB, mostly in use 
except for 41,76 MB.

Clear as mud now ?

Have FUN!
Dear Webby