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I have recently switched from Windows 10 to Windows 11 and have started experiencing memory errors while using various applications including as Chrome, audio applications, Firefox, etc.

I would like help troubleshooting these errors (apps/services/tasks/etc. and other possible causes).

Like many other users, using a paging file is currently not an option in my use case. I have the paging file disabled (in virtual memory settings) for various reasons, mainly the data security risks that come with having it enabled. These security risks are explained partly in the links below, and are briefly summarized as follows:

When using an encryption solution (native, eg EFS, or non-native eg. Veracrypt), normally encrypted data including unhashed passwords and other sensitive data can potentially be written to the paging file in unencrypted form. This paging file can then potentially be accessed by a malicious party and this information extracted.

Symptoms I am now experiencing are the following:

  • Popups from applications of the type "Out of memory"; "The paging file is too small for this operation", etc.
  • Occasional events in the event viewer, eg:

    "Application popup: Windows - Out of Virtual Memory : Your system is low on virtual memory. To ensure that Windows runs properly, increase the size of your virtual memory paging file. For more information, see Help."

Many users, especially those with systems with relatively large amounts of memory, run Windows 8 or later without a paging file without these issues. I have also had the paging file disabled on all previous systems with 8 - 16 GB of RAM, as well as my current W10 system with 16GB, and have had none of these problems previously. It think hardware can also be ruled out in my case, as I am running both the working and faulting systems on the same hardware (different partitions of the same drive on the same PC). Much of the faulting software, although not all, is also the same, as some of the error popups in W11 come from the same portable apps which run fine in W10 and my other previous windows systems with paging disabled.

Available physical memory on my system never falls below 5 GB (out of 16 GB total) when these errors occur:

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Note:

  • Encrypting the paging file or entire Windows OS system drive is currently not an option in my use case
  • I am aware by having the paging file disabled certain crash dumps are not written unless dedicated dump files is enabled.
Dale Newton
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  • Perhaps the SysInternals VMMap and Process Monitor could be used to investigate which apps are affected, and how much memory they are trying to allocate upon failure. I have used Process Monitor to troubleshoot applications didn't have the source code for, but that was around file accesses rather than memory allocations, so don't have any specific advice at the moment. – Chester Gillon Mar 24 '24 at 23:49
  • @Daniel B Also as is often the case with questions on the topic, the paging file evangelists appear to be out in force in the comments and the quality lack of objectivity and general quality of info in the comments is low as a result. The only potential answer I can see there regards my post there is "put your pagefile back, add more RAM, or run less stuff at one time...These are your only options for avoiding the "low on memory" and "out of memory" errors.". However, this is not really an answer, and is incorrect actually - these problems don't occur on all systems without a paging file. – Dale Newton Mar 25 '24 at 00:03
  • Comments have been moved to chat; please do not continue the discussion here. Before posting a comment below this one, please review the purposes of comments. Comments that do not request clarification or suggest improvements usually belong as an answer, on [meta], or in [chat]. Comments continuing discussion may be removed. – Mokubai Mar 25 '24 at 01:02
  • @Mokubai As stated multiple times here and dozens of other similar posts by dozens of other Windows users, Windows OS can operate without a paging file without these problems. Indeed my OWN Windows 10 worked fine without a paging file.It doesn't take a power user to know that therefore not having a paging file in operation is therefore not "the entire problem". As OP, I would respectfully ask that you if are not going to source your claims, not going to suggest workarounds etc., and not going to address the question directly then please, PLEASE, leave the question to other users able to do so. – Dale Newton Mar 25 '24 at 02:50
  • I would also greatly appreciate it if comments here and any possible answers respect the conditions of the question and respect the guidelines on comments linked to above. As clearly stated multiple times, turning on the paging file is not an option in my use case for the reasons given and will not be considered (by me at least!) as an answer. – Dale Newton Mar 25 '24 at 03:00

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