What is “virtual memory” in a computer system?
a) A section of the hard drive used as additional RAM
b) A memory card used for storing files
c) A type of ROM
d) A device for running virtual machines
Answer:
a) A section of the hard drive used as additional RAM
Explanation:
Virtual memory is a feature of an operating system that allows a computer to use a portion of the hard drive as if it were additional RAM. This helps improve performance when the actual physical RAM is insufficient for running all the active programs.
When the system runs out of RAM, the operating system moves some of the data from RAM to a space called the “page file” or “swap file” on the hard drive. This process is called “paging.” Virtual memory helps the computer handle larger workloads by temporarily storing inactive data.
While virtual memory can enhance a system’s ability to multitask, accessing data from the hard drive is much slower than accessing it from RAM, so performance may degrade if virtual memory is used excessively.