“Out of Memory” (OOM) is an error message displayed when a computer has run out of spare memory to allocate to programs. An out of memory error causes programs, or even the entire computer, to shut down. This problem is usually caused by too little random access memory (RAM), too many programs or pieces of hardware running at the same time, or a large cache size that sucks up a lot of memory. Some people mistakenly believe that deleting items from the hard drive will alleviate this problem, but it will not decrease the amount of RAM used.
Having little RAM can cause memory problems.
The error means that the computer no longer has spare virtual memory for programs or hardware. To make room for this memory, the computer often forcefully shuts down programs and possibly the entire computer. This memory is normally allocated to programs, but memory and power are also needed to make hardware such as speakers work.
Adding RAM, or random access memory, to your computer can increase its performance.
One of the most common reasons for receiving this error message is a lack of RAM. The system does not have much memory to use for operations, which causes it to run out of memory quickly. This is especially true when running programs like games, which are resource intensive. Even computers with moderate amounts of RAM can encounter this problem if multiple programs and pieces of hardware are used simultaneously.
Computers with a large amount of RAM can also encounter this problem, and while many programs running simultaneously can be the problem, computers with a lot of RAM have a different problem. When a computer starts up, it evaluates the amount of available RAM and creates a cache. The cache itself takes up memory. With computers with a large amount of memory, the cache can take up a substantial amount of memory, causing the out of memory error.
Fixing this problem is usually easy. Close all unnecessary programs to free up resources. At the same time, check the computer status window to make sure you’ve freed up resources, as your computer may not have available RAM for several minutes. Rebooting your computer is the easiest way to ensure all features are free. RAM size can also be upgraded by purchasing and installing new RAM chips.
Some people believe that the error message refers to hard drive memory, because both RAM and hard drive space are casually referred to as memory. Then these people will start deleting files from the computer to free up memory. Although it slims down the hard drive, it will not fix the out of memory error.
Some people mistakenly believe that deleting items from the hard drive will alleviate the “out of memory” problem.
