Unless you have been living under a rock for the last 20 years or so, you are already aware of the tremendous strides that have been made in computer technology. In a relatively short amount of time computers have gone from being the size of a room, to the size of a hand's palm. While getting smaller and more compact, they have also become more effective and efficient at their functions. That doesn’t mean that owning and operating a computer means you know exactly how each of the components works.

One of the least understood aspects of a computer's operating system and function has to do with memory. Many people assume that their computer only has one kind and that it has unlimited space available. When their computer begins to run sluggishly or not at all, many are surprised to learn that the problem is the system's memory and it is easy to fix.

Before you are forced to learn the hard way about your computer's memory, let's discuss some of the different types of memory and their functions. The two most often recognized types of memory are RAM and virtual memory. RAM stands for random access memory. This is the type of memory that is responsible for "remembering" the details and programming of the various types of software on the computer. Each computer system is unique in terms of how much memory it has. The misconception among computer challenged people is that this type of memory is unlimited. It isn't. When RAM memory is full, the compute immediately moves given information to the virtual memory. Since virtual memory is intended to be a temporary storage area, if more RAM isn't added or space freed up, your computer will begin to run more slowly and programs and information may be lost or inaccessible.

Another type of computer memory is ROM or read only memory. This type of memory comes into play whenever you shut down or restart your computer. Any data you have on your system or are working on is immediately saved to this memory. When you start your system the ROM performs a power on self test or POST, to make sure all of your software and programs are working as they should. An important aspect of this test is the built in memory controller. In this way, your computer makes sure there aren't any errors in the memory chips.

From the ROM section of the computer's memory, the basic memory component BIOS does its job. This is where the most basic actions of the computer are controlled. In the computer world, it is known as the input/output system. The BIOS controls information about the various boot sequences on the computer, storage devices, and security features. It also keeps track of the system's plug and play capabilities and other vital, background functions of the computer. From this point the computer's memory stores the essential information of the operating system from the hard drive to the RAM memory and the memory cycle comes full circle.

With a working understanding of a computer's memory system, it's easy to see why it is essential to make sure the system's RAM is never overtaxed. RAM is responsible for making the OS or operating system function. If it doesn’t have enough space to make that happen, the computer runs poorly and you may lose use of vital information. Fortunately, your RAM space can be cleared out or increased with additional random access memory sticks. Both methods are useful for creating additional space.

Computers are much easier to understand when you have some knowledge of their memory systems and how to keep them in good operating order.