Increasing Virtual Memory on Windows

This page contains instructions for 32-bit Windows users who need to increase the amount of accessible address space for X-Plane. You only need to follow these instructions if X-Plane takes you to this page on startup. This procedure does not apply to 64-bit Windows (which always provides X-Plane with the 4 GB of address space), or Mac/Linux (where there is no way to customize the address space).

The primary reason for extending the size of virtual memory in Windows XP/Vista 2GB systems is to prevent X-Plane crashes when too many graphics features are selected. Even default rendering options settings can be too robust for some systems on initial startup of X-Plane 10. Before performing any of the procedures below look at the log.txt file found in the main X-Plane 10 folder. Ascertain that virtual memory is set at “Maximum Virtual Memory (for X-Plane only): 2147352576” before increasing virtual memory to 3GB.

Increasing Virtual Memory in Windows 10

Go to the Start Menu and click on Settings.
Type performance.
Choose Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows.
In the new window, go to the Advanced tab and under the Virtual memory section, click on Change.
At the bottom of the new window, check what the Recommended value is and how it compares to Currently allocated.
If the current setting is significantly less than the recommended, uncheck the Automatically manage paging file size for all drives box at the top of the same windows and then click on Custom size.
Enter the Recommended value in the Initial Size box, and a larger figure in the Maximum size box.
Click OK to save the new settings.

Increase 32 Bit Windows XP/Vista Virtual Memory To 3 GB Virtual Memory

Process to increase virtual memory to 3 GB for 32 bit Windows XP only. (Missteps can lead to system instability.) (This procedure for increasing 32 bit Windows XP virtual memory adapted from Microsoft’s tutorial.)

Always Save a Backup Copy of Boot.ini Prior to Editing

Right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
On the Advanced tab, click Settings under Startup and Recovery.
Under System Startup, click Edit. This opens the file in Notepad ready for editing.
In Notepad, click File on the Menu bar, and then click Save As.
Right click in an empty area of the Save As dialog box, point to New in the context menu, and then click Folder.
Type a name for the new folder, for example temp ini file, and then press the ENTER key to create the folder named temp.
Double-click the new folder named temp, and then click the Save button to save a backup copy of the Boot.ini file.

Edit the Boot.ini File To view and edit the Boot.ini file (after seeing before and after sample below):

Right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
On the Advanced tab, click Settings under Startup and Recovery.
Under System Startup, click Edit.
Add space /3GB to end of last line of boot.ini file
Click on File>Save>Exit
Sample Boot.ini File Before and After Changing To Increase Virtual Memory

This is a sample of a default Boot.ini file from a 32 bit Windows XP Home Edition computer.

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn

This is the same Boot.ini file above only modified for virtual memory extension to 3 GB:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn /3GB

Open the Boot.ini File to Verify Changes

Right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
On the Advanced tab, click Settings under Startup and Recovery.
Under System Startup, click Edit.
Observe change was made correctly
If OK, click on File>Exit to exit out of edit mode

Reboot Windows for the changes to take effect.

Start Up X-Plane, File>Quit, and then look in the X-Plane folder at the log.txt file to verify virtual memory is now 3GB.

Process to increase virtual memory to 3GB in 32 bit Windows Vista and 32 bit Windows 7 Only. (Use Caution)

Run with a DOS prompt as the system administrator as follows:

Click on Start
Type “cmd” into the search box
When the cmd prompt is shown, right click and pick “run as administrator” ( if not already logged in as Administrator.)
The DOS screen appears 5. At the end of the prompt type:

BCDEDIT /set increaseuserva 3072

(This can be tricky: There is a space between the ”T /” and “a 3” )

Type “Exit” to exit the script
Restart Windows (the change takes effect on restart).

If BCDEDIT gives you the error message “Error reads “The boot configuration data store could not be opened. Access is denied.”, be sure that you ran the DOS prompt in administrator mode by right-clicking on cmd and picking “run as administrator.”

Start up X-Plane, File>Quit, and then look in the X-Plane folder at the log.txt file to verify virtual memory is now 3GB

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