Most computer users have had it happen to them. Their screens start to pop up with weird notifications and the state of the art system they thought they had is running at a snail's pace. The chances are very good that the only thing wrong with the computer is a shortage of memory. Before you run out and buy a bunch of memory for your system, you want to be sure that is truly the problem. There are four tell tale signs that your computer needs more memory to operate at its highest potential.

The first thing to look for is sub par or poor performance from your PC. A classic sign is when you try to open a program and it either doesn't respond or seems to take forever to open. Memory problems can crop up quickly and the system may gradually start to act strangely or the situation may pop up all at once. Either way, a lack of memory is simple to correct and are less expensive than calling in professionals that will only tell you need more memory.

The second sign that your computer is forgetting things are the notifications that are beginning to pop up on your screen. They typically say things like low memory or out of memory. In this case, the problem is pretty obvious. The system needs more memory.

Another signal of memory issues is display problems. You pull up a page and it either only partially loads or refusing to load at all. This can happen online or in a saved document or file you are trying to work in. The problem may manifest as a blank space where the data should be or by simply not showing anything on screen at all.

In unusual cases, the PC may not operate at all. In other words, when you open anything, the system will not respond. You are left looking at your home page instead of seeing any operation progress. Once again, correcting a memory problem in your computer is easy to do and takes very little time.

When you bought your computer the chances are good that you were told it had everything you would ever need in terms of disk space, memory, and all of the possible bells and whistles. Naturally the salesperson wasn't going to tell you that memory is one of those things that simply run out. To help you understand exactly why your system is refusing to cooperate, you have to understand about the different types of memory and what your computer does with them.

Both types of memory are important to maintaining the computer in proper working condition. RAM or random access memory is the memory your computer uses first. Its operation is to run any program you call up. When RAM memory is low, the computer automatically files the information in the system's virtual memory. When the information is moved to the virtual memory, it frees up space in the RAM memory to properly run the program itself.

A low memory problem results when the computer runs out of random access memory and has to rely on virtual memory. There are programs available that take up a lot of space and can quickly deplete your computer's memory space. This type of problem can also be the result of having a program installed on your computer that you no longer need, but it hasn't freed up the memory space. You may read or hear this referred to as memory overuse or as a memory leak.

Fortunately it is a simple process to install additional memory and/or clear out unnecessary, unused programs. Both methods will help restore your computer back to its original operating speed and efficiency.