Physical and virtual memory are forms of memory (internal storage of data). Physical memory exists on chips (RAM memory) and on storage devices such as hard disks. Before a process can be executed, it must first load into RAM physical memory (also termed main memory). Virtual memory is a process whereby data (e.g., programming code,) can be rapidly exchanged between physical memory storage locations and RAM memory. The rapid interchanges of data are seamless and transparent to the user. The use of virtual memory allows the use of larger programs and enables those programs to run faster.

In modern operating systems, data can be constantly exchanged between the hard disk and RAM memory via virtual memory. A process termed swapping is used to exchange data via virtual memory. The use of virtual memory makes it appear that a computer has a...