Managing Memory

Windows NT can address 4 gigabytes of memory. Each application running on Windows NT has most of the lower 2 gigabytes of its virtual address space at its disposal. For a console application, the system uses 5.5 MB of the lower 2 gigabytes to permit you to view portions of the system that reside elsewhere. For a Windows application, the system uses to 9 MB for that purpose.

If your application is being ported from another operating system or from an earlier version of Windows, you might have developed a special virtual memory scheme for your own private use. Having another memory manager for your application decreases performance. To increase performance, let Windows NT manage the virtual address space.

Consider using file mapping in the following situations.