How to Fix the “Not Enough Physical Memory Is Available” VMware Error in Windows
VMware Workstation is one of the best virtualization software packages for Windows. However, some users see an error message when they try to start virtual machines in VMware Workstation. That error message says, “not enough physical memory is available to power on this virtual machine,” and virtual machines won’t start up.
This VMware issue can arise when there’s more than enough RAM available on a PC. However, there are numerous possible causes for the “not enough physical memory” error. This is how you can fix the “not enough physical memory” WMware error in Windows 10 and 11.
1. Configure VMware to Run as an Administrator
Not running VMware as an administrator places restrictions on its system permissions and access to resources. So, run the software with elevated rights to ensure a lack of permissions isn’t causing any issues.
You can check outhow to run any program as an administrator on Windowsfor more help, or you can set VMware to always run as an administrator like this:
2. Edit the Config File
Lots of users have been able to fix the “not enough physical memory” by editing VMWare’sconfig.inifile. Those users disabled a Host parameter within the software’s configuration file. To disable that Host parameter, open and edit VMware’sconfig.inifile as follows:
3. Expand the Virtual Memory for the Virtual Machine
The “not enough physical memory” error can occur because not enough virtual memory has been allocated to the virtual machine. You can expand a virtual machine’s memory allocation in VMWare like this:
4. Update VMware
The “not enough physical memory” error will more likely arise on outdated WMware versions. So, ensure you’re utilizing the latest version of the software. This is how you could update VMware:
5. Delete a Recent Windows Update
The “not enough physical memory” error can be caused by a Windows update that conflicts with VMware. So, uninstalling a recent update could fix that issue for some users. Check out our guide aboutuninstalling Windows updatesfor further details on how to apply this potential solution.
6. Perform a Clean Boot
Performing a clean boot will disable non-essential apps and services from the Windows startup. Clean booting can potentially resolve the “not enough physical memory” in two ways. Applying this troubleshooting method will ensure there aren’t any third-party programs conflicting with VMware and free up RAM for the software.
To disable all third-party startup programs and services, check out the guidelines in our guide onhow to clean boot in Windows. This will perform a clean boot whenever you restart Windows.
Try utilizing your VMware virtual machine after clean booting. If this works,
7. Set Up a New Virtual Machine
If the issue persists despite applying the resolutions above, consider setting up a new virtual machine to replace the one that needs fixing. Download the latest ISO for the virtual machine’s platform. Then you can set up the virtual machine again, as outlined on theVMware support page.
Jump Into Your WMware Virtual Machine Again
Those Windows fixes for the “Not enough physical memory” error have worked for many VMware Workstation users. So, there’s a decent enough chance one will kick-start your VMWare virtual machine too. However, users who still need more possible fixes for this issue can submit a support request via theVMware Customer Connectpage.
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