- RAM is stored in Integrated Circuits (IC). Today, they are organized in small cards that need to be plugged int the motherboard of your computer.

Precise details are really dependent on YOUR computer model, but here are some rough guidelines:
- if you have a desktop, probably your motherboard has 2, 4 or (rarely) 3 slots for memory cards. if any of these is empty... plugging in the right card will give you lots of memory space
- if you have a laptop, most probably you have 2 slots and they are already filled. In that case, as if the desktop is fully filled, you will need to remove one (or two) cards and replace it/them with another.

Additional remarks:
1 - finding the precise detail for the memory car is usually a nightmare. since you do not look as a having lots of technical knowledge, I would suggest that you take the safest route: bring your computer to your computer store (for a desktop: just the main box, no keyboard/mouse/screen, no power cord; for a laptop: laptop AND power supply). ask them to evaluate the situation and to explain you the different solutions. plan for spending 10-80$
2 - rules of thumbs:
= windows XP will be great with 2Gigabytes of RAM, but 1G is already highly correct
= Vista is A MESS with less than 2GB BUT cannot use more than 3 (unless you are running Vista 64 bits)
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If you have a desktop computer, you have to unscrew the casing and open it up. Look for the RAM chip in your computer. If you don't know what it looks like, Google search for desktop computer RAM. Take out the chip and take it to an computer electronic store such as Fry's and ask the customer service if they have any memory chips like the one you have. You should be able to find a larger RAM chip.

If you have a laptop computer. Unscrew the screws on the bottom that hold down a panel that is labeled with little computer chips. There should only be a few screws on this panel. Once you unscrew it you should be able to take out the RAM chip/chips and then take it to a Computer Electronic store to find more memory.

Many computers have 2 slots for RAM and can take up to 2 x 2GB memory chips for a total of 4GB of RAM.

Hope this helps.
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No matter whether you have a desktop or a laptop, the process is the same:
1. Visit the support site associated with your computer manufacturer.
2. Put in the product/model number.
3. Look for the hardware upgrade section, then RAM (also known as memory chips).
4. Either order the RAM from the manufacturer (safest bet) or print the page out that describes the RAM and bring it to your local computer store to get the same RAM in a larger memory size.

From the support area on your computer manufacturer site, you can also get installation instructions and locations of where the chips will be found. This way you are getting specific information for YOUR computer.
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Crucial.Com has RAM at low prices, and the site will also help you to figure out what type of RAM you need.

Be careful, however, with their diagnosis program. It crashed my computer today. Still, they have a section on their main page where you can type in your computer manufacturer and type, and they will determine what type of RAM you need to get.
Source(s):
http://www.crucial.com/

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Well, you can increase RAM a few ways. I don't think you are equipped with the knowledge to replace it yourself, or else you wouldn't even ask. But I would recommend having someone else replace the RAM for you. Make sure it is a friend who repairs computers, or is knowledgeable.

But if you want to go ahead and do it yourself, you must take a few precautions.

I recall it was a hot and dry area that creates the most static electricity. In an area such as California, you absolutly MUST wear a anti-static wriststrap. If you live in a different climate, such as Michigan's, than you can afford to ground yourself every once in a while by touching a metal object every once in a while, such as the computer case if it is metal.

You must look up your computer on your manufacturer's website to find out what type of RAM it uses, or if there is problems with other RAM. They usually recommend a certain type of RAM, or brand, so go with that. (my computer only uses one brand and type of RAM; it sucked to find RAM for it)
You can usually go that Manufacturer's site such as Dell.com. You can also find out the maximum for your computer. It's probably 3.5-4 GB.

Then, buy the RAM needed. Good sites to find RAM would include newegg.com and tigerdirect.com. The latter is my favorite for ordering computer parts. If you can find a Micro Center by you, they are a reputable computer store and they can find your RAM for free by computer model.

Install the RAM using the neccesary precautions, such as the anti-static wriststrap. If your computer does not start up after installing the RAM, or displays a blank screen, the RAM is either static damaged, or more likely, it is the wrong model or type.

Also, a fact: about 10 volts of static electricity passing out of your body you can't even feel, but it can damage a computer part.

Hope it's successful, because I had a hard time getting RAM for my computer the first time.
Source(s):
Trained in A+ Computer Repair, have upgraded RAM for my computer, and make decent money repairing computers.

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Make sure to organize everything in your computer and save it on a flash drive before messing with any programs. Also organizing is a great way to get rid of useless files that may be slowing down your computer. This will help the RAM problem a little too.
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I am not sure what OS @cjd is running and also desktop or laptop. In any case, if your computer is less than three years old, I guess you should have a decent physical memory (RAM) on board.

One of the reasons you see " low on memory" might be due to some memory intensive applications like Database applications. Usually these applications specify optimum physical memory required during the installation process.

If you have less physical memory than recommended, please check your pc maker's support site upgrade options and procedure or use online computer memory site like crucial.com. It's pretty simple if you follow the recommended procedure.

I use crucial.com for buying memory (SODIMMs-Laptops and DIMMs - Desktops). 3Gig for 32Bit OS (subject to max supported) and max supported on hardware for 64Bit OS.

http://www.crucial.com/index.aspx

You select the make, product line and model or use the scanning tool on the home page.

This site gives memory price comparison.
http://www.pricewatch.com/system_memory/

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Here is a good site with description and image of different memory types.

http://www.dewassoc.com/performance/memory/how_to_ID_memory.htm

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanar/3672856784/
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You can also try increasing the virtual memory - paging size and see if it works for windows XP.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanar/3671924511/
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If you are running Vista, the settings are:

"If you receive warnings that your virtual memory is low, you'll need to increase the minimum size of your paging file. Windows sets the initial minimum size of the paging file at the amount of random access memory (RAM) installed on your computer plus 300 megabytes (MB), and the maximum size at 3 times the amount of RAM installed on your computer. If you see warnings at these recommended levels, then increase the minimum and maximum sizes.

1. Open System by clicking the Start button , clicking Control Panel, clicking System and Maintenance, and then clicking System.

2. In the left pane, click Advanced system settings. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

3. On the Advanced tab, under Performance, click Settings.

4. Click the Advanced tab, and then, under Virtual memory, click Change.

5. Clear the Automatically manage paging file size for all drives check box.

6. Under Drive Label, click the drive that contains the paging file you want to change.

7. Click Custom size, type a new size in megabytes in the Initial size (MB) or Maximum size (MB) box, click Set, and then click OK.

Increases in size usually don't require a restart, but if you decrease the size, you'll need to restart your computer for the changes to take effect. We recommend that you don't disable or delete the paging file."

http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/help/89ca317f-649d-40a6-8934-e5707ee5c4b81033.mspx
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If you plan to do a clean install, here is a mahalo Q&A regarding taking back up on Windows.

http://www.mahalo.com/answers/operating-systems/what-are-your-favorite-backup-methods-when-doing-a-clean-os-install

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here is a generic video on desktop memory upgrade.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2EC4BxtBSY

here is a generic video on laptop memory upgrade.
Source(s):
http://www.crucial.com/index.aspx

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The following answer is assuming that you are running Windows: First of all, the message you are seeing isn't directly referring to the ammount of RAM in your computer. Its referring to a combination of RAM and the Windows swap file. Programs are stored in RAM when they are running, because it is the only type of memory in your computer that is capable of communicating with the processor fast enough. When a program is running but it is not doing anything, Windows moves it to a swap file on the hard drive so that there is room in the RAM for other things. If the program then decides to do something, Windows must move it back to the RAM so that it can work. With that said, you should try the following quick fixes before adding RAM. 1. If you haven't rebooted your computer for a long time, try that first. RAM gets reset every time your computer shuts down. It is generally not a good thing to leave your computer run 24/7 and never reboot it, just like it is not good for you to run 24/7 and never sleep. 2. It is odd that this message is suddenly appearing. Are you running a lot of programs when this message appears? If so, then running fewer programs at a time will solve the problem. RAM is never permanently used. 3. If your computer isn't running slow, you should increase the size of your Windows swap file. In XP, go to Start If you currently have no swap file at all, then that is your problem right there. Start with a 512 MB swap file and that should solve your problme. Also, please note that if your computer is running slowly, then increasing your swap file size is not for you. If none of that fixes your problem, then you will want to add RAM to your computer. It is not difficult and if you follow the instructions you probably won't have a problem. Try the following steps: Go to www.crucial.com Use the scanner tool to determine what you already have for RAM in your computer. It will measure it in MB or GB. 1 GB=1024 MB. The following is how much RAM you should have: For XP: Less than 512 MB: Not enough to run Windows well. Add more RAM based on your needs (see below). 512 MB to 1 GB: Enough to run Windows and should be fine for running basic tasks like word processing and web browsing, but not if you have many programs running at the same time. 1 GB to 2 GB: You should already have enough RAM unless you are editing videos, playing games, or running a lot of programs at the same time. 2 GB to 3 GB: I don't recommend upgrading your RAM. 3 GB to 4 GB: You probably have the maximum ammount of RAM you can run in your machine. For Vista 32 bit (Check your computer's documentation if you are not sure wheather you have 32 or 64 bit) Less than 1 GB: Not enough to run Windows well. Add more RAM based on your needs (see below) 1 GB to 2 GB: Just enough for basic tasks. You should still probably add more RAM. 2 GB to 3 GB: Enough for web browsing, word processing, and some other things. Add more if you are editing videos, pictures, or playing games. 3 GB to 4 GB: You probably have the maximum ammount of RAM you can have. For Vista 64 bit: Less than 2 GB: Not enough to run Windows well. Add more RAM. 2 GB to 4 GB: You should have enough for most tasks. Add more if you are playing games or editing videos. 4 GB to 12 GB: I don't recommend adding more RAM unless you are playing games. 12 GB or more: You probably have the maximum ammount of RAM you can have. Next, check to see if you have an empty slot. If you have an empty slot, you can buy more RAM and add it to your existing RAM. If you don't then you will have to replace some of the RAM in your computer with a bigger stick of RAM. Check to see what kind of RAM you need and how much of it. Then go to www.newegg.com. Click on Computer Hardware I hope this helps and good luck! Edit: If you made it this far, I swear this is broken up into paragraphs in the editor. I don't know its being posted as one large lump of text.
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Attach a turbocharger to your RAM.
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Well personally the cheapest way is to use flash drive then plug it into the usb port then open it and click on ready boost, test it and it should speed you up a bit. Really help speed up my windows vista.
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running low in RAM is Low Virtual memory as well.

Increase the RAM - Purchase one with the size you need and put in the slot available for.
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