Can't set page file size

N

Nahor

Hi,

I have Windows XP SP2 with all patches. My machine has 1GB of RAM and I
don't need much more than that so I wanted to set the page file to 512MB
(initial and max).

However, Windows doesn't let me. I can change it to "No paging file".
Then, after reboot, I can set it to 512MB just fine until the next
restart. After that it goes to 1535MB. The virtual memory settings are
still what I set (512MB init/512MB max) but the allocated shows 1535MB
(with the recommended being 1534MB and minimum 2MB).

I also tried to set to 2048MB but no luck there. It still uses 1535MB.

I wrote a stupid app which allocates memory like crazy just to see if it
was at least a fix size but no, the page file started to grow until it
reached ~3GB, ie until the system reached the 4GB of virtual memory. And
next reboot, you guess it... 1535MB again.

Any idea about what's going on?

Nahor
 
C

Carey Frisch [MVP]

You'll eXPerience the best performance if you just use
the default Windows XP recommended settings for Virtual Memory.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User
Microsoft Newsgroups

Get Windows XP Service Pack 2 with Advanced Security Technologies:
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/windowsxp/choose.mspx

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

:

| Hi,
|
| I have Windows XP SP2 with all patches. My machine has 1GB of RAM and I
| don't need much more than that so I wanted to set the page file to 512MB
| (initial and max).
|
| However, Windows doesn't let me. I can change it to "No paging file".
| Then, after reboot, I can set it to 512MB just fine until the next
| restart. After that it goes to 1535MB. The virtual memory settings are
| still what I set (512MB init/512MB max) but the allocated shows 1535MB
| (with the recommended being 1534MB and minimum 2MB).
|
| I also tried to set to 2048MB but no luck there. It still uses 1535MB.
|
| I wrote a stupid app which allocates memory like crazy just to see if it
| was at least a fix size but no, the page file started to grow until it
| reached ~3GB, ie until the system reached the 4GB of virtual memory. And
| next reboot, you guess it... 1535MB again.
|
| Any idea about what's going on?
|
| Nahor
 
T

T. Waters

If you understood the purpose of Page File and how it worked, you would not
be trying to do this.
With 1 Gig of RAM, why are you so stingy with disk space? At 50 cents for
one Gig, are you going to compromise the performance of your souped-up
machine for one buck?
Please read this explanation:
http://www.theeldergeek.com/paging_file.htm
The page file is like a storage unit. Better to use the storage unit (i.e.,
paging file) for low-priority items (and XP knows the smartest way) than to
live with piles of stuff all around your house (i.e., cluttered RAM).
The bigger Windows wants to make your Paging File, let it, as it puts the
only high-priority stuff in RAM with room to spare for adding even more
high-priority stuff from the Paging File.
 
G

Guest

Nahor said:
However, Windows doesn't let me. I can change it to "No paging file".
Then, after reboot, I can set it to 512MB just fine until the next
restart. After that it goes to 1535MB. The virtual memory settings are
still what I set (512MB init/512MB max) but the allocated shows 1535MB
(with the recommended being 1534MB and minimum 2MB).
Click to expand...
I also tried to set to 2048MB but no luck there. It still uses 1535MB.
Click to expand...

I had that problem about nine months ago after installing some Symantec
programs. It was a real stumper, and it didn't go away even when I
uninstalled all Symantec products and even messed a bit with the registry.
It went away only after I did a clean install of XP.

If you have ever installed Symantec programs, this may be the cause of the
problem. I wish I could remember which specific program I installed. It
might have been Norton Internet Security or even Systemworks (I now know
better, but this is now, that was then).

Ken
 
N

Nahor

Ken said:
If you have ever installed Symantec programs, this may be the cause of the
problem. I wish I could remember which specific program I installed. It
might have been Norton Internet Security or even Systemworks (I now know
better, but this is now, that was then).
Click to expand...

I have Norton Antivirus so that could be it. But I don't remember having
this issue with my previous rig. Or maybe it came with a more recent
Symantec update than the last time I check my page file.

Nahor
 
N

Nahor

T. Waters said:
If you understood the purpose of Page File and how it worked, you would not
be trying to do this.
With 1 Gig of RAM, why are you so stingy with disk space? At 50 cents for
one Gig, are you going to compromise the performance of your souped-up
machine for one buck?
Please read this explanation:
http://www.theeldergeek.com/paging_file.htm
The page file is like a storage unit. Better to use the storage unit (i.e.,
paging file) for low-priority items (and XP knows the smartest way) than to
live with piles of stuff all around your house (i.e., cluttered RAM).
The bigger Windows wants to make your Paging File, let it, as it puts the
only high-priority stuff in RAM with room to spare for adding even more
high-priority stuff from the Paging File.
Click to expand...

Because I noticed that if you do lots of file access (BitTorrent for
instance), Windows will swap pages to free some memory for the file
cache and that will slow down any application that isn't used for a
while and I don't care a bit about BitTorrent performances at that level.

Yes I understand the purpose of Page File but I find that Windows is too
aggressive with it for my taste.
Another example of how bad Windows is: at home, I have 2 GB of RAM,
because of one application refusing to start without a page file, I
created a small 16MB page (the minimum this app wants). When I start
Windows, only about 150MB of RAM is used. Then I start my Web Browser
and immediatly Windows complains about the lack of virtual memory. Shit
man, I have nearly 2GB free!! And since I'm opening an application, why
does Windows want to use precious IO bandwidth when there is so much
free RAM?


Nahor
 
T

T. Waters

When you say, "Windows doesn't let me," that says it all. Letting you set
such a small page file would be foolish. What good are you going to get out
of an extra gig of hard drive space? Don't mess with it. Windows is a lot
smarter than you are, and you are wasting your time. Google, and find out
the "benefits" of having a dinky paging file.
 
N

Nahor

Carey said:
You'll eXPerience the best performance if you just use
the default Windows XP recommended settings for Virtual Memory.
Click to expand...

Maybe it's best but there is still something broken on my system.

As for the best performance, I had an better overall eXPerience with the
page file disabled. I download lots of game demos using BitTorrent and I
don't like it when, coming back from lunch, all my applications are
swapped out because Windows wants a bigger file cache to share a demo
application.


Nahor
 
N

Nahor

T. Waters said:
When you say, "Windows doesn't let me," that says it all. Letting you set
such a small page file would be foolish. What good are you going to get out
of an extra gig of hard drive space? Don't mess with it. Windows is a lot
smarter than you are, and you are wasting your time. Google, and find out
the "benefits" of having a dinky paging file.
Click to expand...

I am not trying to save disk space, I trying to save on the amount of
swapping Windows does just to increase its file cache.

Nahor
 
N

Nahor

T. Waters said:
But since you are a gamer, and therefore a different species, what happens
when you try to opt for "no paging file"?
For many gamers, that apparently works just fine. Can yo get this to work?
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=21951
Click to expand...

Yes, that works. And I was using that for a while. But just yesterday I
was running Photoshop which tried to use more memory that what was left.
That's why I wanted to add a bit of paging file, just enough run
Photoshop but not enough to screw with the file cache.

Ideally, I would set the page file to be 2MB initially (since it's the
minimum that can be set), growing up to 1G or so just in case. But it's
hard to do so if XP doesn't want to hear about any size other than 1.5G :(

Nahor
 
P

Plato

Nahor said:
I have Windows XP SP2 with all patches. My machine has 1GB of RAM and I
don't need much more than that so I wanted to set the page file to 512MB
(initial and max).

However, Windows doesn't let me. I can change it to "No paging file".
Click to expand...

That's why your pc is still working and you can post here.
 
T

T. Waters

If you drag a shortcut for System to your Quick Launch, it takes about 8
seconds to change the paging file on or off, if it comes to that. ;>)
 
N

Nahor

T. Waters said:
If you drag a shortcut for System to your Quick Launch, it takes about 8
seconds to change the paging file on or off, if it comes to that. ;>)
Click to expand...

Not quite, you need to reboot when you turn the paging file off. And if
you can reboot Windows in less than 8s, I'm interested in your
configuration ;)
 
T

T. Waters

Rats.

Nahor said:
Not quite, you need to reboot when you turn the paging file off. And if
you can reboot Windows in less than 8s, I'm interested in your
configuration ;)
Click to expand...
 

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