:: Pagefile improvement & a question

[Fishy]

Hi guys,
I was reading this group and learned about the Systernals pagefile defragmenter. I
ran it -- it fixed my 247,000 fragments on the pagefile!
Can you help me more? I have forgotten how to find out how much memory I have. It's
either 500 or 1GB. I'd like to set the pagefile.sys so that it won't get fragmented
again. After I find out how much memory I have, what size should I make the pagefile?

 

[Jim]

That is typical of a system-managed page file.

To keep that from happening, turn the page file OFF and restart. Then
set a page file of custom size with both settings being the same
(fixed size), making sure the size is within the recommendation.

Dell set the pagefile size on my systems at 1.5x the initial memory size. I
changed the setting to "system managed size". So far, after several years,
the pagefiles have only two fragments.
While moderate fragmentation is unlikely to cause much problem, 247000
(which is most certainly not moderate) will surely result in delayed reading
and writing to the pagefile, and thus the system will be slower.

Jim

 

[Fishy]

"System Managed Size" works for most people. I wonder how the pagefile
became so fragmented.
Jim

Letting windows/system manage the pagefile is a big problem. It fragmenmts it. I haven't
defragged the pagefile for at least 3 years, and have worked on hundreds of huge documents
and image files.

I can say this: Since defragging it, my system is approximately 8.3 times faster! It's
wonderful!

So from another post, the trick is to set the min and max to the same number? I had mine
set at different levels. I have 67% free space, so I should be fine.

QUESTION: How do I find out how much memory I have?

 

[Gerry]

Jim

I think you will find 247,000 is nowhere near the record.


--



Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Gerry]

Right click on the My Computer icon on your Desktop and select
Properties to get this information.

If you want a constant contiguous pagefile you want to set a minimum =
maximum page file say 1.5 times your RAM or a bit more if you feel you
can. A Windows Managed option as suggested in another response is the
wrong option if you want a contiguous file. You may have some difficulty
creating it if you have less than 60% free disk space.

Another freeware defragmenter is Defraggler. This has a feature (which
I have not tried) which enable to locate files on the disk at the end of
the volume. I have a single contiguous pagefile created before I became
aware of Defraggler so I was using the the Microsoft Disk Defragmenter
when my set up was created. There are a few tricks which you can use if
the amount of free disk space is marginally working against you.

An interesting relatively new entrant to the market is Defraggler
(freeware for home users) which I am currently testing. It is worth
looking at and does not with any negative reports. It also comes
from the software house providing cCleaner:
http://www.defraggler.com/features


--



Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Fishy]

OK -- It says I've got 640 MG of RAM. Can that be right? It sounds like a really weird
number.

<*(((><
Fishy Lives!

 

[Fishy]

I've tried Defraggler. I like the option to defrag a single file at a time; sometimes I
work on word docs that are 20 megs. Defragging helps.

But I could not get Defraggler to even show me the pagefile.sys file. That's a problem.

<*(((><
Fishy Lives!

 

[Gerry]

Fishy

640 mb RAM may not be commonly reported but it is a multiple of 64. Thus
you could have 512 mb in one slot and 128 mb in another slot.

You can use Belarc Advisor to get this sort of information about your
computer:
http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html

--



Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Gerry]

Fishy

You do not need Defraggler to create a contiguous pagefile and the
programme does not defragment the pagefile. Using the Microsoft Disk
Defragmenter and the Analyse facility you can ascertain how many
pagefile fragments there are by viewing the report.

This is part of a post I made some time ago which explains in detail how
to achieve a contiguous pagefile. Given you have or had 67% free disk
space you should be successful.

My first suggestion is that you download and install cCleaner
(freeware). I will explain about using it later.
http://www.ccleaner.com/ccdownload.asp
http://www.ccleaner.com/

You should now change your pagefile settings. Select Start, Control
Panel, System, Advanced, Performance Settings, Advanced, Virtual Memory,
Change and place the cursor on C drive in the next window. Check the box
before "No pagefile" and click on Set, OK and exit.

Next maximise your free space by taking the following measures. Turn off
the monitoring by System Restore on all drives and partitions. You
should only be monitoring your C partition but for now you need to win
free disk space. Right click your My Computer icon on the Desktop and
select System Restore. Check the box before "Turn off System Restore on
all drives. Now run cCleaner.

With any cleaner you need to proceed with caution. When using cCleaner
think twice before checking Autocomplete Form History under Internet
Explorer. You do get a warning but this one has irritating consequences.
You may need to restore your system's recollection of passwords after
use so keep a record off computer so that they can easily be re-entered.

Leave the Scan for Issues option alone.

Now run Disk Defragmenter and when this has completed restart your
computer. Rebooting enables the pagefile change to take effect so at
this point you will have maximised your free disk space. Run Disk
Defragmenter again. You should now change your pagefile settings again.
Select Start, Control Panel, System, Advanced, Performance Settings,
Advanced, Virtual Memory, Change and place the cursor on C drive /
partition. Select Custom Size and set a Minumum and a Maximum of 1,000
mb. When you have made your selection click on Set, OK and exit. You
will need to restart your computer for the new settings to take effect.
http://aumha.org/win5/a/xpvm.htm

You will now have got the pagefile to the best you can achieve. If you
do not subsequently change your pagefile settings the number of
fragments, if any, should not increase. The pagefile will most likely
display as a limited number of contiguous green unmoveable areas in the
graphical display in Disk Defragmenter. It may display as a solid green
unmoveable area, which is the ideal and a completely contiguous
pagefile.

One final task is to put your System Restore arrangements back in place.
The default allocation to System Restore is 12% on your C partition,
which is over generous. I would reduce it to 700 mb. Right click your My
Computer icon on the Desktop and select System Restore. Place the cursor
on your C drive select Settings but this time find the slider and drag
it to the left until it reads 700 mb and exit. When you get to the
Settings screen click on Apply and OK and exit. Now turn System Restore
back on for just your C partition. Right click your My Computer icon on
the Desktop and select System Restore. Uncheck the box before "Turn off
System Restore on all drives. You now need to stop the monitoring of all
drives / partitions except C. The instructions to do this are in the
next link:
http://bertk.mvps.org/html/drivedisable.html

The method described above is complicated and convoluted but it only
needs to be done once. In future providing you maintain 15% free disk
space defragmenting will be a bit quicker and you should get better
results when you run Disk Defragmenter.


--



Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Fishy]

I had already followed your suggestions with great success! I've got a 960 mg
pagefile in one contiguous section. I am happy.
I think my comments on defraggler threw a red herring into the mix. Sorry

BTW, I've already got cCleaner; already keep my Sys Restore settings to a reasonable size,
and only monitor the C: drive (unless I've moved some of the Docs&Settings subfiles to the
D:drive).

I'm really happy with my fixed-up pagefile sys.

<*(((><
Fishy Lives!

 

[Gerry]

Fishy

Well done. Thanks for letting me know.

--



Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~