Paging file missing or too small

[Michel Merlin]

My PC won't boot anymore without my backup HD plugged,
complaining about my paging file.

Before detailed report, all the following is done on my desktop
PC:

- three "ViPowER DataBridge IDE racks VP-10LSFU-133",
http://www.vipower.com.tw/P_MobileRACK.php?model_no=VP-10LSFU-133
- Mobo: Gigabyte GA-7VA Rev 1.0,
http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Products/Motherboard/Products_Spec.aspx?ProductID=1409
- CPU+RAM: Athlon XP 2000+, 1×512MB
- W2KSP4
=> a priori not involved here:
- Maxtor Ultra ATA 100/133 IDE/PCI Card
- Silicon Image's SiI 3112 SATALink 2-Port PCI Host Controller

The HDs involved (not too old Hitachi 3.5" 7200rpm models)
are each in a drawer, ready to be quickly inserted in one of
the VP-10LSFU-133 racks. I then can run 3 IDE HDs concurrently.

--ooOOoo--

After building a sibling (called "604" because bought in Apr
2006) of my main W2K HD (called "502"), I rebooted with only
"604" plugged, and could verify it was booting correctly.

Then I rebooted with
- "502" in 1st position (IDE channel 1, master)
- "604" in position 2 (IDE channel 2, master).
But I discovered with surprise that,
while duly booting on "502" as usual in such case,
the system had assigned it the "I:\" letter,
leaving "C:\" to "604". I could check everything was
actually running from "I:\", for instance in:
Start > Settings > Control Panel > System > Advanced

Environment Variables

and in:
Outlook Express > Tools > Options > Maintenance > Store Folder.

Then after I Shut down and removed the "604" HD, reboot failed:

- "Welcome to Windows" screen, asking
"Press Ctrl-Alt-Delete to begin"
- "Log On to Windows" screen, asking for PWD;
this is where things went out of normal:

_____________________________________________________
| Limited Virtual Memory
|_____________________________________________________
| Your system has no paging file, or the paging file is.
| X too small.
|
| 1. Right-click My Computer, click Properties, and then
| click the Advanced tab.
| 2. Click on the Performance Options button, and then
| click on the Change button. Under Drive
| [Volume Label], select the drive you want.
| 3. To create a new paging file, click the
| Initial Size (MB) box, and then type a
| paging file size.
| - Or -
| To increase the paging file size, click the
| Maximum Size (MB) box, and then type a larger
| paging file size.
|
| When you have finished, click Set, and then click OK.
|
| | OK |
|_____________________________________________________

Unfortunately, after clicking that last "OK", the system shortly
(less than 1sec) displays "Loading your personal settings",
- then continues playing the "Starting Windows" sound while
displaying "Saving your settings..." for a while
- then displays the "Welcome to Windows" screen
("Press Ctrl-Alt-Delete to begin")
- then the "Log On to Windows" screen

This time the Wall Paper remains empty for a longer time
(~1min), after which the system comes back to the "Welcome to
Windows" screen (asking "Press Ctrl-Alt-Delete to begin"), thus
entering a loop and leaving me no chance to do what it had
requested me (to change the paging file size or settings).

So I am now unable to use my PC unless I keep my "604" backup
plugged in.

Then (with "604" plugged) I tried many things, including:

- "Start > Settings > Control Panel > System > Advanced

Performance > Performance Options > Change":

checking I had just one paging file, 768-1536, in "C: [604]"
- Adding another paging file, 768-1536, in "I: [502]"
rebooting with "604" (I checked Windows left
my paging file settings unchanged: two PFs, in "C:" and "I:"),
then rebooting without "604": fails.
- Removing the paging file in "C: [604]"
rebooting with "604" (PF settings again unchanged:
one PF in "I:", none in "C:"),
then rebooting without "604" fails again, despite checking
again "Performance Options" (after a 1001th time shutting
down, plugging back the "604" HD, rebooting) shows that
there is still one PF in "I:" and none in "C:"...

I am lost, and very annoyed. Thanks to anyone who could help!

Paris, Fri 19 May 2006 12:20:10 +0200

 

[Michel Merlin]

I forgot to mention each HD has 6 partitions, which is why:

- one HD has letters C: D: E: F: G: H:
- the next has I: J: K: L: M: N:

so the 2 active partitions (or OS partitions)
are "C:\" and "I:\".

First time the problem arose, I tried in "Control Panel >
Administrative Tools > Computer Management > Disk Management"
to change "502" from "I:\" to "C:\", but Windows wouldn't let me
do that, even with a Restart (while it usually lets me do this
with a Restart when on non-OS partitions).

I think the problem may have been triggered by an action from
me, or by Acronis True Image 9 (that I used to build the sibling
"604" HD), but the very causes are IMO mainly in Windows:

1) Windows issues the "Limited Virtual Memory" error window,
while building a situation where the user is unable to do
what this error window is requesting;
2) As early as in Windows 98SE (and probably W95), Windows was
able to chose automatically where to create, maintain and use
a swap file, and even to move it from a disk to another if
the available space got insufficient; I am almost sure W2K
in its early years was able too; then it's hard to understand
that in 2006, W2K is now unable to create and handle a
(768 to 1536)-MB paging file on its own HD when there is
10GB free on that disk.

Paris, Fri 19 May 2006 13:17:40 +0200


----- Parent Message -----
From: "Michel Merlin" <[email protected]>
Newsgroup:
news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.win2000.general
Message:
news://msnews.microsoft.com/#[email protected]
l
Sent: Fri 19 May 2006 12:20:10 +0200 (10:20:10 GMT)
Subject: Paging file missing or too small

My PC won't boot anymore without my backup HD plugged,
complaining about my paging file.

Before detailed report, all the following is done on my desktop
PC:

- three "ViPowER DataBridge IDE racks VP-10LSFU-133",

http://www.vipower.com.tw/P_MobileRACK.php?model_no=VP-10LSFU-13
3
- Mobo: Gigabyte GA-7VA Rev 1.0,

http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Products/Motherboard/Products_Spec.as
px?ProductID=1409
- CPU+RAM: Athlon XP 2000+, 1×512MB
- W2KSP4
=> a priori not involved here:
- Maxtor Ultra ATA 100/133 IDE/PCI Card
- Silicon Image's SiI 3112 SATALink 2-Port PCI Host Controller

The HDs involved (not too old Hitachi 3.5" 7200rpm models)
are each in a drawer, ready to be quickly inserted in one of
the VP-10LSFU-133 racks. I then can run 3 IDE HDs concurrently.

--ooOOoo--

After building a sibling (called "604" because bought in Apr
2006) of my main W2K HD (called "502"), I rebooted with only
"604" plugged, and could verify it was booting correctly.

Then I rebooted with
- "502" in 1st position (IDE channel 1, master)
- "604" in position 2 (IDE channel 2, master).
But I discovered with surprise that,
while duly booting on "502" as usual in such case,
the system had assigned it the "I:\" letter,
leaving "C:\" to "604". I could check everything was
actually running from "I:\", for instance in:
Start > Settings > Control Panel > System > Advanced

Environment Variables

and in:
Outlook Express > Tools > Options > Maintenance > Store Folder.

Then after I Shut down and removed the "604" HD, reboot failed:

- "Welcome to Windows" screen, asking
"Press Ctrl-Alt-Delete to begin"
- "Log On to Windows" screen, asking for PWD;
this is where things went out of normal:

_____________________________________________________
| Limited Virtual Memory
|_____________________________________________________
| Your system has no paging file, or the paging file is.
| X too small.
|
| 1. Right-click My Computer, click Properties, and then
| click the Advanced tab.
| 2. Click on the Performance Options button, and then
| click on the Change button. Under Drive
| [Volume Label], select the drive you want.
| 3. To create a new paging file, click the
| Initial Size (MB) box, and then type a
| paging file size.
| - Or -
| To increase the paging file size, click the
| Maximum Size (MB) box, and then type a larger
| paging file size.
|
| When you have finished, click Set, and then click OK.
|
| | OK |
|_____________________________________________________

Unfortunately, after clicking that last "OK", the system shortly
(less than 1sec) displays "Loading your personal settings",
- then continues playing the "Starting Windows" sound while
displaying "Saving your settings..." for a while
- then displays the "Welcome to Windows" screen
("Press Ctrl-Alt-Delete to begin")
- then the "Log On to Windows" screen

This time the Wall Paper remains empty for a longer time
(~1min), after which the system comes back to the "Welcome to
Windows" screen (asking "Press Ctrl-Alt-Delete to begin"), thus
entering a loop and leaving me no chance to do what it had
requested me (to change the paging file size or settings).

So I am now unable to use my PC unless I keep my "604" backup
plugged in.

Then (with "604" plugged) I tried many things, including:

- "Start > Settings > Control Panel > System > Advanced

Performance > Performance Options > Change":

checking I had just one paging file, 768-1536, in "C: [604]"
- Adding another paging file, 768-1536, in "I: [502]"
rebooting with "604" (I checked Windows left
my paging file settings unchanged: two PFs, in "C:" and "I:"),
then rebooting without "604": fails.
- Removing the paging file in "C: [604]"
rebooting with "604" (PF settings again unchanged:
one PF in "I:", none in "C:"),
then rebooting without "604" fails again, despite checking
again "Performance Options" (after a 1001th time shutting
down, plugging back the "604" HD, rebooting) shows that
there is still one PF in "I:" and none in "C:"...

I am lost, and very annoyed. Thanks to anyone who could help!

Paris, Fri 19 May 2006 12:20:10 +0200

 

[Michel Merlin]

A - More on the Problem and Situation
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
Other things I could have mentioned:

- The FS (File System) on the affected active partition is NTFS;
I had never such problem in 6 years of running W2K on various
systems, all with FAT32;
- In have the following files right now:

(no pagefile.sys in C:\)
C:\hiberfil.sys 511MB Thu 18 May 2006 17:02:58
I:\pagefile.sys 768MB
I:\hiberfil.sys 511MB Fri 19 May 2006 11:55:03

B - Research
~-~-~-~-~-~-~
searching, reading, and among other good resources, selected:

http://www.google.com/search?q=Paging+file+missing+or+too+small,
which gives:

1) explanation:
http://www.techspot.com/vb/topic4041.html#post35735 >
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/140472 > Registry/PagingFiles
(me: "I:\pagefile.sys 768 1536"!)

2) Fix: http://www.mcse.ms/archive42-2005-6-1650300.html >
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/249321 (§5) recommends
"FDISK /MBR", saying that should re-write the MBR
(Master Boot Record) and erase the disk signature associated
with volume GUID, and Windows 2000 should assign default
drive letters and allow logon.

C- Applying the Fix
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
a) verified that my "604" clone HD alone boots correctly (thus
making a good backup)
b) applied "FDISK /MBR" (booting from W98SE Startup CD,
with "502" as the only HD) and rebooted:
1. "Limited Virtual Memory" message, but Windows finished
booting nevertheless
2. "System Settings Change" windowlet saying
"Windows 2000 has finished installing new devices.
You must restart your computer before the new settings
will take effect. Do you want to restart your computer now?
Yes | No"
3. Why I leave that windowlet pending, I am told:
_________________________________________
| Windows - Virtual memory Minimum Too Low
|_________________________________________
| Your system is low on virtual memory. Windows is
| X increasing the size of your virtual memory paging
| file. During this process, memory requests for
| some applications may be denied. For more
| information, see Help.
|
| | OK |
|_________________________________________

I click "OK".

4. I check "Performance > Performance Options", which triggers:
__________________________________________________
| System Control Panel Applet
|__________________________________________________
| Windows created a temporary paging file on your
| i computer because of a problem that occurred with your
| paging file configuration when you started your
| computer. The total paging file size for all disks
| may be somewhat larger than the size you specified.
|
| | OK |
|__________________________________________________

I click "OK"., then the "Change" window opens, and shows
there are no paging file sizes specified at all in the 6
available partitions (C: [502_0] to H: [502_5]).

5. I check Environment Variables: all drives are duly "C:\"

6. I check Registry, see http://support.microsoft.com/kb/140472
"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control
\Session Manager\Memory Management\PagingFiles":
still reads « I:\pagefile.sys 768 1536 »!!
I guess the problem is not solved, and next reboot will
fail...

7. To prevent that problem, I apply now the
"Limited Virtual Memory" advice that I had been
prevented to apply so far:
in "Performance Options > Change" I set "C: [502] 768 1536",
which trigers:
_______________________________________________________
| System Control Panel Applet
|_______________________________________________________
| Another file exists with the filename
| "C:\pagefile.sys".
| ? Do you wich to overwrite the existing file with a
| page file?
|
| | OK |
|_______________________________________________________

I click "OK". Then, in the Registry > PagingFiles (that I kept
open) I still see "I:\pagefile.sys 768 1536", but closing
Registry and reopening now duly shows in PagingFiles:
"C:\pagefile.sys 768 1536". So I think I can try reboot now...
chilling... Chill with me folks... I click "Yes" in the "System
Settings Change" windowlet...

Fri 19 May 2006 18:02:51 +0200, the system has rebooted with no
problem, no more message or slowing down, and everything seems
to work! I make that detailed report hoping it will help the
next affected ones lose less time than I did...

Paris, Fri 19 May 2006 19:01:45 +0200


----- Parent Message -----
From: "Michel Merlin" <[email protected]>
Newsgroup: news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.win2000.general
Message: news://msnews.microsoft.com/[email protected]
Sent: Fri 19 May 2006 13:17:40 +0200 (11:17:40 GMT)
Subject: (Each HD has 6 partitions)

I forgot to mention each HD has 6 partitions, which is why:

- one HD has letters C: D: E: F: G: H:
- the next has I: J: K: L: M: N:

so the 2 active partitions (or OS partitions)
are "C:\" and "I:\".

First time the problem arose, I tried in "Control Panel >
Administrative Tools > Computer Management > Disk Management"
to change "502" from "I:\" to "C:\", but Windows wouldn't let me
do that, even with a Restart (while it usually lets me do this
with a Restart when on non-OS partitions).

I think the problem may have been triggered by an action from
me, or by Acronis True Image 9 (that I used to build the sibling
"604" HD), but the very causes are IMO mainly in Windows:

1) Windows issues the "Limited Virtual Memory" error window,
while building a situation where the user is unable to do
what this error window is requesting;
2) As early as in Windows 98SE (and probably W95), Windows was
able to chose automatically where to create, maintain and use
a swap file, and even to move it from a disk to another if
the available space got insufficient; I am almost sure W2K
in its early years was able too; then it's hard to understand
that in 2006, W2K is now unable to create and handle a
(768 to 1536)-MB paging file on its own HD when there is
10GB free on that disk.

Paris, Fri 19 May 2006 13:17:40 +0200


----- Parent Message -----
From: "Michel Merlin" <[email protected]>
Newsgroup: news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.win2000.general
Message: news://msnews.microsoft.com/#[email protected]
Sent: Fri 19 May 2006 12:20:10 +0200 (10:20:10 GMT)
Subject: Paging file missing or too small

My PC won't boot anymore without my backup HD plugged,
complaining about my paging file.

Before detailed report, all the following is done on my desktop
PC:

- three "ViPowER DataBridge IDE racks VP-10LSFU-133",
http://www.vipower.com.tw/P_MobileRACK.php?model_no=VP-10LSFU-133
- Mobo: Gigabyte GA-7VA Rev 1.0,
http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Products/Motherboard/Products_Spec.aspx?ProductID=1409
- CPU+RAM: Athlon XP 2000+, 1×512MB
- W2KSP4
=> a priori not involved here:
- Maxtor Ultra ATA 100/133 IDE/PCI Card
- Silicon Image's SiI 3112 SATALink 2-Port PCI Host Controller

The HDs involved (not too old Hitachi 3.5" 7200rpm models)
are each in a drawer, ready to be quickly inserted in one of
the VP-10LSFU-133 racks. I then can run 3 IDE HDs concurrently.

--ooOOoo--

After building a sibling (called "604" because bought in Apr
2006) of my main W2K HD (called "502"), I rebooted with only
"604" plugged, and could verify it was booting correctly.

Then I rebooted with
- "502" in 1st position (IDE channel 1, master)
- "604" in position 2 (IDE channel 2, master).
But I discovered with surprise that,
while duly booting on "502" as usual in such case,
the system had assigned it the "I:\" letter,
leaving "C:\" to "604". I could check everything was
actually running from "I:\", for instance in:
Start > Settings > Control Panel > System > Advanced

Environment Variables

and in:
Outlook Express > Tools > Options > Maintenance > Store Folder.

Then after I Shut down and removed the "604" HD, reboot failed:

- "Welcome to Windows" screen, asking
"Press Ctrl-Alt-Delete to begin"
- "Log On to Windows" screen, asking for PWD;
this is where things went out of normal:

_____________________________________________________
| Limited Virtual Memory
|_____________________________________________________
| Your system has no paging file, or the paging file is.
| X too small.
|
| 1. Right-click My Computer, click Properties, and then
| click the Advanced tab.
| 2. Click on the Performance Options button, and then
| click on the Change button. Under Drive
| [Volume Label], select the drive you want.
| 3. To create a new paging file, click the
| Initial Size (MB) box, and then type a
| paging file size.
| - Or -
| To increase the paging file size, click the
| Maximum Size (MB) box, and then type a larger
| paging file size.
|
| When you have finished, click Set, and then click OK.
|
| | OK |
|_____________________________________________________

Unfortunately, after clicking that last "OK", the system shortly
(less than 1sec) displays "Loading your personal settings",
- then continues playing the "Starting Windows" sound while
displaying "Saving your settings..." for a while
- then displays the "Welcome to Windows" screen
("Press Ctrl-Alt-Delete to begin")
- then the "Log On to Windows" screen

This time the Wall Paper remains empty for a longer time
(~1min), after which the system comes back to the "Welcome to
Windows" screen (asking "Press Ctrl-Alt-Delete to begin"), thus
entering a loop and leaving me no chance to do what it had
requested me (to change the paging file size or settings).

So I am now unable to use my PC unless I keep my "604" backup
plugged in.

Then (with "604" plugged) I tried many things, including:

- "Start > Settings > Control Panel > System > Advanced

Performance > Performance Options > Change":

checking I had just one paging file, 768-1536, in "C: [604]"
- Adding another paging file, 768-1536, in "I: [502]"
rebooting with "604" (I checked Windows left
my paging file settings unchanged: two PFs, in "C:" and "I:"),
then rebooting without "604": fails.
- Removing the paging file in "C: [604]"
rebooting with "604" (PF settings again unchanged:
one PF in "I:", none in "C:"),
then rebooting without "604" fails again, despite checking
again "Performance Options" (after a 1001th time shutting
down, plugging back the "604" HD, rebooting) shows that
there is still one PF in "I:" and none in "C:"...

I am lost, and very annoyed. Thanks to anyone who could help!

Paris, Fri 19 May 2006 12:20:10 +0200