can I run XP with 200mb of free diskspace and virtual mem. turned off?

[indessen]

I want plan to run a slim version of Windows XP (oem/ibm thinkpad) with
MS office, which should take up about 1,5 gb of space, on the 2Gb flash
IDE drive.

Considerung that I may store a further 200Mb of files, is 300Mb of
empty disk space enough to run? I have 512Mb Ram and swap file would be
turned off, mainly using for typing and browsing.

Thanks.
Louis

 

[Detlev Dreyer]

I have 512Mb Ram and swap file would be
turned off, mainly using for typing and browsing.

To disable the swap file is not a good idea, no matter how much RAM
installed. "To change the size of the virtual memory paging file"
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/...vancd_perform_change_vmpagefile.mspx?mfr=true

| Microsoft strongly recommends that you do not disable or delete the
| paging file.

 

[Og]

I want plan to run a slim version of Windows XP (oem/ibm thinkpad) with
MS office, which should take up about 1,5 gb of space, on the 2Gb flash
IDE drive.

Considerung that I may store a further 200Mb of files, is 300Mb of
empty disk space enough to run? I have 512Mb Ram and swap file would be
turned off, mainly using for typing and browsing.

Thanks.
Louis

Alex Nichol (http://www.aumha.org/win5/a/xpvm.php) answers your question
succinctly:
.......
Can the Virtual Memory be turned off on a really large machine?
Strictly speaking Virtual Memory is always in operation and cannot be
"turned off." What is meant by such wording is "set the system to use no
page file space at all."
Doing this would waste a lot of the RAM. The reason is that when programs
ask for an allocation of Virtual memory space, they may ask for a great deal
more than they ever actually bring into use - the total may easily run to
hundreds of megabytes. These addresses have to be assigned to somewhere by
the system. If there is a page file available, the system can assign them to
it - if there is not, they have to be assigned to RAM, locking it out from
any actual use.
.......
Steve

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I want plan to run a slim version of Windows XP (oem/ibm thinkpad)
with MS office, which should take up about 1,5 gb of space, on the
2Gb flash IDE drive.

Are you planning on running Windows from an external drive? There may be
some exceptions for particular hardware, but in general this can not be
done.

Considerung that I may store a further 200Mb of files, is 300Mb of
empty disk space enough to run?

Almost certainly not. Expectations of how much more you will need almost
always turn out to be greatly underestimated.

I have 512Mb Ram and swap file would
be turned off, mainly using for typing and browsing.

It is never a good idea to disable the page file entirely, no matter how
much memory you have.

1. If you don't have a page file, you can't use all the RAM you have. That's
because Windows preallocates virtual memory in anticipation of a possible
need for it, even though that allocated virtual memory may never be used.
Without a page file, that allocation has to be made in real memory, thus
tying up that memory and preventing it from being used for any purpose.


2. There is never any possible benefit in not having a page file. If it
isn't needed, it won't be used. Don't confuse allocated memory with used
memory.

 

[indessen]

Ken Blake, MVP wrote:

Are you planning on running Windows from an external drive? There may be
some exceptions for particular hardware, but in general this can not be
done.

I plan to run it on a internal 2Gb Transcend IDE 2.5" Flash Drive: it
looks like a hard drive (pins etc.), but inside has flash mem.

Almost certainly not. Expectations of how much more you will need almost
always turn out to be greatly underestimated.

I've prepared the sys already and I get to 1,4 Gb, leaving 600 Mb, the
free space I only need to save word docs. I will use it to write a
thesis.

It is never a good idea to disable the page file entirely, no matter how
much memory you have.

1. If you don't have a page file, you can't use all the RAM you have. That's
because Windows preallocates virtual memory in anticipation of a possible
need for it, even though that allocated virtual memory may never be used.
Without a page file, that allocation has to be made in real memory, thus
tying up that memory and preventing it from being used for any purpose.


2. There is never any possible benefit in not having a page file. If it
isn't needed, it won't be used. Don't confuse allocated memory with used
memory.

the benefit of not having a page file is to limit the write/erase
cycles, according to manufacturer the above drive lasts for at least
100.000 cycles.

Louis

 

[Rock]

I plan to run it on a internal 2Gb Transcend IDE 2.5" Flash Drive: it
looks like a hard drive (pins etc.), but inside has flash mem.


I've prepared the sys already and I get to 1,4 Gb, leaving 600 Mb, the
free space I only need to save word docs. I will use it to write a
thesis.


the benefit of not having a page file is to limit the write/erase
cycles, according to manufacturer the above drive lasts for at least
100.000 cycles.

Louis

If there is a second internal hard drive direct the page file to there, just
keep a small one on the main drive. See this link on managing virtual
memory in XP. Without a page file on the main drive XP may complain and
create one anyway using more space than you want.

http://www.aumha.org/win5/a/xpvm.php

 

[GHalleck]

I plan to run it on a internal 2Gb Transcend IDE 2.5" Flash Drive: it
looks like a hard drive (pins etc.), but inside has flash mem.

Interesting concept of using a solid state hard drive. But why
not shoot the works and install the Transcend 8 GB version? It
will solve the issues of the pagefile. OTOH, more important, is
there any real advantage to using a solid state hard drive for
Windows? The improvement is going to be fractional in comparison
to a typical, fast hard drive.