Can't customize pagefile size

T

t@k

My drives are partitioned as follows...

1 - C:E.F.G.
2 - D:H.

I read somewhere that it can help improve performance if a dedicated
drive is used for the pagefile or failing that, a dedicated partition on
a drive with relatively less activity.

I initially created partition G. for this purpose and setting it to
"System managed" causes no problems and a pagefile is created on that
partion. If I try customizing the page file size for G., using any min
and max parameters, the pagefile is created on partition C: using all
remaining free space and resulting in the "Low disk space" warning.
(C: is relatively small for my purposes).

The same happens if I try configuring the pagefile to use partition H:.

Is there any way I can customize the pagefile size and have it created
on the partition for which I am making the changes?

Thanks.
 
D

DL

Customise to what sizes?
How much memory?
Your probably better to just let win manage the size.
 
M

Mak

t@k, I don't know what you've read about paging file placement and
optimization, but it sounds wrong.

The idea of putting paging file on a dedicated drive assumes that your
machine is constantly doing a lot of I/Os to paging file.
(is your machine like that? there is no tools that I know of that will show
I/Os *just* for paging file (unless of course the paging file is alone on a
drive, then you can use perfmon to monitor I/Os to the whole drive))
If it is true and your machine accessing paging file a lot (post what you
are doing with your computer) and adding more RAM is not an option, you will
have *some* benefits having your paging file on a dedicated drive.

However, extra partition for just paging file - will reduce overall
performance. Think about it: ideally, you would want all the files that you
access often to be as close to each other as possible, so that hard disk
heads don't move a lot (access). What the article you've read recommends, is
to put one of your frequently accessed files, paging file, separately from
other frequently accessed files?? This is wrong - you would want your paging
file to be in the *middle* of your most used partition.

Anyway, if your computer is just a workstation with word processing,
internet and some gaming, you think about paging file optimization and
placement too much, it won't make any noticeable difference.
 
R

Rock

t@k said:
My drives are partitioned as follows...

1 - C:E.F.G.
2 - D:H.

I read somewhere that it can help improve performance if a dedicated
drive is used for the pagefile or failing that, a dedicated partition on
a drive with relatively less activity.

I initially created partition G. for this purpose and setting it to
"System managed" causes no problems and a pagefile is created on that
partion. If I try customizing the page file size for G., using any min
and max parameters, the pagefile is created on partition C: using all
remaining free space and resulting in the "Low disk space" warning.
(C: is relatively small for my purposes).

The same happens if I try configuring the pagefile to use partition H:.

Is there any way I can customize the pagefile size and have it created
on the partition for which I am making the changes?

Thanks.

See this link for information on virtual memory and setting the page
file by the late Alex Nichol, MVP.

http://aumha.org/win5/a/xpvm.htm

Set the main page file on the first partition of the second drive and
dedicate that partition only to the page file. You will need to set a
second page file on the C: drive with a minimum of say 2 mb and a max of
50mb otherwise XP may complain and create a large one on C. Normally,
though, with the larger page file set on the other partition, XP will
not create that small page file on C.
 
T

t@k

Rock said...
See this link for information on virtual memory and setting the page
file by the late Alex Nichol, MVP.

http://aumha.org/win5/a/xpvm.htm

Set the main page file on the first partition of the second drive and
dedicate that partition only to the page file. You will need to set a
second page file on the C: drive with a minimum of say 2 mb and a max of
50mb otherwise XP may complain and create a large one on C. Normally,
though, with the larger page file set on the other partition, XP will
not create that small page file on C.

With reference to Drive C:, does that mean the first partition on the
first drive irrelevant to where Windows is installed?

Thanks
 
P

Pennywise

|>Rock said...
|>
|>> See this link for information on virtual memory and setting the page
|>> file by the late Alex Nichol, MVP.
|>>
|>> http://aumha.org/win5/a/xpvm.htm
|>>
|>> Set the main page file on the first partition of the second drive and
|>> dedicate that partition only to the page file. You will need to set a
|>> second page file on the C: drive with a minimum of say 2 mb and a max of
|>> 50mb otherwise XP may complain and create a large one on C. Normally,
|>> though, with the larger page file set on the other partition, XP will
|>> not create that small page file on C.

|>With reference to Drive C:, does that mean the first partition on the
|>first drive irrelevant to where Windows is installed?

No, it's the partition that the OS is installed.

I'm kinda having the same problem you are. Since NT I've always
changed the location and size of the cache file.

I'm running XP home (preinstalled) and XP pro on neither OS can I
change the location of the PageFile, If I do the systems auto selects
system managed pagefile (which is hugh) - I can change the size just
not the location.

Even then the OS reports the pagefile size as if it had set it, yet
viewing the file, it's the size I've set it for.

SP2?

--
 
R

Rock

|>Rock said...
|>
|>> See this link for information on virtual memory and setting the page
|>> file by the late Alex Nichol, MVP.
|>>
|>> http://aumha.org/win5/a/xpvm.htm
|>>
|>> Set the main page file on the first partition of the second drive and
|>> dedicate that partition only to the page file. You will need to set a
|>> second page file on the C: drive with a minimum of say 2 mb and a max of
|>> 50mb otherwise XP may complain and create a large one on C. Normally,
|>> though, with the larger page file set on the other partition, XP will
|>> not create that small page file on C.

|>With reference to Drive C:, does that mean the first partition on the
|>first drive irrelevant to where Windows is installed?

No, it's the partition that the OS is installed.

I'm kinda having the same problem you are. Since NT I've always
changed the location and size of the cache file.

I'm running XP home (preinstalled) and XP pro on neither OS can I
change the location of the PageFile, If I do the systems auto selects
system managed pagefile (which is hugh) - I can change the size just
not the location.

Even then the OS reports the pagefile size as if it had set it, yet
viewing the file, it's the size I've set it for.

SP2?

Dynamic disk? Any norton products installed?
 
P

Pennywise

|>[email protected] wrote:
|>>
|>> |>Rock said...
|>> |>
|>> |>> See this link for information on virtual memory and setting the page
|>> |>> file by the late Alex Nichol, MVP.
|>> |>>
|>> |>> http://aumha.org/win5/a/xpvm.htm
|>> |>>
|>> |>> Set the main page file on the first partition of the second drive and
|>> |>> dedicate that partition only to the page file. You will need to set a
|>> |>> second page file on the C: drive with a minimum of say 2 mb and a max of
|>> |>> 50mb otherwise XP may complain and create a large one on C. Normally,
|>> |>> though, with the larger page file set on the other partition, XP will
|>> |>> not create that small page file on C.
|>>
|>> |>With reference to Drive C:, does that mean the first partition on the
|>> |>first drive irrelevant to where Windows is installed?
|>>
|>> No, it's the partition that the OS is installed.
|>>
|>> I'm kinda having the same problem you are. Since NT I've always
|>> changed the location and size of the cache file.
|>>
|>> I'm running XP home (preinstalled) and XP pro on neither OS can I
|>> change the location of the PageFile, If I do the systems auto selects
|>> system managed pagefile (which is hugh) - I can change the size just
|>> not the location.
|>>
|>> Even then the OS reports the pagefile size as if it had set it, yet
|>> viewing the file, it's the size I've set it for.
|>>
|>> SP2?

|>Dynamic disk? Any norton products installed?

After that whine I took another look at it, and it works fine now.

What I did was to click on each partition I didn't want the pagefile
on and select no pagefile. Now the indicated pagefile is the correct
size. (there was no pagefile on any other partitions but one)
 
T

t@k

Pennywise said...
No, it's the partition that the OS is installed.

Thanks for that.

After reading the link that Rock provided I have a better understanding
and now have things the way I want.

I first set an initial pagefile of 2MB - 50MB on C: (the partition where
the OS is installed), then created a custom page file on the first
partition of the second drive which now takes presedence over the one on
C: due to the latter's small size.

Thanks Rock.
 
R

Rock

t@k said:
Pennywise said...




Thanks for that.

After reading the link that Rock provided I have a better understanding
and now have things the way I want.

I first set an initial pagefile of 2MB - 50MB on C: (the partition where
the OS is installed), then created a custom page file on the first
partition of the second drive which now takes presedence over the one on
C: due to the latter's small size.

Thanks Rock.

You're welcome. Thanks for posting back.
 

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