R.C. White:
I don't now how those Win9X/Me files got into Win XP, but they are
there.
The other files you mention are in c:\ and the text of boot.ini is:
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn
:
Hi, Dora.
In your reply to Alex Nichol, you said:
The only .sys files I see in the root directory are
congig.sys, io.sys and msdos.sys.
Whoa!! Something does not compute! Config.sys, io.sys and msdos.sys
are
Win9x/ME files. They are NOT WinXP files. How did they get into your
C:\?
There's something about your computer that you haven't told us, Dora!
And
it might be what is causing your problems.
Do you have the system files C:\NTLDR? C:\NTDETECT.COM? C:\Boot.ini?
If
so, please post the text of C:\Boot.ini.
If this doesn't solve your problem, please post back. Tell us the
make
and
model of your computer, how much RAM, how many HDs and how they are
partitioned. MY COMPUTER IS A DELL DIMENSIONS 4400, 256 MB DDR
SDRAM,
PENTIUM 4 PROCESSOR AT 1.6 GHz.
You left out some things that I asked for (how many HDs and how they
are
partitioned) and some things that I didn't realize I needed to ask:
What was pre-installed on your computer? Did it come with Win9x/ME
pre-installed? How did WinXP get onto this computer?
WinXP will run on a computer with only 256 MB RAM, but sluggishly; 512
is
much better. And your computer apparently shares some of its memory
with
the graphics system.
Total under Physical Memory; this should show the amount of RAM in
your
computer. : 261424 KB
Then look at Limit under Commit Charge; this shows the total of
RAM and Virtual Memory. : 238552 KB
The difference is your page file.: 42.872 MB
My formula failed to consider an important little "-"; I expected the
Limit
to be MORE than Total RAM. In your computer, the 261,424 KB / 1024 =
~256
MB of RAM. But the Limit is only 238,552 KB / 1024 = ~233 MB, or
about
22
MB LESS than total RAM. Apparently, your computer is sharing the 256
MB
RAM
with your video system, which is using this 22 MB of RAM at the
moment.
I've never dealt with a "shared RAM" system, so I'm not sure how it
affects
Virtual Memory. But my assumption that "the difference is your page
file"
was obviously wrong; you can't have a MINUS page file. (261,424 -
238,552 =
22,872 KB / 1024 = 22.336 MB; how did you arrive at 42.872 MB?)
Your computer apparently was built to support Win9x/ME and may be
inadequate
for WinXP. You haven't told us about your HD space (how much total
and
how
much in C
; perhaps you have no room for WinXP to create a page file
of
ANY
size there. :>( Go back to that "Change" page, where you set the
page
file
volume and size. As we said:
Then, select the volume where you want your page file to be, click
System
managed size, and Set. OK your way out and reboot, if necessary,
for
the
change to take effect. I DID ALL THESE, NO SUCCESS, NO FILE.
On that page, click on C:, then look just below the drive table and
see
what
it shows as "Space available". What is that number? Click on each
volume
you have; what is the biggest Space available number you see on ANY
volume?
Perhaps you simply don't have enough space for a page file anywhere in
your
computer. WinXP can't create a page file if no unused space exists.
:>(
RC
Hi RC:
Thank you for your response. I am answering each of your questions
in
the
text of your reply.
:
Hi, Dora.
Are you logged in as an Administrator of this computer? YES
If so, then go to
System Properties | Advanced | Performance/Settings | Advanced.
What
do
you
see at the bottom of this screen, just above the Change button?
The
line
should say "Total paging file size for all drives", and the number
should
be
1.5 times your RAM, by default.
IT SAYS 0 MB
Another way to verify that you do, in fact, have a page file is to
press
Ctrl+Alt+Del to bring up Task Manager, then click the Performance
tab.
Look
at Total under Physical Memory; this should show the amount of RAM
in
your
computer. : 261424 KB
Then look at Limit under Commit Charge; this shows the total of
RAM and Virtual Memory. : 238552 KB
The difference is your page file.: 42.872 MB
Pagefile.sys is always created in the Root of a volume (the Boot
Volume
by
default), with the Hidden and System attributes, so it doesn't
appear
in
normal directory listings. The file can be created in a different
volume,
but it will always be in the Root of that volume. So, the first
place
to
look in the typical WinXP is C:\pagefile.sys, and be sure you can
see
the
System and Hidden files. : I DID, STILL I DO NOT SEE IT
If you have other volumes, look in the Root of
each (D:\, E:\, etc.) I DID, NO PAGEFILE.SYS FILE
You can open a "DOS" window and use the Dir command
with the /a switch to show All files, no matter their attributes:
dir
c:\
/a : I DID, NO PAGEFILE.SYS FILE
If you click on that Change button I mentioned above, you should
see a
page
that shows which volume WinXP is using, and you can change your
settings
there. First, choose each volume and click No paging file and then
Set.
Then, select the volume where you want your page file to be, click
System
managed size, and Set. OK your way out and reboot, if necessary,
for
the
change to take effect. I DID ALL THESE, NO SUCCESS, NO FILE.
MVP Alex Nichol knows more about Virtual Memory than most of us.
You
can
read his explanation at:
http://aumha.org/win5/a/xpvm.php : I READ
HIS
ARTICLE, BUT HAVING NOT FOUND THE FILE TO DELETE IT I WAS UNABLE TO
PROCEED.
If this doesn't solve your problem, please post back. Tell us the
make
and
model of your computer, how much RAM, how many HDs and how they are
partitioned. MY COMPUTER IS A DELL DIMENSIONS 4400, 256 MB DDR
SDRAM,
PENTIUM 4 PROCESSOR AT 1.6 GHz.
Thank you (and Ken Blake for his attention)
Dora
RC
I have XP Pro. Like many in this group I do not get a page file,
and
eventually run out of VM. This problem precedes my downloading of
SP2
and
fixing of other problems which includes the removal of the GAOBOT
worm
with
the help of the Norton antivirus. The problem started with an
update
download
and the subsequent help of a MS tech representative, long ago. I
have
tried
all of the solutions offered in this group, to no avail. I do not
find
a
pagefile.sys file no matter how I look for it. The only files
that I
have
are
pagefile.vb in C:\I386 and pagefile.vbs in several c-disk
folders.
The
only
place I see a reference to pagefile.sys, with whatever values I
define,
is
in
the register keys, local management, as a type REG_MULTI_SZ with
data,
for
instance C:\pagefile.sys 500 4000. There are several users set in
my
computer, but mostly I am the only one using it. When I start it
and
the
screen shows the users, if I click on a user right away, there is
no
further
response until I click CTL-ALT del. If I wait longer, until I see
that
my
hard disk stopped working, when I click on a user, it logs in
fast
but
the
box comes up saying that there is no page file, etc. I'll
appreciate
any
advice different from what has already been written, as well as
to
have
it
phrased in sort of step-by-step instructions. I am no expert.
Thanks a lot.
