pagefile.sys

[Guest]

Just to confirm, my pagefile.sys file is located at c:\ Can we just delete
this file? Thanks

 

[Patrick Keenan]

Just to confirm, my pagefile.sys file is located at c:\ Can we just delete
this file? Thanks

You can generally only delete this file when the drive is hosted on another
system. This is because it's a core system file and so the running OS
will have locked it and deny you deletion.

pagefile.sys is otherwise a temporary file and will be rebuilt on demand
(the next reboot). I have found that hosting the drive and deleting this
file can fix a number of cycling-reboot problems.

You can try setting the system to not use a paging file, but this may not
delete it and Windows may ignore your request. And you'll probably find
you need to turn it back on.

HTH
-pk

 

[Guest]

Patrick, many thanks.

You can generally only delete this file when the drive is hosted on another
system. This is because it's a core system file and so the running OS
will have locked it and deny you deletion.

pagefile.sys is otherwise a temporary file and will be rebuilt on demand
(the next reboot). I have found that hosting the drive and deleting this
file can fix a number of cycling-reboot problems.

You can try setting the system to not use a paging file, but this may not
delete it and Windows may ignore your request. And you'll probably find
you need to turn it back on.

HTH
-pk

 

[Guest]

In system properties,set C: to "no page file" click set 2X,exit,restart
pc.Back
in xp,1st run diskclean up in cmd,then run defrag in cmd,exit,reopen system
properties,reset to"let system manage" click set 2X,exit,a window will open
asking to overwrite existing page file,agree.

 

[Guest]

Not very familiar with the general outline of the commands, if you have the
time can you please layout step by step, thanks

 

[peter]

Before you even think about following Andrew's advice...be warned that he is
never right or his replies are so garbled they are unusable.
It is not a good idea to delete the page file.
here is an article on how to set up the page file
http://www.serverwatch.com/tutorials/article.php/2177271
and here is a MS Knowledge Base Article
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308417

as you can see the amount of RAM you have has a lot do to with the size of
the pagefile............and how it is utilized
peter

 

[Guest]

Many thanks for pointing out the right directions

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Just to confirm, my pagefile.sys file is located at c:\ Can we just delete
this file? Thanks

No. To get rid of the page file, you turn it off by right-clicking on
My Computer, choosing Properties. Then, on the Advanced tab, under
Performance, click Settings. Then on the Advanced tab, under Virtual
Memory, click Change. Finally check "No paging file."

I just told you *how* to do it, but now I'm going to tell you *not* to
do it. It's almost invariably a mistake. You are perhaps one of those
people who have a lot of RAM and therefore think you do not need a
page file. That's not correct and turning it off is counterproductive.
The result would be that you would not be able to use all the RAM you
have.

The reason is that Windows pre-allocates virtual memory without
actually using it, in advance of its possibly needing it. This speeds
up actual use if the need occurs later. Without a page file, that
allocation can only be made in real RAM, and that effectively locks
that RAM out of any other potential use.

For more information, read this excellent article by the late MVP Alex
Nichol, "Virtual Memory in Windows XP" at
http://aumha.org/win5/a/xpvm.htm