Paging File problems

[Guest]

Got a laptop that has VM issues. I've followed instructions on adjusting
the VM settings (doesn't fix the problem), and instructions on going into
Safe Mode (Win XP Home edition, SP2) to change security settings (SYSTEM,
Administrators, and Everyone, and even Users - all given Full Control) on the
C:\ drive. Any attempt to delete c:\pagefile.sys fails - it isn't visible,
but when I try to copy boot.ini to pagefile.sys, I get an access denied
message. I've set folder view settings to see all files and not to hide
protected o/s files & folders. I've read that c:\windows\system32\temppf.sys
is the temporary paging file that XP creates when there is a problem with the
c:\pagefile.sys. I can't seem to delete this, either.

How do I get a pagefile.sys functioning properly, or even be able to delete
the darned thing? The original message:

System Control Panel Applet:

Windows created a temporary paging file on your computer because of a
problem that occurred with your paging file configuration when you started
your computer. The total paging file size for all disk drives may be
somewhat larger than the size you specified.

If the VM setting is System managed size, the welcome screen hangs at
Loading your personal settings (as noted above), and if the VM setting is set
to No paging file or Custom size, the welcome screen goes away naturally (now
there's a concept!) and the desktop appears.

In any case, when I go to check the VM settings, I'll get the msg originally
noted, that Windows is creating a temporary paging file.

Any ideas?

Rajah

 

[R. McCarty]

Perhaps the Pagefile.Sys is orphaned. It's also possible your volume
is Dirty. Have you done a Chkdsk C: ?, watch for the summary as it
will indicate if a Chkdsk with Repair is needed. Have you recently
defragmented the drive ? I would probably set the Pagefile on C: to
none. Reboot the PC, check to see if Pagefile.sys is still present - if
it is, then it's an orphan. Do the Chkdsk and if necessary queue up a
Chkdsk C: /F. Once you set the Pagefile to none, you should be
able to delete it and reset it's values. One note about Chkdsk with
repair - it can and does make changes that might result in some data
loss. Be sure to have your personal data backed up before running
Chkdsk with any repair qualifier.

 

[Richard Urban]

A fellow posted a few days ago that chkdsk with the /f option wiped out
about 90% of his 300 gig hard drive. I personally have never seen more that
a couple of "found" files after a run.

--
Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User

If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

 

[R. McCarty]

It's happened to me on at least 4-5 PCs. Luckily, I always (or try)
to capture a Image before letting Chkdsk /F loose. I can't really say
what the corruption was - but in two cases it was $MFT issue(s)
that the end result was lost data. Most times I'm called on drive
problems with missing data, if I question them long enough I've had
a few admit they ran Chkdsk /F and commented on the long listings
on the screen, where it posts changes. So that's why I've started
to include a caveat about data backup before doing Chkdsk with a
repair option.

 

[Rock]

Got a laptop that has VM issues. I've followed instructions on adjusting
the VM settings (doesn't fix the problem), and instructions on going into
Safe Mode (Win XP Home edition, SP2) to change security settings (SYSTEM,
Administrators, and Everyone, and even Users - all given Full Control) on the
C:\ drive. Any attempt to delete c:\pagefile.sys fails - it isn't visible,
but when I try to copy boot.ini to pagefile.sys, I get an access denied
message. I've set folder view settings to see all files and not to hide
protected o/s files & folders. I've read that c:\windows\system32\temppf.sys
is the temporary paging file that XP creates when there is a problem with the
c:\pagefile.sys. I can't seem to delete this, either.

How do I get a pagefile.sys functioning properly, or even be able to delete
the darned thing? The original message:

System Control Panel Applet:

Windows created a temporary paging file on your computer because of a
problem that occurred with your paging file configuration when you started
your computer. The total paging file size for all disk drives may be
somewhat larger than the size you specified.

If the VM setting is System managed size, the welcome screen hangs at
Loading your personal settings (as noted above), and if the VM setting is set
to No paging file or Custom size, the welcome screen goes away naturally (now
there's a concept!) and the desktop appears.

In any case, when I go to check the VM settings, I'll get the msg originally
noted, that Windows is creating a temporary paging file.

Any ideas?

Rajah

Are there any Norton products on the system?

 

[Guest]

NAV 2k5 was UNsuccessfully installed (from CD), and then removed.

A scan did the following:

Checking file system on C:
The type of the file system is NTFS.
Volume label is C Drive.

A disk check has been scheduled.
Windows will now check the disk.
Cleaning up 363 unused index entries from index $SII of file 0x9.
Cleaning up 363 unused index entries from index $SDH of file 0x9.
Cleaning up 363 unused security descriptors.
CHKDSK is verifying file data (stage 4 of 5)...
File data verification completed.
CHKDSK is verifying free space (stage 5 of 5)...
Free space verification is complete.

58597055 KB total disk space.
16545052 KB in 76124 files.
22520 KB in 4231 indexes.
20 KB in bad sectors.
781675 KB in use by the system.
4096 KB occupied by the log file.
41247788 KB available on disk.

4096 bytes in each allocation unit.
14649263 total allocation units on disk.
10311947 allocation units available on disk.

Running CHKDSK /F has had no noticable effect on the PC. The VM problem
continues as earlier noted.

 

[Rock]

NAV 2k5 was UNsuccessfully installed (from CD), and then removed.

A scan did the following:

Checking file system on C:
The type of the file system is NTFS.
Volume label is C Drive.

A disk check has been scheduled.
Windows will now check the disk.
Cleaning up 363 unused index entries from index $SII of file 0x9.
Cleaning up 363 unused index entries from index $SDH of file 0x9.
Cleaning up 363 unused security descriptors.
CHKDSK is verifying file data (stage 4 of 5)...
File data verification completed.
CHKDSK is verifying free space (stage 5 of 5)...
Free space verification is complete.

58597055 KB total disk space.
16545052 KB in 76124 files.
22520 KB in 4231 indexes.
20 KB in bad sectors.
781675 KB in use by the system.
4096 KB occupied by the log file.
41247788 KB available on disk.

4096 bytes in each allocation unit.
14649263 total allocation units on disk.
10311947 allocation units available on disk.

Running CHKDSK /F has had no noticable effect on the PC. The VM problem
continues as earlier noted.

You could try making a Bart's PE builder CD and boot into that, then
delete pagefile.sys. Not sure what you mean by trying to copy boot.ini
to pagefile.sys. Why would you do that?

 

[Guest]

I am not going to waste any more time with this problem. Chances are, the
registry is corrupted and there is no easy way to fix that.

I an reinstalling XP from the CD; at least this PC has only one application
installed beyond the OS.

Thanks. Where can I learn how to make a Bart's PE builder CD?

Rajah

 

[Rock]

I am not going to waste any more time with this problem. Chances are, the
registry is corrupted and there is no easy way to fix that.

I an reinstalling XP from the CD; at least this PC has only one application
installed beyond the OS.

Thanks. Where can I learn how to make a Bart's PE builder CD?

Rajah

:

http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/

 

[Ron Martell]

I am not going to waste any more time with this problem. Chances are, the
registry is corrupted and there is no easy way to fix that.

I an reinstalling XP from the CD; at least this PC has only one application
installed beyond the OS.

Thanks. Where can I learn how to make a Bart's PE builder CD?

Bart's PE Builder http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/

Also for future reference here is an article on XP Memory Management
by the late Alex Nichol MVP: http://aumha.org/win5/a/xpvm.htm

Good luck


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

In memory of a dear friend Alex Nichol MVP
http://aumha.org/alex.htm