Re: virtual memory settings ignored and pagefile.sys constantly re-created

[Ron Martell]

Hello,

i have a really annoying problem:

All Virtual Memory settings are ignored and the pagefile is set to a default
(dynamic) size. Every
shutdown, the pagefile.sys is being deleted and on boot time re-created
again.


I have already checked the common registry settings (please see below) and
they seem to be o.k.

The problem occurs on 3 different machines (all i have in reach here):
- Windows XP Pro EN SP1 (Notebook with 1024MB Ram; also now with SP2
installed)
- Windows XP Pro EN SP1 (Virtual Machine - very clean install! - with 256 MB
Ram)
- Windows XP Pro MCE DE SP1 (Workstation with 1024MB Ram; also now with SP2
installed)

Example:
When set the paging file size to 1024MB, the setting is ignored and a
'Recommended' 1534MB
with 'Currently allocated' 1535MB takes place.

Please do not post graphic attachments or other large binaries to
these newsgroups. They are "text only".

See MVP Alex Nichol's web page for XP Virtual Memory at
http://aumha.org/win5/a/xpvm.htm especially the section dealing with
problems.

Good luck



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

"The reason computer chips are so small is computers don't eat much."

 

[Christian Rommel]

Please do not post graphic attachments or other large binaries to
these newsgroups. They are "text only".

See MVP Alex Nichol's web page for XP Virtual Memory at
http://aumha.org/win5/a/xpvm.htm especially the section dealing with
problems.

Dear Ron,

i already know this and many other sites on the net about windows virtual
memory settings
but my problem is nowhere desrcibed nor did i make anything special during
reproducing
the behaviour on a clean install.

How can this behaviour tracked down ?

Thank you
Chris

 

[Ron Martell]

i already know this and many other sites on the net about windows virtual
memory settings
but my problem is nowhere desrcibed nor did i make anything special during
reproducing
the behaviour on a clean install.

How can this behaviour tracked down ?

Thank you
Chris

Hi Chris.

I will try and get MVP Alex Nichol to join into this discussion. He
is much more familiar with the details of virtual memory than I am.


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

"The reason computer chips are so small is computers don't eat much."

 

[Alex Nichol]

i already know this and many other sites on the net about windows virtual
memory settings
but my problem is nowhere desrcibed nor did i make anything special during
reproducing
the behaviour on a clean install.

Please give the full settings you have on the VM - Change page when you
look for each drive.

BTW - I did not see your original post; most probably deleted by having
an attached graphic

 

[Christian Rommel]

Dear Alex,

here is my posting again - without any attachments:

Hello,

i have a really annoying problem:

All Virtual Memory settings are ignored and the pagefile is set to a default
(dynamic) size. Every
shutdown, the pagefile.sys is being deleted and on boot time re-created
again.


I have already checked the common registry settings (please see below) and
they seem to be o.k.

The problem occurs on 3 different machines (all i have in reach here):
- Windows XP Pro EN SP1 (Notebook with 1024MB Ram; also now with SP2
installed)
- Windows XP Pro EN SP1 (Virtual Machine - very clean install! - with 256 MB
Ram)
- Windows XP Pro MCE DE SP1 (Workstation with 1024MB Ram; also now with SP2
installed)

Example:
When set the paging file size to 1024MB, the setting is ignored and a
'Recommended' 1534MB
with 'Currently allocated' 1535MB takes place.


Here are my Virtual Memory registry settings:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory
Management]
"ClearPageFileAtShutdown"=dword:00000000
"NonPagedPoolQuota"=dword:00000000
"NonPagedPoolSize"=dword:00000000
"PagedPoolQuota"=dword:00000000
"PagedPoolSize"=dword:00000000
"SystemPages"=dword:00000000
"PagingFiles"=hex(7):43,00,3a,00,5c,00,70,00,61,00,67,00,65,00,66,00,69,00,6c,\
00,65,00,2e,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,20,00,31,00,30,00,32,00,34,00,20,00,31,00,\
30,00,32,00,34,00,00,00,00,00
"PhysicalAddressExtension"=dword:00000000
"SessionViewSize"=dword:00000030
"SessionPoolSize"=dword:00000004
"WriteWatch"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory
Management\PrefetchParameters]
"VideoInitTime"=dword:000007f0
"AppLaunchMaxNumPages"=dword:00000fa0
"AppLaunchMaxNumSections"=dword:000000aa
"AppLaunchTimerPeriod"=hex:80,69,67,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff
"BootMaxNumPages"=dword:0001f400
"BootMaxNumSections"=dword:00000ff0
"BootTimerPeriod"=hex:00,f2,d8,f8,ff,ff,ff,ff
"MaxNumActiveTraces"=dword:00000008
"MaxNumSavedTraces"=dword:00000008
"RootDirPath"="Prefetch"
"HostingAppList"="DLLHOST.EXE,MMC.EXE,RUNDLL32.EXE"
"EnablePrefetcher"=dword:00000003
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Any help is greatly appreciated !

Than you
Chris

 

[Alex Nichol]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory
Management]
"ClearPageFileAtShutdown"=dword:00000000
"NonPagedPoolQuota"=dword:00000000
"NonPagedPoolSize"=dword:00000000
"PagedPoolQuota"=dword:00000000
"PagedPoolSize"=dword:00000000
"SystemPages"=dword:00000000
"PagingFiles"=hex(7):43,00,3a,00,5c,00,70,00,61,00,67,00,65,00,66,00,69,00,6c,\
00,65,00,2e,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,20,00,31,00,30,00,32,00,34,00,20,00,31,00,\
30,00,32,00,34,00,00,00,00,00
"PhysicalAddressExtension"=dword:00000000
"SessionViewSize"=dword:00000030
"SessionPoolSize"=dword:00000004
"WriteWatch"=dword:00000001

That has a couple of entries missing compared with mine, which has

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session
Manager\Memory Management]
"ClearPageFileAtShutdown"=dword:00000000
"DisablePagingExecutive"=dword:00000000
"LargeSystemCache"=dword:00000000
"NonPagedPoolQuota"=dword:00000000
"NonPagedPoolSize"=dword:00000000
"PagedPoolQuota"=dword:00000000
"PagedPoolSize"=dword:00000000
"SecondLevelDataCache"=dword:00000000
"SystemPages"=dword:000c3000
"PagingFiles"=hex(7):43,00,3a,00,5c,00,70,00,61,00,67,00,65,00,66,00,69,00,6c,\
(etc - in my case two files, a notional on c and main one on F)
"PhysicalAddressExtension"=dword:00000000
"SessionViewSize"=dword:00000030
"SessionPoolSize"=dword:00000004
"EnforceWriteProtection"=dword:00000000
"WriteWatch"=dword:00000001

In particular I suggest adding the item
"DisablePagingExecutive"=dword:00000000

I *suspect* that having the line absent, rather than present and turned
off, by setting to zero, so the executive is turned on (one of the
awkward double negatives found in the registry) may be having the effect
of turning paging off.

I am also very doubtful about having System Pages at zero

 

[Christian Rommel]

Thank you for the information.

However, after setting this entry:

- my Windows XP Media Center Edition DE SP2 refuses to boot up, had to
re-set this entry to '1'
- my Windows XP EN SP2 still ignores any virtual memory settings

Any other suggestions ?

 

[Guest]

This post saved my life. My solution was the SYSTEM user needing full control
of C:\.

Thanks for the post!