Virtual Memory Paging File

[Sourcerer]

I have a laptop computer, 1.8GHz processor and 1.5GB RAM.

Right now, I have 4 programs running (not counting background processes and
services, and I'm rarely running more than that, except when I have multiple
instances of IE or Firefox open). Applications I'm running are Outlook, Visual
Studio .NET, Excel, and Windows Task Manager, and I'm only using 423MB of
memory. I have never used up all my memory. In fact, I don't even remember using
half of it.

I want to know why I need that Virtual Memory Paging File, under these
circumstances? Unlike my RAM, my disk space is quite limited (given that I have
two operating systems installed), and that 2.3GB which the paging file occupies
(recommended size) would be quite handy if I freed it. As it is, it's using
5.75% of my hard disk space which I have reserved for Windows, and that is quite
large portion.

Can I safely remove the Paging file, or reduce its size?

--
"It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion; it easy in solitude
to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd
keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude."
Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-reliance 1841
http://pinpoint.wordpress.com/

 

[Gordon]

I have a laptop computer, 1.8GHz processor and 1.5GB RAM.

Right now, I have 4 programs running (not counting background processes
and services, and I'm rarely running more than that, except when I have
multiple instances of IE or Firefox open). Applications I'm running are
Outlook, Visual Studio .NET, Excel, and Windows Task Manager, and I'm only
using 423MB of memory. I have never used up all my memory. In fact, I
don't even remember using half of it.

I want to know why I need that Virtual Memory Paging File, under these
circumstances? Unlike my RAM, my disk space is quite limited (given that I
have two operating systems installed), and that 2.3GB which the paging
file occupies (recommended size) would be quite handy if I freed it. As it
is, it's using 5.75% of my hard disk space which I have reserved for
Windows, and that is quite large portion.

Can I safely remove the Paging file, or reduce its size?

Have a look at the definitive site on pagefiles:
http://aumha.org/win5/a/xpvm.htm

 

[Sourcerer]

Have a look at the definitive site on pagefiles:
http://aumha.org/win5/a/xpvm.htm

Thanks.

--
"It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion; it easy in solitude
to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd
keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude."
Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-reliance 1841
http://pinpoint.wordpress.com/

 

[Fuzzy Logic]

I have a laptop computer, 1.8GHz processor and 1.5GB RAM.

Right now, I have 4 programs running (not counting background processes
and services, and I'm rarely running more than that, except when I have
multiple instances of IE or Firefox open). Applications I'm running are
Outlook, Visual Studio .NET, Excel, and Windows Task Manager, and I'm
only using 423MB of memory. I have never used up all my memory. In fact,
I don't even remember using half of it.

I want to know why I need that Virtual Memory Paging File, under these
circumstances? Unlike my RAM, my disk space is quite limited (given that
I have two operating systems installed), and that 2.3GB which the paging
file occupies (recommended size) would be quite handy if I freed it. As
it is, it's using 5.75% of my hard disk space which I have reserved for
Windows, and that is quite large portion.

Can I safely remove the Paging file, or reduce its size?

Removal is not a good idea. I would recommend you set it to a minimum of 512MB and no maximum.

 

[Mike Hall - MS MVP Windows Shell/User]

Set it to System managed, and leave it that way..

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I have a laptop computer, 1.8GHz processor and 1.5GB RAM.

Right now, I have 4 programs running (not counting background
processes and services, and I'm rarely running more than that, except
when I have multiple instances of IE or Firefox open). Applications
I'm running are Outlook, Visual Studio .NET, Excel, and Windows Task
Manager, and I'm only using 423MB of memory. I have never used up all
my memory. In fact, I don't even remember using half of it.

I want to know why I need that Virtual Memory Paging File, under these
circumstances? Unlike my RAM, my disk space is quite limited (given
that I have two operating systems installed), and that 2.3GB which
the paging file occupies (recommended size) would be quite handy if I
freed it. As it is, it's using 5.75% of my hard disk space which I have
reserved for Windows, and
that is quite large portion.

Can I safely remove the Paging file,

No, that is always a bad idea. Do not disable the Page File. Windows
preallocates memory to the Page File in anticipation of possibly needing to
use it. If you disable the Page File, those allocations get made to real
memory instead, and the result is that you can never use that part of your
RAM.

Over and above that significant disadvantage, there is no possible benefit
to disabling it. If it's not needed, it won't be used.

or reduce its size?

Yes, you caan certainly reduce its size. The default is usually much larger
than most people need, especially those with lots of RAM. For more
information, read this article by the late MVP, Alex Nichol, "Virtual Memory
in Windows XP " at http://aumha.org/win5/a/xpvm.htm

 

[Sourcerer]

No, that is always a bad idea. Do not disable the Page File. Windows
preallocates memory to the Page File in anticipation of possibly needing to
use it. If you disable the Page File, those allocations get made to real
memory instead, and the result is that you can never use that part of your
RAM.

Thank you for the reply, but I have one more question.

I tried disabling the page file, just to see what happens. I was running the
same programs I ran at the time of my original posting, and my total memory
usage was 345MB only (with paging file on, it was 423MB, though it could be
because my computer was up longer than during the experiment).

So, why should I fret over not being able to use a small part of RAM because of
the allocations you mention, when during the vast majority of time when my
system is running, half or more of it is not occupied at all (i.e. the OS does
not find any use for it)?

Over and above that significant disadvantage, there is no possible benefit to
disabling it. If it's not needed, it won't be used.


Yes, you caan certainly reduce its size. The default is usually much larger
than most people need, especially those with lots of RAM. For more
information, read this article by the late MVP, Alex Nichol, "Virtual Memory
in Windows XP " at http://aumha.org/win5/a/xpvm.htm

Thanks for the link.

--
"It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion; it easy in solitude
to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd
keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude."
Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-reliance 1841
http://pinpoint.wordpress.com/

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Thank you for the reply, but I have one more question.

I tried disabling the page file, just to see what happens. I was
running the same programs I ran at the time of my original posting,
and my total memory usage was 345MB only (with paging file on, it was
423MB, though it could be because my computer was up longer than
during the experiment).
So, why should I fret over not being able to use a small part of RAM
because of the allocations you mention, when during the vast majority
of time when my system is running, half or more of it is not occupied
at all (i.e. the OS does not find any use for it)?

You have 1.5GB, which is way more than most people running WIndows XP can
make effective use of. Only those people running especially memory-hungry
applications need that much memory, and apparently you are not one of them
(at least at the moment). So the issue I mentioned may not be significant to
you today.

But the mix of applications most of us run changes all the time, and what
isn't significant today might be significant tomorow. Given that, and given
that there is no benefit to running without a page file, to me it's a
no-brainer. Don't turn it off.

Thanks for the link.

You're welcome. Glad to help.

 

[Ron Martell]

I have a laptop computer, 1.8GHz processor and 1.5GB RAM.

Right now, I have 4 programs running (not counting background processes and
services, and I'm rarely running more than that, except when I have multiple
instances of IE or Firefox open). Applications I'm running are Outlook, Visual
Studio .NET, Excel, and Windows Task Manager, and I'm only using 423MB of
memory. I have never used up all my memory. In fact, I don't even remember using
half of it.

I want to know why I need that Virtual Memory Paging File, under these
circumstances? Unlike my RAM, my disk space is quite limited (given that I have
two operating systems installed), and that 2.3GB which the paging file occupies
(recommended size) would be quite handy if I freed it. As it is, it's using
5.75% of my hard disk space which I have reserved for Windows, and that is quite
large portion.

Can I safely remove the Paging file, or reduce its size?

Reducing the size is the way to go. Set the minimum at 100 mb or so
(I have mine at 80 minimum and I have only 1 gb of RAM) but leave the
maximum quite large so that the potential address space is available
for memory allocated but not yet used.

Good luck

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP (1997 - 2006)
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca
Syberfix Remote Computer Repair

"Anyone who thinks that they are too small to make a difference
has never been in bed with a mosquito."