Pagefile

[Frank]

My computer is an HP Pavilion 513n with 256MG of RAM. The harddrive is 60GB and the processor is 1.8GHz. My OS is XP Home. I use the latest version of IE for my browser, and I have a cable connection. I don't need a lot of RAM the way I use my computer. I only use it for word processing and things of that nature, I listen to internet radio stations, and I surf the web quite a bit. I don't play any games, and I don't do anything where I'm opening large graphic files. So here's what I'm thinking of doing: I think I'll disable my pagefile (virtual memory) so that my system doesn't have to mess around with it. Is that a bad idea? What's the worst that can happen if my system needs more memory and I have virtual memory disabled? ThanksFrank

[GolfProRM]

Just curious, but if you've got a 60Gig harddrive, and it doesn't seem like you use a lot of space, why would you want to disable your pagefile? It's only going to cause trouble... I would recommend at least doubling your RAM before you even consider something like this... XP home by itself takes a lot of resources, so keeping the pagefile is a good idea anyway.If you run out of memory, you may get lockups, and you will get messages saying you're low on memory and programs won't open if you don't have the space...I guess I can't see why you'd want to disable this in the first place, and I wouldn't recommend it.

[Guest ThunderRiver]

No, definitely a no. You only have 256 Mb of RAM, which is truly at the minimum for Xp to function optimally. You need pagefile for it to run smooth barely

[Frank]

Just curious, but if you've got a 60Gig harddrive, and it doesn't seem like you use a lot of space, why would you want to disable your pagefile?

I think I read somewhere that the Pagefile can sometimes become fragmented which could cause problems--but, I could have misinterpreted it. Anyway you have both convinced me to leave it alone. Thanks for your feedback.

[AbeL]

Frank: you've gotten good advice, and I'd like to elaborate. The following is cribbed from WinXP Inside/Out by Bott & Siechert."If you have plenty of physical memory, you might be tempted to completely disable your pagefile. Don't do it! By design WinXP requires a pagefile for a number of core functions, and several third-party programs will cause out-of-memory errors if you try to get rid of all virtual memory. Remember, Windows doesn't actually use the page file until its needed, so you won't gain any performance advantage by tweaking your system in this fashion."I came across this bit as I was researching defraging, particularly defraging the pagefile - but that another story!!

[GolfProRM]

If you'd like Windows to clear the pagefile every shutdown, This is one of Atari's tips from the Inbox: Tip of the Week thread:

Clear the Page File at shutdown(Win2k/XP)------------------------------------------------------[The manual method for those not running tweakui or other tweaking programs]For added security you should always clear the page file upon shutting down your computer. Please note, this will slightly increase the amount of time it takes to shut down your computer but it is well worth it.Start Regedit. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory ManagementSelect ClearPageFileAtShutdown from the list on the right.Right on it and select Modify.Change the value to 1 to enable.Reboot your computer.