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Resolved Page File question

Discussion in 'Windows XP' started by chas berlin, 2009/09/16.

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  1. 2009/09/16
    chas berlin

    chas berlin Inactive Thread Starter

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    With 3 GB's RAM what is preferable for Page File settings:
    W/ 4848MB available
    Both Initial & Max set to 4500 or 4600?

    Have been running at 4500

    The lower box on the pg says:
    Minimum allowed 2MB
    Recommended 4606MB
    Currently 4500MB
     
    chas berlin,
    #1
  2. 2009/09/16
    Steve R Jones

    Steve R Jones SuperGeek Staff

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    Be brave - be bold - be Adventurous

    Click on something and test it;)

    You can try every combo of numbers in the world and odds are you'll never see/feel and taste any difference. Just let Windows manage it.
     
    Steve R Jones,
    #2
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  4. 2009/09/16
    chas berlin

    chas berlin Inactive Thread Starter

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    Sounds fair Steve.
    Didn't want to slow it down marginally, so that I wouldn't be aware of what I'd done.
     
    chas berlin,
    #3
  5. 2009/09/16
    Steve R Jones

    Steve R Jones SuperGeek Staff

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    That's 4.5 GIGS of drive space....

    Unless you have a few dozen apps open all the time and are watching DVD's setting the min and max to 2000 would be where I'd set it.
     
    Steve R Jones,
    #4
  6. 2009/09/16
    chas berlin

    chas berlin Inactive Thread Starter

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    Will try that.
    Thx Steve :)
     
    chas berlin,
    #5
  7. 2009/09/16
    CUISTech

    CUISTech Inactive

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    Is that equation of "page file = 1.5 x RAM" outdated now? Or is that still a good rule of thumb to observe?
     
    CUISTech,
    #6
  8. 2009/09/16
    Christer

    Christer Geek Member Staff

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    I disagree with Steve on "Just let Windows manage it ". If you want a fragmented pagefile, that's the quickest way to accomplish that. A fragmented pagefile is not the same as the files within it being fragmented but the pagefile itself is spread over the hard disk or partition wherever Windows finds space to expand it when needed.

    When Windows XP Professional was installed on my old BOAC, 512 MB RAM was installed and the pagefile was (by Windows Installer) configured to 768 MB - 1536 MB. This means that when Windows is started, the pagefile is 768 MB. If needed, it can (by Windows) be increased to 1536 MB. When there is no longer a need, it shrinks back to 768 MB. The initial 768 MB stays in one contiguous chunk but when expanded, the additional chunk goes wherever there is space.

    The first time I installed Windows XP Professional, only 256 MB RAM was installed, making the pagefile 384 MB - 768 MB. It happened that the pagefile was expanded and I tell you that you notice it. Windows freezes until the pagefile has been expanded. I bought a second 256 MB RAM module and since then the pagefile (still 384 MB - 768 MB) was never expanded.

    The initial and maximum sizes correspond to 1.5xRAM - 3.0xRAM so, CUISTech, that basic rule of thumb is not outdated. If I remember correctly, the minimum size is based on a full memory dump if that should occur (crash).

    The problem is that Windows adheres to that rule of thumb, no matter how much RAM is installed. If my BOAC had 3 GB RAM, the installer would have configured the pagefile to 4.5 GB - 9.0 GB and that's too much, unless Windows needs to dump memory. In your case, I would set it to 500 MB - 4500 MB because I wouldn't know what to do with the dumped memory ... :p ... !

    That can't be correct. That would mean that you are low on space and the pagefile would occupy most of what's free.
     
    Christer,
    #7
  9. 2009/09/17
    chas berlin

    chas berlin Inactive Thread Starter

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    After switching to 4600 min/max I'm now showing 8720MB avail.
    In My Computer C:\ has 6 GB's avail. :confused:
     
    chas berlin,
    #8
  10. 2009/09/17
    Christer

    Christer Geek Member Staff

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    What size is the hard disk?

    Is the hard disk partitioned or in one chunk [C:] only?

    If partitioned, what size is C:?

    Is System Restore enabled?

    If enabled, how much space is SR allowed to use?
     
    Christer,
    #9
  11. 2009/09/17
    chas berlin

    chas berlin Inactive Thread Starter

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    HD 750 GB
    C:\ 24.4 GB
    Sys Restore is enabled

    Don't know where to look for last question.
     
    Last edited: 2009/09/17
    chas berlin,
    #10
  12. 2009/09/17
    Christer

    Christer Geek Member Staff

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    Right-click the "My computer" icon > Properties > SR-tab > Settings > will show the percentage of the size of the partition.

    I have System Destroy ... :eek: ... sorry ... :rolleyes: ... System Restore disabled but I think that the default setting is 12%. It can be reduced to a lower value, e.g. 6%. You would only notice a difference in free space if SR actually uses more than 6%.

    Have a look at How to configure paging files for optimization and recovery in Windows XP
     
    Christer,
    #11
  13. 2009/09/17
    chas berlin

    chas berlin Inactive Thread Starter

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    It was set to 12% so I knocked it down to 6%.
     
    chas berlin,
    #12
  14. 2009/09/17
    Christer

    Christer Geek Member Staff

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    Any difference in free space?

    Also, check how much space Temporary Internet Files are allowed to occupy. Anything above 50 MB is a vaste of space, my setting (on IE8) is lower than that.
     
    Christer,
    #13
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  15. 2009/09/17
    chas berlin

    chas berlin Inactive Thread Starter

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    The optimal solution is to create one paging file that is stored on the boot partition, and then create one paging file on another partition that is less frequently accessed on a different physical hard disk if a different physical hard disk is available. Additionally, it is optimal to create the second paging file so that it exists on its own partition, with no data or operating-system-specific files.

    Can you explain (really simple instructions) how I would do this?
    I have a single HD partitioned into:
    C: 24.4 GB
    M: 292 GB
    P: 292 GB
    S: 73.6
    Doc: 14.6 GB
     
    chas berlin,
    #14
  16. 2009/09/17
    chas berlin

    chas berlin Inactive Thread Starter

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    Free Space is still the same (actually dropped to 8714MB).
    Where do I find the temp files space allotment?
    I use FireFox - does it make a difference?
     
    Last edited: 2009/09/17
    chas berlin,
    #15
  17. 2009/09/17
    Christer

    Christer Geek Member Staff

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    We posted simultaneously, did you notice my post?

    I've never done it because to really benefit from a second pagefile, it should not only be on its own, dedicated partition but preferrably on a different hard disk. On the same hard disk but on a differnt partition, it would still be accessed by the same read/write heads.

    Also, we have came to the conclusion (I think) that pagefile usage is infrequent with 3 GB of RAM making the performance benefits (to move or create a second pagefile) small/negligible.

    I went Google on pagefile usage monitor to find some freeware. I have used one or the other but don't remember which. I think it was PageFileUsageMonitor

    As I understand it, when a program is launched, it requests a certain amount of virtual memory (for its maximum needs). Windows doesn't map the whole request to RAM but a proportion of it to the pagefile (since it will probably never get used). By using the pagefile monitor, when launching programs you will find that pagefile usage goes up, even if gigs of RAM are free. If you never see anything close to 500 MB, try out my suggestion of 500 MB - 4500 MB. The pagefile will (probably) never be expanded but if it (for some reason) must be expanded, the upper limit is not restricting it.
     
    Christer,
    #16
  18. 2009/09/17
    Christer

    Christer Geek Member Staff

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    You could try reducing it to 3% ... :p ... just to find out how much is used.

    I use computers with Firefox but no one to hand. The setting is somewhere in "Firefox Settings ".
     
    Christer,
    #17
  19. 2009/09/17
    sled

    sled Well-Known Member

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    sled,
    #18
  20. 2009/09/18
    chas berlin

    chas berlin Inactive Thread Starter

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    Do you know where the article is?
    To do a search for DriverGuru they want you to sign up, which I'm not willing to do.
     
    Last edited: 2009/09/18
    chas berlin,
    #19
  21. 2009/09/18
    chas berlin

    chas berlin Inactive Thread Starter

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    I set it to 4% yesterday.
    Not sure how I'll see what difference it makes.
     
    chas berlin,
    #20
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