Page file question

[Wilber_Stool]

What is it. In the XP Task Manager, there is a graph for page file usage. I don't know what it is but I do know it is running higher (almost twice as high) than it ever has before. What's up?

[Elad]

1. It's swapped memory

When you run out of RAM, your computer will store data it needs into a swap file (or as Windows refers to it, a page file), which is stored on your harddrive.

Since harddrives are considerably slower than RAM, this usually means bad performance for your computer.

You probably have a memory leak, maybe a virus/spyware program on your computer eating up memory, or just lots of installed programs sitting in the background eating up memory. You should consider increasing your RAM, as well.

[amerikat]

2. Is it worth the effort to defrag the page file?

Thanks for explaining page file in layman's terms. I stumbled across some info about utility programs that defrag the page file. I assume there is a certain portion of the hard drive dedicated to this task. Is the amount of space used by page file set by the user or is it set by the operating system(XP).

Sorry to ask so many questions but you seem to be able to translate the jargon into language that I actually understand. Thanks.

[bemildred]

3. Defragmenting A Page File

There are two approaches to defragmenting a page file. One is free; the other costs you some money but is well worth the expense. The phrase 'by design' crops up a lot when talking about XP and here it comes again. By design, Windows XP will not allow a page file to be defragmented when the computer is online. Online in this case does not mean when it's connected to the internet, but when it is powered on and the operating system has been loaded and ready for use. This is why you can defrag 1000 times from inside XP, check the defrag log page file section and it will never show it being defragmented. To get around this problem using the free method, it's necessary to:

more

(FWIW, this is essentially what I do when I defrag a Windoze 98 box too.)

[jayfish]

4. More Page File Tips.

If you do not have a second hard drive you can still perform the procedure above. Set the page file size to zero(0) and reboot. When XP loads you will be taken to either a sign-in screen or directly to your desktop. If it is a sign in screen hold down the left "shift" key after you have entered your password. If you go directly to your desktop you can hold down the left "shift" as soon as you see the Windows logo. This will stop windows from loading several programs. If you get messages about being low on memory you can ignore them. Run your defrag. Once the defrag is complete reset the page file to a static size that is at least 1.5 times the size of your RAM and reboot.

If you do have a second hard drive, you can follow the articles instructions with an added step. Before you move your page-file to the secondary drive, defrag the secondary drive. After you have moved the paging file to the secondary drive and defragged your primary, leave the page file on your secondary drive. It will improve performance. Finally, GET MORE RAM. You will reduce Windows need to write data to the page file and it is the most effective upgrade you can make dollar for dollar.

I hope this made sense

Jay