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Let Windows Manage Swap File Or Not?
Name: Bruce Date: September 16, 2001 at 07:44:17 Pacific
Comment:
I have a PIII 700, 512 MRAM, 40 GHD and would like to get a common answer has to whether or not to let windows manage my swap file or let me choose. If the answer is to let me choose, what should the min/max setting be? Second question: I have Norton SystemWorks 2001 and am currently letting windows manage my swap file but have always noticed that the swap file size gets real large, but I still show plenty of memory still available. It was always my understanding that after the RAM is used up, the swap file kicks in. So if I show to have plenty of RAM, why is my swap file growing/shrinking? Any help appreciated. Bruce
Name: Al Date: September 16, 2001 at 08:57:38 Pacific
Reply:
The swap file grows because it has no limits, as Windows is managing it. You should Set the Max and Min both the same. The general rule is 3 times the amount of actual Ram, but no more than 300MB. For Ram over 300 MB, the actual amount of ram is the number. Thus your swap file should be set at Max 512MB, Min 512MB. Al
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Response Number 2
Name: Miroslav Vadovic Date: September 16, 2001 at 09:46:05 Pacific
Reply:
to avoid the use of swapfile before your physical memory is all used up put in your SYSTEM.INI under the section under the 386Enh ConservativeSwapfileUsage=1 the 512 meg swapfile size is probably an overkill... depending what you are using your computer 200 meg should be plenty (if you find out that you need more you can very easily adjust it) i have only 256 meg ram now on my windows ME computer and the 160 meg fixed swap file size. The swapfile does not get used almost at all. If you are not editing huge graphic or sound files you dont need big swap file...I have to open about 200 meg of graphic files at the same time to start accessing the swap file. Regards Miro
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Response Number 3
Name: Trev Date: September 16, 2001 at 12:13:42 Pacific
Reply:
If you have plenty of room on your hard drive, as I suspect you do, the swapfile works best on a partition all of its own of at least 1 Gig in size. Tell Windows to use that partition and let it manage the size itself.
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Response Number 4
Name: Sue Date: September 16, 2001 at 17:30:36 Pacific
Reply:
How do you tell Windows to manage it on another partition, do you change the file to say a D drive if C is regular and D is an extra Partition, and where is the file to do this,Sue I have 128 MB and if I manage it myself and I put in 320 min and max which is 2.5 times it does not seem right, it shows a huge amount of MB I guess because of fat 32 system? 20 gig drive. Sue
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Response Number 5
Name: Bruce Date: September 17, 2001 at 03:35:27 Pacific
Reply:
If you type in 512 in the Min/Max boxes, does this represent 512 meg to be used, or should it be 512,000 type in the boxes? Bruce
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Response Number 6
Name: Artman Date: September 17, 2001 at 08:57:23 Pacific
Reply:
The advantage of a fixed swap file is that it does not fragment. If windows manages the file, it places bits and pieces wherever it wants, then when it needs to find them it goes searching your HD. Also, as you add and remove data and programs, you change the available size and windows must calculate this. A fixed size sets aside a predetermined block in a set location. Searchs for swapped data are more efficient. Depending on what you use your computer for, 1x your RAM should be more than enough. Use Norton to defragment your HD after the change (I think that System Works has a defrag program) and it will place the swap file first on the HD.
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Response Number 7
Name: clay Date: November 15, 2001 at 10:50:52 Pacific
Reply:
If you have xp do like I did. Install 768 meg of ram, then turn off vertual memory all together! versions earlier than xp don't handele more than 384meg very well, though this may be enough to work fast without v memory.
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