Tom's Guide | Tom's Hardware | Tom's Games
 |
 |
 |
I'm curious about the max/min size of the page file shown in XP vs the apparent size it takes on the HDD.
My page file was set to min/max 384/768 MB. NOTE: The actual file size shown on disk was 382 MB. I was running low on disk space on C:\ - it showed only ~ 350 MB free (out of total 4GB for C:\. I needed to do some work, so set page file size low - 10 MB & rebooted. Now, showed only 29 MB free on partition.
Went back & set page file to "None", rebooted. Now showed ~ 1.3 GB (giga)free. No other files were deleted during this time.
So if the page file is set at max of 768 MB, why did it apparently take up 1 GB of space?
May be something I'm missing here.
Side note: The old settings were obviously set when I had only 256 MB RAM (1.5 to 3 x RAM), but machine still ran well even after I added another 256 MB.
Also, is there a place to change the email address that I get notifications from this forum - w/o re-registering? Thanks all!
"change the email address that I get notifications from this forum - w/o re-registering?"
WHAT??
Also,
Are you talking about Virtual memory?" If at first you don't succeed, Please Post Back "
0 
With only 4 gb of space on c: the page file doesn't have enough space along with windows and whatever else you have on it.
0
Bob - yes, virtual mem - in XP the file is called a paging file.
Email: When you register for the site,and give an email address, then select in "Forum Settings" the box "Allow users to alert me Re: my posts", doesn't that generate an automated notification that someone has responded to a post?
Well, my email address has changed.
*********************************************Per - maybe not enough space. I'm about to enlarge C:\, but that wasn't my question.
Why, when the ACTUAL page file in root C:\ shows only a size of <380 MB, is XP reserving almost 1.5 GB for it. Yes, the max size was set to 768, but that's still a big discrepancy.
I'm assuming XP is reserving all that "extra" space because when I reset the virtual memory (paging file) from max = 768 MB to 'None', over 1 GB of ADDITIONAL free space appeared on C:\. At most, I should have gained only 768 MB more free space.
0
you can clear your page file on shut down with this tweak
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_...#248 on the right
" If at first you don't succeed, Please Post Back "
0
Ah, the mysteries of windows. LOL! I can't answer the question but I have to assume it has something to do with xp's preserving the integrity of the system.
0
"change the email address that I get notifications from this forum - w/o re-registering?"
"WHAT??"
Yes Bob
Incase you haven't seen the layout of most of the other forums, they offer some real nice features such as Auto Quoting, Email Notification, Avatars, etc., Hey, even 'Thread Bumping'. Ah, so nice!
0
So, anyone - is there a place to change your email address? I don't even see a place to contact the webmaster.
0
For a home user you are advised to leave the pagefile at "system managed".
Min/Max means dynamic. In other words it can be anything in between but not less nor more than those settings.
Here is where it gets complicated and I believe explains what you are seeing. The pagefile needs to be a contiguous block on the hard drive. When it is dynamic, and it needs to grow dynamically, the system has to find the next available block of contiguous space. This splits the pagefile [bad performance]. Depending on how fragmented your hard drive is has a direct relationship to how many splits.
Throw in disk waste [difference between cluster size and stored files]and the mb count can appear inaccurate.
I suspect your size discrepancy issue was due to Windows not deleting all of the fragments. Somewhere it had to have lost its brains and/or you need to run chkdsk /f on your drive.
With different min/max values Windows DOES NOT reserve the max space. ONLY if you set the min and max values the SAME [this is recommended for better performance] will this space be reserved for total size.
Usual procedure is to defrag your drive in safe mode with no pagefile. Then set your min and max values the same. Understand that VM usage is slower than RAM usage [thousandths of a second vs a billionth of a second] which translates to keep your VM small and your RAM large for best performance.
Give a person a fish, they eat for a day. Suggest they internet search and they learn a skill for a lifetime.
0
Thank you wanderer,
I'd researched the topic further and found much of what you said so well. It's well known that Windows can report false info for lots of stuff. I appreciate your reply.
I'm assuming no one knows how to change the email address for Computing.net where you will receive automated email notifications [yes, Bob :) ] of replies to threads you subscribe to?
0  |
 |
 |
This post is quite old and has been locked from receiving new replies. Please create a new posting instead.
| Ads by Google |
