Hi, I am having a major problem with my laptop. I have formatted it 2 times within the last few days. I get a message when I start up saying there is no paging file or it is too small. When I try to custom set the paging file size and restart, the settings simply don't take and I get the same error. I narrowed down the problem to an external hard drive I have. If I connect the hard drive, it automatically installs in the system. I restart it once with the hard drive connected, it's fine. I disconnect the hard drive, restart without it, still fine. However, after I install a few programs with the hard drive connected, I get that paging file error every time the computer is started up without the external hard drive. When the hard drive is connected, no problem. Any idea how to resolve this issue???? Thanks.

HOW TO: Set Performance Options in Windows XP http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;308417 -------------------- How to Configure Paging Files for Optimization and Recovery in Windows XP http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;314482 ---------------------- In the second article, read the NOTE.

Did you somehow put the paging file on the external drive?

Ignore the Microsoft links. They are crap. "To enhance performance, move the paging file to a different partition. When the paging file is on the boot partition, Windows must perform disk reading and writing requests on both the system folder and the paging file. When the paging file is moved to a different partition, there is less competition between reading and writing requests" THIS IS ABSOLUTELY WRONG!!! TRANSLATE "PARTITION" TO "DISK" AND IT IS CORRECT. Whole reason to move the page file from the boot partition is to eliminate OS system disk reads/writes disk io contention with pagefile reads/writes. And that whole business of multiple pagefiles speeding up your system!?! ABSOLUTE CRAP. There are two theories in a multipage file environment. 1. the OS is going to use the FASTEST pagefile. Rest might get a hit once in a while but they will for the most part sit idle. 2. the OS is going to use all pagefiles in a round-robin fashion. I have yet to get to the bottom of this as to which one is the one that really applies. But think about it for a second. Think about the cycles used to coordinate pagefile operation between multiple pagefiles compared to one pagefile. Think about the time used to track which pagefile has what information. More is NOT better. But I could go on concerning the pagefile and what microsoft knows about their own product... Anthony concerning your issue; "However, after I install a few programs with the hard drive connected, I get that paging file error every time the computer is started up without the external hard " I take what you write to mean you are parking files dealing with these installed apps on the external drive. So when the drive is not in and you are starting up, your registry entries point to these apps and their location on the external drive are invalid. I am surprised you aren't blue screening. You should make sure XP hasn't been helpful and put a pagefile on the external drive. Otherwise I would suggest you only store data and not programs on this external drive.

I know this sounds simple but are you sure your hitting the set button?? You might be surprised how common this is. Sandman

another possibility, again its a simple thing but possible to miss ... have you got enough free disk space on the partition where your page file is?