Re: pagefile.sys? Clean up / remove / Reset

From: JD (JD_at_discussions.microsoft.com)
Date: 01/12/05 

Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2005 19:07:03 -0800

1-Go to Control Panel, Select System , Select Advanced, Select Peformance
Settings
Select Advanced, Select Change Virtual Memonry
2-You will see a list of all Hard Drives of your computer, for each hard
drive, select no paging file, select Set
3-Reboost your computer, now from Windows Explorer, Select TOOLS, FOLDER
OPTIONS, VIEWS, Check Show Hidden File and Folders, uncheck hide
protect...Click OK
4-Go to each drive and delete the pagefile.sys
5-Reboost
6-If you would like to set the pagefile.sys for any driver, you can repeat
step # and at the step #2, select Custom size and set to whatever you like or
set System manage. You can use this setup for any hard drive in your computer
7-Repeat the step #3 to hide your protected files.

JD

"Ted Zieglar" wrote:

> Many thanks Gerry. I read that article previously and appreciate the way
> Alex has explained a difficult concept.
>
> The stub page file (my term) on my boot volume is set at a minimum of 2MB
> and a maximum of 10MB. The latter may be excessive. I am setup this way
> because I have elected the 'small memory dump' option, which records the
> smallest amount of information to help identify a problem. This option
> requires a paging file of at least 2MB on the boot volume and specifies that
> Windows will create a new file each time the system stops unexpectedly. A
> history of these files is stored in %SystemRoot%\Minidump. The small memory
> dump file is sufficient for the Windows Error Reporting feature.
>
> Not to boast, but I haven't encountered a BSOD on my computers since Windows
> 95, so I feel reasonably confident in this configuration. And if I were to
> experience a STOP I would be more likely to troubleshoot it myself or
> restore a known good image, if need be, rather than submit a dump for
> analysis.
>
> Still, I'd be glad to learn where the 50MB number comes from.
> --
> Ted Zieglar
>
>
> "Gerry Cornell" <gcjc@btinternet.com> wrote in message
> news:eEuiJQ%239EHA.2196@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
> > Ted
> >
> > The amount I quoted is based on an Article by Alex Nichol. What he
> > actually says is interesting bearing in the OP's problems.
> >
> > "If you do put the file elsewhere, you should leave a small amount on
> > C: - an initial size of 2MB with a Maximum of 50 is suitable - so it can
> > be used in emergency. Without this, the system is inclined to ignore the
> > settings and either have no page file at all (and complain) or make a
> > very large one indeed on C."
> >
> >
> > ~~~~~~
> >
> > Regards.
> >
> > Gerry
> >
> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> > FCA
> >
> > Stourport, Worcs, England
> > Enquire, plan and execute.
> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> >
> >
> >
> > "Ted Zieglar" <teddyz@notmail.com> wrote in message
> > news:uX6tc099EHA.1392@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
> > > Gerry:
> > >
> > > Unless one commonly experiences BSODs, in which case there is a larger
> > > problem, I think 50MB seems a bit excessive for a stub page file. A
> > > minidump occupies something like 2MB of diskspace. If one wishes for a
> > > larger data dump on errors I believe the next level occupies 64MB.
> > >
> > > Ted Zieglar
> > >
> > > "Gerry Cornell" <gcjc@btinternet.com> wrote in message
> > > news:uIpkmm89EHA.3640@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
> > >> David
> > >>
> > >> It is recommended that a small pagefile say 50 mb is kept on the
> > >> system drive / partition where the main pagefile is located
> > >> elsewhere.
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> ~~~~~~
> > >>
> > >> Regards.
> > >>
> > >> Gerry
> > >>
> > >> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> > >> FCA
> > >>
> > >> Stourport, Worcs, England
> > >> Enquire, plan and execute.
> > >> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> "David Candy" <.> wrote in message
> > >> news:%23$$MB919EHA.936@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> > >> If it ain't being used
> > >>
> > >> attrib -r -s -h c:\pagefile.sys
> > >> del c:\pagefile.sys
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> --
> > >> ----------------------------------------------------------
> > >> http://www.uscricket.com
> > >> "Shaun" <Shaun@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> > >> news:A9D24961-F4A2-4DC8-AA82-AD157F2D21FC@microsoft.com...
> > >>> Thanks for the suggestion David. Actually, when using the /a
> > >>> switch, it does
> > >>> list the pagefile.sys on c:\... but the date associated with it is
> > >>> 02/11/2004, and it is 804409344 bytes. Right now, I have removed
> > >>> the
> > >>> pagefiles on all drives in windows in the virtual memory allocation
> > >>> window,
> > >>> but this still shows up. Any thoughts on this one? I'd love to
> > >>> free up
> > >>> 750M... Thanks.
> > >>>
> > >>> "David Candy" wrote:
> > >>>
> > >>>> what does
> > >>>>
> > >>>> dir /a c:\*.*
> > >>>>
> > >>>> show?
> > >>>>
> > >>>>
> > >>>>
> > >>>> --
> > >>>> ----------------------------------------------------------
> > >>>> http://www.uscricket.com
> > >>>> "Shaun" <Shaun@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> > >>>> news:15C278B9-D037-4A5C-A42B-8453D058FCDE@microsoft.com...
> > >>>> > Thanks for the quick response. I have my partition on a separate
> > >>>> > drive to
> > >>>> > conserve space on my C drive. I have followed all the directions
> > >>>> > that are
> > >>>> > listed on the MS page. I am confused because going through a
> > >>>> > command prompt,
> > >>>> > there is no listing of a pagefile on that drive, but there is on
> > >>>> > the drive
> > >>>> > that I moved it to.
> > >>>> >
> > >>>> > "Ted Zieglar" wrote:
> > >>>> >
> > >>>> >> Well, let's answer the easier question first: There is no point
> > >>>> >> to
> > >>>> >> defragmenting your page file, so the page file is excluded from
> > >>>> >> defragmentation. The paging file is a temporary storage space
> > >>>> >> that your
> > >>>> >> computer uses when and as needed.
> > >>>> >>
> > >>>> >> There is a specific method to moving the page file. If you don't
> > >>>> >> follow the
> > >>>> >> correct method, Windows will ignore what you are trying to do
> > >>>> >> and maintain a
> > >>>> >> page file on the system drive. It's all explained in this
> > >>>> >> article from
> > >>>> >> Microsoft's knowledge base:
> > >>>> >>
> > >>>> >> "How to configure paging files for optimization and recovery in
> > >>>> >> Windows XP"
> > >>>> >> http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;314482.
> > >>>> >>
> > >>>> >> Keep in mind that while there is a theoretical advantage to
> > >>>> >> having the
> > >>>> >> paging file on another physical disk, you are unlikely to notice
> > >>>> >> any
> > >>>> >> performance improvement unless the disk with the paging file is
> > >>>> >> much faster
> > >>>> >> than the disk with the system partition and the disk with the
> > >>>> >> paging file is
> > >>>> >> normally accessed much less frequently.
> > >>>> >> --
> > >>>> >> Ted Zieglar
> > >>>> >>
> > >>>> >>
> > >>>> >> "Shaun" <Shaun@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> > >>>> >> news:E93373E9-590A-4E4A-B065-8CAB7BC14EE0@microsoft.com...
> > >>>> >> > I wish to defrag my c: drive, as the MS defragmenter
> > >>>> >> > recommends. However,
> > >>>> >> it
> > >>>> >> > says that I have a 767 MB pagefile.sys that has 245 fragments
> > >>>> >> > on C: drive.
> > >>>> >> I
> > >>>> >> > have previously moved my pagefile to my F: drive. When I
> > >>>> >> > check the
> > >>>> >> virtual
> > >>>> >> > memory allocation window, it does tell me that my pagefile is
> > >>>> >> > located on
> > >>>> >> F:
> > >>>> >> > and there is not one on C: drive. When I try to delete the C:
> > >>>> >> pagefile.sys
> > >>>> >> > via a command prompt, it tells me there is no such file. Why
> > >>>> >> > is the
> > >>>> >> > defragmenter finding this file that is not there, or why are
> > >>>> >> > all the other
> > >>>> >> > indications pointing to it not being there if it is? On top
> > >>>> >> > of that, no
> > >>>> >> > matter now many times i defrag it, that particular file is
> > >>>> >> > always reported
> > >>>> >> as
> > >>>> >> > being heavily fragmented. Thanks for any help that anyone can
> > >>>> >> > provide.
> > >>>> >> >
> > >>>> >> >
> > >>>> >>
> > >>>> >>
> > >>>> >>
> > >>>>
> > >>
> > >
> >
>
>
>

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Changing the Administrators password
    ... > Is it safe for me to change the Administrator's (now named something ... To do this I make my own account part of the ... I'll mainly work around Windows XP, as that is what the bulk of this ... How to Defragment your hard drives ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.security_admin)
  • Re: re-install windows
    ... Before you install your new hard drive, you may want to take this ... using Windows XP "prettifications". ... Why you should use a computer firewall.. ... How to Defragment your hard drives ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support)
  • Boot up issue
    ... As i type this I am trying to install windos updates. ... windows and program crashes. ... Both hard drives are identical 7,200 rpm 120GB maxtor hard drives. ... reboot) where task manager will not open. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support)
  • winxp wont boot normal or in safe mode (no icons or taskbar)
    ... location" instead of letting Windows search for them? ... The BIOS seems ... re-allocate your Hard drives resources. ... >messsage saying new hardware found VIA Bus Master Drivers, ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.configuration_manage)
  • Re: Phil, youll appreciate this
    ... Rox joins the the iPod Nation!! ... > to upgrade Can't believe you're still on Win 98 though. ... I'm not particularly attached to Windows 98, I just haven't had a need ... left over that he had and my hard drives are kind of just hanging around in ...
    (rec.music.artists.queensryche)