Disabling the pagefile?

ZyanWu · 04-01-2007, 06:34 AM

Tell me... If i am to disable windows's pagefile... will that help improving the computer's speed? (not in overall performance but in task switching and most important: "keeping the kernel in RAM")
(i noticed that the kernel always has a part that stays paged, since Windows 2000's service pack 4 (or 6... i don't remember...), even if i apply the "force the kernel to stay in memory" registry trick)

So... will this help?

P.S. I've got the RAM needed... (4GB... it'z gotta work, no?)

**bakuryu** · 04-01-2007, 12:05 PM

with 4GB I suppose you must be using the x64 versions of the OS.

Do NOT completely disable pagefile. With 4GB memory, have around 100~400MB pagefile.

**Strider** · 04-01-2007, 12:25 PM

Disabling the pagefile will not have any impact on your system performance as you got 4 GB RAM. The Windows Kernel won't even use the page file most of the time. But keeping a small amount,say 256 MB, for paging is advised.

ZyanWu · 04-01-2007, 08:38 PM

Oke... that's for me...
But what about othe computers with 512MB, 1GB and 2GB RAM?

**bakuryu** · 04-01-2007, 09:30 PM

Depends on what type of use that computer has,

512MB :
For Gaming -> 1GB
multitasking -> 1.5~2GB (say Photoshop, Maya simultaneously)

1GB : having 1GB pf is more than enough, though sometimes severe multitasking needs may have 2GB page file.

2GB : 300MB~1GB, will be enough.

Sam RuleZ · 04-01-2007, 10:32 PM

If you feel you want to reduce the pagefile..
Then..
Go to Start--Run--- "msconfig"---System.ini---- 368enh---New--
Then add "ConservativeSwapfileUsage=1" ...it'll bring down the pagefile usage..

Then set PF it to 256MB-512MB... Disabling it isn't recommended...

**bakuryu** · 04-01-2007, 10:35 PM

.

Quote:

Go to Start--Run--- "msconfig"---System.ini---- 368enh---New--
Then add "ConservativeSwapfileUsage=1" ...it'll bring down the pagefile usage..

bad tweak ... and not for XP.

Quote:

XP Myths

Myth - "Adding ConservativeSwapfileUsage=1 to the System.ini file improves performance."

Reality - "The System.ini and Win.ini files are provided in Windows XP for backward compatibility with 16-bit applications. They have no effect on the Windows XP paging file settings which are stored in the Registry. This setting only effects Windows 95/98 operating systems. The default setting for ConservativeSwapfileUsage is 1 for Windows 95, and 0 (zero) for Windows 98. On Windows 98 systems you can set ConservativeSwapfileUsage=1 under the [386Enh] heading of the System.ini file causing the system to behave as Windows 95 does, at some cost in overall system performance." - Source

ZyanWu · 04-01-2007, 10:40 PM

Yea... i've got the setting in X-Setup but... it's disabled on XP and on the info page, near supported OS's, only Win95 and Win98 are checkmarked...

TheGamer · 04-01-2007, 10:45 PM

Disabling a pagefile isn't a good idea at all ... no matter how much RAM you have . Apart from the above explanation by bakuryu , it must be mentioned that many softwares requires pagefile as a compulsory part (as far as i remember Adobe Photoshop,or some similar software, won't install if you have your pagefile disabled) ....

However you can reduce your pagefile to 512MB ..to encourage useage of RAM . Another thing you can do that set the pagefile on a "different" hard disk (on which XP is not installed), if you have two sets (remember different hdd and NOT diff. partition) ...
Along with that set the "Initial and Final" value to the same value (that helps in swapping) .....

ZyanWu · 04-01-2007, 10:51 PM

Storing it on my faster HDD's was the first thing I did... :-P and now it's working mighty fine

04-01-2007, 06:34 AM	#1
ZyanWu Regular Member (100+) Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: At home Posts: 141 Thanks: 46 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts Rep Power: 3	Disabling the pagefile? Tell me... If i am to *disable windows's pagefile... will that help improving the computer's speed? (not in overall performance but in task switching and most important: "keeping the kernel in RAM") (i noticed that the kernel always has a part that stays paged, since Windows 2000's service pack 4 (or 6... i don't remember...), even if* i apply the "force the kernel to stay in memory" registry trick) So... will this help? P.S. I've got the RAM needed... (4GB... it'z gotta work, no?) Last edited by ZyanWu; 04-01-2007 at 06:36 AM. Reason: ...

04-01-2007, 12:05 PM	#2
bakuryu ƒ(ψ)=Θº×φ Join Date: May 2006 Location: India Age: 22 Posts: 5,032 Thanks: 12 Thanked 392 Times in 362 Posts Rep Power: 69	Re: Disabling the pagefile? with 4GB I suppose you must be using the x64 versions of the OS. Do NOT completely disable pagefile. With 4GB memory, have around 100~400MB pagefile. __________________ Please don't click here

04-01-2007, 12:25 PM	#3
Strider Founder Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: The Last City Zion! Posts: 2,688 Thanks: 230 Thanked 230 Times in 191 Posts Rep Power: 53	Re: Disabling the pagefile? Disabling the pagefile will not have any impact on your system performance as you got 4 GB RAM. The Windows Kernel won't even use the page file most of the time. But keeping a small amount,say 256 MB, for paging is advised. __________________ Want to ask a question? Try This! A guide on how to post a question, reply to a post etc.

04-01-2007, 08:38 PM	#4
ZyanWu Regular Member (100+) Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: At home Posts: 141 Thanks: 46 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts Rep Power: 3	Re: Disabling the pagefile? Oke... that's for me... But what about othe computers with 512MB, 1GB and 2GB RAM?

04-01-2007, 09:30 PM	#5
bakuryu ƒ(ψ)=Θº×φ Join Date: May 2006 Location: India Age: 22 Posts: 5,032 Thanks: 12 Thanked 392 Times in 362 Posts Rep Power: 69	Re: Disabling the pagefile? Depends on what type of use that computer has, 512MB : For Gaming -> 1GB multitasking -> 1.5~2GB (say Photoshop, Maya simultaneously) 1GB : having 1GB pf is more than enough, though sometimes severe multitasking needs may have 2GB page file. 2GB : 300MB~1GB, will be enough.

04-01-2007, 10:32 PM	#6
Sam RuleZ Senior Member (500+) Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Mumbai. Age: 16 Posts: 505 Thanks: 6 Thanked 27 Times in 22 Posts Rep Power: 17	Re: Disabling the pagefile? If you feel you want to reduce the pagefile.. Then.. Go to Start--Run--- "msconfig"---System.ini---- 368enh---New-- Then add "ConservativeSwapfileUsage=1" ...it'll bring down the pagefile usage.. Then set PF it to 256MB-512MB... Disabling it isn't recommended... __________________ "Its better to get burnt, than to fade away"-Kurt Cobain.

04-01-2007, 10:40 PM	#8
ZyanWu Regular Member (100+) Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: At home Posts: 141 Thanks: 46 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts Rep Power: 3	Re: Disabling the pagefile? Yea... i've got the setting in X-Setup but... it's disabled on XP and on the info page, near supported OS's, only Win95 and Win98 are checkmarked...

04-01-2007, 10:45 PM	#9
TheGamer Senior Member (500+) Join Date: May 2006 Location: Chandannagar Age: 22 Posts: 542 Thanks: 11 Thanked 32 Times in 31 Posts Rep Power: 19	Re: Disabling the pagefile? Disabling a pagefile isn't a good idea at all ... no matter how much RAM you have . Apart from the above explanation by bakuryu , it must be mentioned that many softwares requires pagefile as a compulsory part (as far as i remember Adobe Photoshop,or some similar software, won't install if you have your pagefile disabled) .... However you can reduce your pagefile to 512MB ..to encourage useage of RAM . Another thing you can do that set the pagefile on a "different" hard disk (on which XP is not installed), if you have two sets (remember different hdd and NOT diff. partition) ... Along with that set the "Initial and Final" value to the same value (that helps in swapping) .....

04-01-2007, 10:51 PM	#10
ZyanWu Regular Member (100+) Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: At home Posts: 141 Thanks: 46 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts Rep Power: 3	Re: Disabling the pagefile? Storing it on my faster HDD's was the first thing I did... :-P and now it's working mighty fine

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