The paging file (a.k.a pagefile, swap file) is a file located in C:\pagefile.sys. The Windows OS stores files in RAM cause it is the fastest memory in your PC. When the RAM becomes full Windows moves a part of the data to paging file. The same file is also used to store the data of apps you are not using.
Should I Disable It?
It is a widely spread myth that disabling the paging file improves performance. In fact it is able only to make idling apps open faster. But at the same time you can provoke different apps to crash or generate errors. So, it is not recommended to disable it completely. You may reduce its size instead, that is a recommended option.
7. Unset the checkbox Automatically manage paging file size for all drives if it is set.
8. Switch to No paging file.
9. Click Set.
10. Click YES.
11. Press OK 3 times in other windows.
For a clean experiment, we recommend restarting Windows after that.
How to Enable Paging in Windows 10
Let’s say, you tried to run OS without paging file and concluded that this option is not for you. What to do? Go back to the Virtual Memory settings, set the Automatically manage… checkbox at the top and click OK.
How to Use Paging File of a Custom Size (Recommended)
They say, a fixed size of the paging file improves the system performance. If you agree with this, do the following:
First, select Custom Size in the Virtual Memory settings.
Then specify the same size in both fields. For instance, 10240 MB.
Click Set.
Click OK to close windows
On Which Drive: HDD or SSD?
Store the paging file on your fastest drive. If you have a SATA SSD – place the file on it. If you use an NVMe storage – it will be the best place for it.
But never listen to those who advise to move it to a HDD to improve SSD’s lifespan! Then, it’s better to take the SSD out of your computer and put it on the shelf – it’s health will stay in a perfect condition.
Closing Words
Please, tell us in the comments, whether or not you find the guide useful and what you think about the disabling the paging file on SSD or setting the fixed size.
In the Performance Options window, go to the Advanced tab and click on “Change…” under Virtual Memory. Uncheck “Automatically manage paging file size for all drives”.Select the sys
sys
sys is a filename extension used in MS-DOS applications and Microsoft Windows operating systems. They are system files that contain device drivers or hardware configurations for the system. Most DOS .
You should never set that setting to 'No Page File' or set a manual amount either, you should always let Windows Manage your Virtual Memory, otherwise you either may not be able to boot up windows or you may experience many problems with software such as lagging.
Page files enable the system to remove infrequently accessed modified pages from physical memory to let the system use physical memory more efficiently for more frequently accessed pages.
Navigate to Advanced system settings and click on the Advanced. Click on the Settings button in the Performance section and navigate to the Advanced. Click the Change button and uncheck the Automatically manage paging file size for all drives checkbox. Select the drive where Windows 10 is installed.
Computers that are running Microsoft Windows or Microsoft Windows Server usually must have a page file to support a system crash dump. System administrators can now create a dedicated dump file instead. A dedicated dump file is a page file that isn't used for paging.
Unless you are running applications that require a massive memory space, then most Windows systems can actually run without a pagefile. Obviously if the memory required by all the running processes (including Windows itself) exceeds the physical memory size then it will have problems.
Windows uses virtual memory when your computer's RAM fills up, storing it in a file called pagefile. sys. Because you never know what was stored there, it's a good idea to clear the page file at shutdown in Windows 10, 8, and 7.
For systems with more RAM, you can make the paging file somewhat smaller. You could trim the paging file to 2 GB on a 16 GB system, for example, or to 3.5 GB on a 32 GB system without running into any noticeable performance problems.
The vast majority of users should never disable the pagefile or mess with the pagefile settings – just let Windows handle the pagefile and use the available RAM for file caching, processes, and Superfetch.
In the Performance Options window, go to the Advanced tab and click on “Change…” under Virtual Memory. Uncheck “Automatically manage paging file size for all drives”.Select the system drive with the large pagefile.sys, choose “No paging file,” and then press Set.
Without swap: We cannot swap out rarely-used anonymous memory, as it's locked in memory. While this may not immediately present as a problem, on some workloads this may represent a non-trivial drop in performance due to stale, anonymous pages taking space away from more important use.
The pagefile (sometimes referred to as page file or paging file) is a Windows system file whose full name is pagefile. sys. By default, it is located in the root directory of the system drive, typically the C: drive. Figure 1 shows the file on the C: drive as it appears in Windows Explorer.
Open the Registry Editor and go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SYSTEM > CurrentControlSet > Control > Session Manager > Memory Management. Double-click ClearPageFileAtShutdown. Change the Value_data to 1. Reboot.
The tradeoff for page combining comes in the form of increased CPU usage and this may have a negative effect on the scalability and or performance. Please note that page combining can be disabled independently from memory compression.
Introduction: My name is Pres. Carey Rath, I am a faithful, funny, vast, joyous, lively, brave, glamorous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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