[julesthorne]

I need some help regarding my paging file. I have removed my paging file but it keeps returning. I deleate it as normal, but after a random number of reboots it returns. When it does it swallows up 2Gb of my SSD :evil: I have 2 Gb of RAM installed and a 16 GB HCSD as well as the standard 8GBSSD. Any help would be appriciated.

Cheers

Jules

[X-Files]

Change your page file settings.

Control Panel -> System -> Advanced -> Performance Settings -> Advanced -> Virtual Memory Change (button)

[julesthorne]

done that, there are various way to remove the page file - my problem is making sure that it doesn't come back!

Cheers

Jules

[jefito]

What's the name of the file that you are deleting? If it's "hiberfil.sys", then it's the hibernation file. That file is as large as your RAM, and only goes away if you' have hibernation turned off.

If it's "pagefile.sys" then I'm not sure -- you seem to have done the right things. I suppose you could manually set the min/max size of your page file to 0.

~Jeff

[cmarcho]

jefito may have nailed it.... are you looking at hiberfil.sys or pagefile.sys?

The pagefile is in the registry here:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\Se ssion Manager\Memory Management

Look for the multi-string value "PagingFiles" it should have data entry like this:

C:\pagefile.sys 1536 3072

this specifies the filename of the pagefile, and the lower and upper size of the pagefile. If you wanted to keep the pagefile a specific size, then both numbers would be the same, like:

C:\pagefile.sys 1024 1024

What I would do is set the page file to a small number like 10mb:

C:\pagefile.sys 10 10

See if this resolves the issue for you.

If you have hibernation enabled, then that is why you have a 2gb hiberfil.sys on the drive.

In Windows XP, to Enable or Disable Hibernation:

1. Click Control Panel
2. Click Power Options
3. Select the Hibernate tab
4. Uncheck Enable Hibernation box to disable (or check to enable)
5. Click OK

If you are running Vista, from an elevated command prompt, type:

Type powercfg -h off and press ENTER to disable hibernation. The 2gb hiberfil.sys file should go away.

Let us know which it was please!!!!!

[julesthorne]

Its def the pagefile - got rid of Hibernate ages ago. Have tried to create a 10 Mb page file but it just keeps increasing to 2Gb. Have many years exp in IT however this is really getting the better of me!!!! :cry:

Cheers

Jules

[cmarcho]

Originally Posted by julesthorne

Its def the pagefile - got rid of Hibernate ages ago. Have tried to create a 10 Mb page file but it just keeps increasing to 2Gb. Have many years exp in IT however this is really getting the better of me!!!! :cry:

Cheers

Jules

is the registry entry reflecting the larger size?

setup auditing on that key and see what changes it back. do you have spyware running that might be changing it back?

configure the reg key with the size pagefile you want and then edit the permissions of the key to read only for every account that is listed.

something must be changing it back in the background as a default install of XP doesn't typically do this on it's own.

[Irvin]

I've had exactly the same issue with XP Pro. I'd created a RAMDisk and made a 256Mb Pagefile on it, setting the one on C: to zero. XP ignored the new file and kept the one on C: (2Gb) even though the settings in the dialog box and Registry were right. I even tried using c:\windows\system32\pagefileconfig.vbs to set up things the way I wanted. The fix it I've just deleted c:\pagefile.sys in Safe Mode and recreated a fixed Pagefile on C: of 1.5 x RAM (I've got 2Gb). XP has accepted this change. And I've now shrunk it to 1024Gb and, again, this has stuck. Now to try to make this smaller and shift it onto my RAMDisk (R...
I would recomend NOT deleting the paging file. A number of apps expect there to be one. I'd suggest using a RAMDisk if you have 2GB RAM for sure. I'm using RamDisk Plus and it works a treat.

[Irvin]

Okay. I managed to size down my C: paging file to 512Mb and that worked. I then created a 256Mb pagefile on R: - that wasn't taken; XP just kept the one on C:. Maybe RAMDisk Plus can't be used as a pagefile? Anyway, I then set the pagefile on C: to zero (I didn't manually delete the file this time), leaving the one on R:. When I rebooted, XP had created a 2Gb pagefile on C: all by itself, ignoring R: again!

I remember reading somewhere that XP will override any setting it sees as odd - I'll do some digging later (just off out to do some Christmas shipping). I'm going to live with 512Mb on C: for now.

[jefito]

Originally Posted by Irvin

I've had exactly the same issue with XP Pro. I'd created a RAMDisk and made a 256Mb Pagefile on it, setting the one on C: to zero. XP ignored the new file and kept the one on C: (2Gb) even though the settings in the dialog box and Registry were right. I even tried using c:\windows\system32\pagefileconfig.vbs to set up things the way I wanted. The fix it I've just deleted c:\pagefile.sys in Safe Mode and recreated a fixed Pagefile on C: of 1.5 x RAM (I've got 2Gb). XP has accepted this change. And I've now shrunk it to 1024Gb and, again, this has stuck. Now to try to make this smaller and shift it onto my RAMDisk (R...

Why would you use RAM to make a page file? It makes no sense. You're taking away RAM that can be used to hold program data and putting it to use as RAM that can be used to hold program data. You get no speed benefit from it, and you lose some space due to the need to make a file system on the RAMDrive. Using a RAM drive to hold a pagefile is robbing Peter to pay Paul.

I would recomend NOT deleting the paging file. A number of apps expect there to be one. I'd suggest using a RAMDisk if you have 2GB RAM for sure. I'm using RamDisk Plus and it works a treat.

Really? Name those apps, please.

Applications are generally not aware of the presence or absence of the paging file, as the paging file is used to extend the size of virtual memory, i.e., the memory space seen by applications. If your virtual memory is too small to run the programs that you need, then sure, a paging file is perfeectly appropriate, however, the OS, and the vast majority of programs are well able to run without a pagefile.

~jeff