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    Page File Usage

    Discussion in 'Windows OS and Software' started by hendra, Feb 13, 2007.

  1. hendra

    hendra Notebook Virtuoso

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    Using Task Manager in Win XP Pro, why does it show that the OS still uses about 400 to 500 MB page file even though I still have about 1.5 GB free RAM space? Even after I disabled page file, XP still uses 400 MB page eventhough pagefile.sys is no longer in C drive. Very strange :confused:
     
    hendra, Feb 13, 2007
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  2. qhn

    qhn Notebook User

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    windows always assigns a "pagefile" regardless u have it set on the hard disk- what u see is th virtual page file in real memory that windows takes away from ur total ram.

    not defining a "disk" pagefile (.sys) when having loads of ram is really an oxymoron. windows ALWAYS hog the real memory FIRST before even swapping out to any "virtual" swap space. Not having a pressure release valve (in the form of pagefile.sys) would do more harm than system performance gain.

    Problems/issues would definitively arise when many apps requiring memory swapping fight each other in the real memory causing cycle "traffic jam" that would eventually choked ur processes to a crawl

    cheers ...
     
    qhn, Feb 13, 2007
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  3. bigtrip

    bigtrip Notebook Enthusiast

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    bigtrip, Feb 13, 2007
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  4. Jalf

    Jalf Comrade Santa

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    First, when it says it uses 4-500 MB virtual memory (which I assume is what you meant), that means pagefile *plus* physical memory. So if the pagefile is disabled, it will still use the same amount of memory. It's just using physical memory only now.

    And second, while XP has its fun ideas about how to use the pagefile, it's basically sensible. it does try to put stuff in the pagefile while there's still unused RAM. That makes good sense. That allows it to handle large sudden memory allocations much better than if it filled physical RAM up first before even touching the pagefile.

    So generally, it's a bad idea to disable the pagefile
     
    Jalf, Feb 13, 2007
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