Best performing virtual memory settings in XP?

[superally]

Hi folks

Hopefully an easy question here - just upgraded from 256MB SDRAM to 512MB DDR2100 (ECS K7S5A board). I'd expected the machine (1700XP+) to be quicker than it was before, and it is, but still seems to be using vast amounts of pagefile (like, it's using 100MB of "my" RAM and 190MB of pagefile).

Dr.Pepper question - if I set the pagefile to 0, hence forcing it to use the 512MB DDR and nowt else, what's the worst that can happen?

I've made the change and so far nothing seems to have crashed on me, and since the machine only really works hard when it's running GTA3 I can't think why it would ever need more than 512MB to run anyway, but......

The way it's runing now relative to what it was doing before actually persuades me that rather than go back to using the pagefile I would cough up the extra 71 quid for another 512MB of DDR, but I'd rather not if I don't have to.

Any thoughts???

Many thanks

Ally

[Samuknow]

I'm at a loss here. I can't wait to see the answer for this one.

[superally]

I'm kind of hoping that doesn't mean this is the dumbest question ever to hit the boards.... :-)

A

[SteveI]

Originally posted by superally
I'm kind of hoping that doesn't mean this is the dumbest question ever to hit the boards.... :-)

A

Absolutely not.. (I'm sure there are plenty dumber , j/k) I have a friend who does this, but not sure how. I think he told me that when it is running out of RAM, XP automatically starts forcing the virtual memory to increase. This will slow down the system to a crawl, but then it works fine. To have it go back to using 0 virtual, you have to force it again. It can be tedious, but he seems to like it. (I run 512 DDR as well, but I'm too lazy to play with it.)

I don't expect you to have any problems... The worst that can happen is the sys runs out of memory, and gives you an error message, and you have to reboot. If you tell me where to change it, I'll putz around with it too. (that's how lazy I can get.)

[Áedán]

Originally posted by superally
Dr.Pepper question - if I set the pagefile to 0, hence forcing it to use the 512MB DDR and nowt else, what's the worst that can happen?

The worst? The OS dies because there's no available memory for it to allocate for something important. Unlikely, as the OS likes to try and keep itself safe.

When/if you create a pagefile, if you have multiple disks, place the pagefile on the MOST used partition of the LEAST used disk. Don't have more than one pagefile per physical disk.

Also, if you preset the pagefile(s) to the same minimum and maximum size, the OS doesn't have to spent time resizing the pagefile to take into account growing/shrinking memory use. This all takes time.

Lastly, if you're going to create a pagefile(s), ensure that the disk(s) have been defragmented first. That way the pagefile ends up being contigious rather than broken up.


AidanII

[Spode]

I usually just set mine fixed at max and min of 512, that ay it doesn't have to resize it as aidan is saying.

Surely the computer only uses the page file after it's filled up the ram?

[Áedán]

Originally posted by Spode
Surely the computer only uses the page file after it's filled up the ram?

That'd be nice, but NT/2K/XP seems to page stuff even if it doesn't need to. Wonder if it might be untouched memory pages, or old memory pages that haven't been used for a while.

That way, the FS cache can remain a sensible size even if programs have allocated all memory, and failed to use half of it.

AidanII

[superally]

Looks like I'm going to stick with this for now - I've been trying to load the machine this morning to see what happens and haven't got it much over 270MB or so of committed memory, so I think that's a big enough margin for error. It's definitely faster (although as Spode points out XP should really use the physical stuff before the pagefile - I'm surprised they haven't sorted that out)

SteveI - if you want to give it a go, try

Control Panel / System / Advanced / Performance...Settings / Advanced / Virtual Memory...Change / Select "No Page File"
OK out then reboot.

Cheers

Ally