ConservativeSwapfileUsage=1 revisited

[MSNY]

OK, I just went from 128 to 256 megs and I have to say this setting is not hype but REALLY works ! Ran System monitor before and after using this setting. Before while playing Q3ATA my 200 swap file was using about 30 megs, after it a big zero. More then that I see a smoothness in gameplay. I had that occasional hitching to the drive before also, now its gone. I played for over 1 hour then read the system log file.

For me this is no longer a controversy but something I would reccomend to those above 128 megs and are power users like myself.
I also ran these test before addding my 128 stick and I saw NO benefit until now. Yes I did read the previous link to MS Tech Net.
I saw nothing that said "warning: don't do this".

With the price of memory so cheap now, why not get more and try it ?

System:
P3 650e
256 megs crucial cas2
30gig maxtor & 8.5 gig wd
32 meg geforce DDR
Aureal sound 2500
Umax Scanner 3400 USB
CDRW HP 10 x 8 x 4
Intellimouse explorer USB

 

[andrey]

Here is an article from MS Knowledge Base regarding " ConservativeSwapfileUsage=1 ":

INFO: The Windows 98 PageFile_Call_Async_Manager Service

 

[MSNY]

I read that MS article, but i have to say I'm still a beliver with the setting. I see a performance again.

 

[Guilty]

I dont follow, it was never hype, or a question, or undocumented.

 

[Muadib]

I'm with you MSNY. I also recently went to 256MB, and other than when doing video editing, saw no improvement. That is until I made the change. Now everything runs faster, and my swap usage is a big 0. I've told friends to try it and so far all have loved it. I plan to tax my system until it has to swap, but I need to do a backup first.

 

[Technonut]

My replies from a recent Thread :

Well, here is what I came up with on a fresh reboot with my start up programs running. I set a fixed 300MB swapfile, and ran the system monitor with the CSFU=1, and then disabled it and rebooted. This is with 384MB of RAM in my system.


ConservativeSwapfileUsage=1


ConservativeSwapfileUsage=1 Disabled

I also ran Winstone Content Creation, followed by Q3A with CSFU=1, and had no swapfile usage.

There was no hard drive performance gain or loss with either CSFU=1 enabled or disabled using HD Tach. I am curious where this "performance loss" using CSFU=1 is??

BTW, I just reset "Let Windows Manage My Virtual Memory Settings" like I had it before, with CSFU=1 enabled, and guess what? The 300MB Win386.swp file vanished from my drive. Looks like I gained 300MB of hard drive space. I have been using this setting for a long while, and have never had Windows start a swapfile on my drive.


I agree 100% that the setting is effective when using 256MB of RAM and up. I don't think that I ever stated otherwise. The thread that fkloster quoted me as being incorrect, "I told you so"
involved the member asking "How big should i set Windows Swap File for 256MB of RAM?" I stated that the setting of CSFU=1 worked well for me, and at the time of that post, I had 256MB of RAM in my system.

The fact is, if you can afford extra RAM as cheap as it is now, and use CSFU=1, it will increase performance, and save hard drive space that normally is taken by either a set swapfile or Windows managed one. RAM is much faster than the hard drive.

If you cannot afford extra RAM, the setting is not for you, if you have 32, 64, or 128MB of RAM.

 

[nEoTeChMaN]

It does work for me.

Especially..how fast IE pop up.

 

[andrey]

of course it will work if you have enough RAM, since any SDRAM can transfer data much faster than even the fastest hard drive out there

 

[andrey]

Just be carefull in one respect. If you have your computer on 24/7, you will ran out of memory rather quickly.

 

[John]

<< Just be carefull in one respect. If you have your computer on 24/7, you will ran out of memory rather quickly. >>



That's why &quot;smart&quot; people use Win 2K.

 

[andrey]

or even triple boot (to have the best of all the worlds)

1. Windows 98SE
2. Windows 2000
3. Linux RedHat 7.0

 

[Taz4158]

<< Just be carefull in one respect. If you have your computer on 24/7, you will ran out of memory rather quickly >>



Absolutely untrue. I've used CSFU=1 for years and my computer is rarely off. I used from way back when I had 128 megs to now where I have 512. I have never &quot;run out of memory&quot;. This is one of the nicer and effective tweaks out there.

 

[Claw57]

Technonut-

When you say you reset your setting for 'Let Windows Manage My Virtual Memory Settings' do you mean you went from a fixed swap file size or was your virtual memory disabled? I will soon have 256 megs of ram and would like to know what your virtual memory settings are/were.

Thanks.

 

[Taz4158]

<< When you say you reset your setting for 'Let Windows Manage My Virtual Memory Settings' do you mean you went from a fixed swap file size or was your virtual memory disabled? I will soon have 256 megs of ram and would like to know what your virtual memory settings are/were. >>




Let Windows control your memory when you use the CSFU=1, that is there's no need for a set swapfile. My WIN386.SWP is still 0 bytes.

 

[Regalk]

Never bothered with it before - I had 400MB MIn/MAx on my D Drive. I just enabled &quot;Let windows...&quot; and now it allocated 0 - But then I have 384MB of SDRAM. Ths is interesting - always thought that u needed some regardless ..hmmm. System looks more spiffier now.

 

[Technonut]

I set the fixed 300MB swap file just to conduct the comparison between CSFU=1 enabled &amp; disabled, which created a 300MB win386.swp file on my drive. When I switched my setting back to &quot;Allow Windows to manage virtual memory&quot; as I had it before, the 300MB win386.swp file is no longer on my drive at all.

I also leave my system on 24/7, and use many business apps, and play some games, web surf, etc.. and do not have any problem with running out of RAM.

Claw57, what Taz4158 said is correct. Use the CSFU=1, and set &quot;Allow Windows to manage virtual memory&quot; There is no need to set a fixed swap file. If you do set a fixed swap file using CSFU=1, you will only waste hard drive space.

 

[MSNY]

The last couple of days after putting in the extra 128 stick I've been running a lot of intense photo/scanner apps and games from Adobe to Q3A.

I still have yet to see my swap file other then zero useage. I agree with Technonut why even have a min/max swap file then ? This may be a case where letting windows manage something may be a worthy endeavor.

Also, I do beleive that memory used is not memory lost. Windows can reclaim it simply by closing an open window. Maybe not efficiently, but who cares if you have a ton of it anyways ?

 

[andrey]

I have 512Mb of Mushkin Rev 2 in my system. After adding &quot; ConservativeSwapfileUsage=1 &quot; to my system.ini I received message &quot;Your System is Low On Memory. Please close couple windows and try again&quot;. That's with 512Mb of RAM !!! Also my system becomes very slugish after 3 or 4 hours of use. Taking &quot;ConservativeSwapfileUsage=1 &quot; out of system.ini took all those memory related problems away too.

 

[Technonut]

There are a lot of bullsh1t RAM optimizers around, but I have found a free one that I really like called RAM Idle It is feature loaded, such as:

Uses less RAM than ever (only 888 KB).
Total memory (RAM + virtual memory) usage : 5.7 MB.
Uses less CPU resource than ever (only 0.2 - 0.4 %).
Ability to monitor GDI, User, and System resource (Win9x only).
Ability to tweak Windows file cache (Win9x only).

&quot;You can also set it to free up a selected amount of memory at a regular interval, and free up memory manually as needed. Other features include Windows cache optimization, audio support, and an attractive system-tray display that shows how much real memory is available.&quot;

I like using it to monitor my RAM use with the CSFU=1 setting enabled. I have not had to use it to free up RAM yet, but it is available if needed. Check it out, I think some of you may like it.

 

[OneOfTheseDays]

andrey you have to let windows manage your virtual memory. Then add in the cfsu=1 line into your system ini. Do not set a swap file manually, i think that is your problem.

 

[andrey]

I haven't set swap file manually, it was on &quot;Let Windows Manage...&quot; even before CSFU=1...

 

[JokerF15]

k...i got win2k, i just added that line into the system.ini 386enh (i think it goes there) and restarted. What settings should i do to get my swap back. I think 574 mb's are allocated for pagefile or something like that. whatever is default. BTW i have 384 mb of memory!

thx for any info =D

 

[andrey]

JokerF15, ConservativeSwapfileUsage=1 is the setting which applies to Windows98/98SE only

 

[hclarkjr]

i am using it with winme and have noticed some improvement with it.

 

[Claw57]

Technonut and Taz4158:

Thank you both for clarifying this. As soon as I get my other stick of memory I will give it a try.

Thanks.