Swap File - Where and How Big?

[reicherb]

I'm wondering where my swap file would server me best, and how large to make it.

My setup
Athlon 1300 (200FBS)
512MB RAM
C: D: = 60GB 7200 ATA100 Maxtor - OS (Win2k) and VMware virtual machines
E: = 80GB 7200 ATA100 WD - Data
F: = (2) 45BG 7200 ATA100 IBM (RAID0) - Video edition

Windows currently has the swap file on drive C: with the minimum size at 768MB and the maximum size at 1536MB.

I was thinking about moving the swap file to F, but I'm wondering if I'd get better video editing performace if the swap file was on drive E. Also how big should the swap file be? Can it be too big?

Any ideas?

Thank.

 

[ToBeMe]

If you have enough ram and use XP or 2K...........just run without one! I have 1G of PC2100 and never used a swap file in XP on my systems!

 

[reicherb]

<< If you have enough ram and use XP or 2K...........just run without one! I have 1G of PC2100 and never used a swap file in XP on my systems! >>



I run Win2k and have 512MB PC133. I think need to have a swap file.

 

[bjc112]

set it at like 200min and max.... windows recommends 1.5x your ram but 200 is plenty, i highly doubt u will go over 700 megs of ram usage

 

[Nothinman]

f you have enough ram and use XP or 2K...........just run without one!

A) That's a dumb idea.
B) You can't. 2K and XP will create a variable size one in the windows directory if you don't set one yourself.

highly doubt u will go over 700 megs of ram usage

You've never used VMWare have you?

I would personally put it on the RAID since it's probably the fastest, and if it seemed to f' with my video editing move it to E:. But if you're hitting it a lot get more ram while it's cheap. It can't really be too big, it'll just waste disk space.

 

[ToBeMe]

<< f you have enough ram and use XP or 2K...........just run without one!

A) That's a dumb idea.
B) You can't. 2K and XP will create a variable size one in the windows directory if you don't set one yourself.

highly doubt u will go over 700 megs of ram usage

You've never used VMWare have you?

I would personally put it on the RAID since it's probably the fastest, and if it seemed to f' with my video editing move it to E:. But if you're hitting it a lot get more ram while it's cheap. It can't really be too big, it'll just waste disk space. >>


Apparently you have NO clue as to how it is done then...... It creates nothing, is turn off and "switcxhed off" through the registry!
How great is your idea too?? Your going to try to set up a person whom is asking questions about swap file size to setup and run raid????? Which raid then??? raid 0??? LOL!

Dumb idea????????...........Haven't even tried it have ya' newb???? LOL! I'm doing it as are MANY others and it definately makes the O/S faster........

 

[RPB]

been running winxp pro with 512mb ram and no swap file and everything has been just fine.
your mileage may vary.

 

[Mucman]

<< RAID 0 arrays are not meant to be a long-term storage solution due to the safety issue. But they are suitable very well for fast short-term storage (swap file, temporary drive, video editing, video encoding). >>



Toms Hardware - link

If you don't have enough swap, windows 2k will always make one for you... I got a little .exe that runs an infinite loop using the new command and I see my 256M swap
file turn into a 1G swap file even though I specified the min/max to be 256.

So, just because you specified no swap file doesn't mean win2k won't make one on its own anyways.

 

[ToBeMe]

<< So, just because you specified no swap file doesn't mean win2k won't make one on its own anyways. >>


.......Unless...........you disable it in the registry...... Believe me, i've checked and rechecked this..........

 

[LS]

Just curious. In Win2k how do you disable the swap file via the registry??

 

[ToBeMe]

I'm not going to explain it all here, but, I'm sure a Google search would suffice! Also, a good place to start is the "Windows Registry Guide"..................

 

[Bucksnort]

Here is the link to instructions in disabling paging.

Link

 

[reicherb]

bjc112 and Nothinman,

Thanks for the help, Obviously ToBeMe has never used VMware. Try running Win2k with XP, 98, and BSD VMs running at once without a swap file.
I figured that the RAID drive would be the best place, but wasn't sure if it would hurt video editing and wondered how big to make it.

ToBeMe, If you would have read my post, I'm already running RAID 0.

I've since run Sandra 2001 and found that drive F is by far the way to go. Here are the scores
C/D - 21419
E - 11647
F - 36556


Thanks for the help.

 

[Bucksnort]

You dont need a swap with 512. I have 1 gig so I sure as heck dont have one. Paging is such a waste of drive space and performance.

 

[Mucman]

Bucksnort - I think you missed the fact that he is running VMware

 

[ToBeMe]

<< bjc112 and Nothinman,

Thanks for the help, Obviously ToBeMe has never used VMware. Try running Win2k with XP, 98, and BSD VMs running at once without a swap file.
I figured that the RAID drive would be the best place, but wasn't sure if it would hurt video editing and wondered how big to make it.

ToBeMe, If you would have read my post, I'm already running RAID 0.

I've since run Sandra 2001 and found that drive F is by far the way to go. Here are the scores
C/D - 21419
E - 11647
F - 36556


Thanks for the help. >>


Obviously you're wrong but...............oh well............

 

[reicherb]

<< Obviously you're wrong but...............oh well............ >>



How so?

 

[python134r]

I run a triple boot test bed machine with win2kpro/win2k adv. server/winxp pro corp and I have no page file and 768mb ram. My box at home has 1 gig of ram with win xp pro corp no page file and the only disadvantage is I cannot run adobe photshop 6.0, I'll live with it and use paint shop pro, otherwise it runs fine.

 

[ToBeMe]

<<

<< Obviously you're wrong but...............oh well............ >>



How so? >>


Raid 0 is useless, and dangerous with critical data.........one day you'll see that........and it can be done but your mind is already made so...........

 

[Nothinman]

Apparently you have NO clue as to how it is done then...... It creates nothing, is turn off and "switcxhed off" through the registry!

Even if it is possible to run with no swap I wouldn't care to know how, becaue it's extremely stupid. Anyone who does has no idea how VM really works and will run into problems eventually.

Raid 0 is useless, and dangerous with critical data.........one day you'll see that........and it can be done but your mind is already made so.........

RAID 0 isn't useless, yes with IDE isn't not as beneficial as with SCSI but it helps.

God, you're cocky for someone who has such a poor understanding of computers and how they work.

 

[ToBeMe]

<< Apparently you have NO clue as to how it is done then...... It creates nothing, is turn off and "switcxhed off" through the registry!

Even if it is possible to run with no swap I wouldn't care to know how, becaue it's extremely stupid. Anyone who does has no idea how VM really works and will run into problems eventually.

Raid 0 is useless, and dangerous with critical data.........one day you'll see that........and it can be done but your mind is already made so.........

RAID 0 isn't useless, yes with IDE isn't not as beneficial as with SCSI but it helps.

God, you're cocky for someone who has such a poor understanding of computers and how they work. >>


I have a poor understanding????? ROFLMAO!!!! I was doing this and had my degree and certs before you were out of Elementary School (if you are) most likely son! Don't doubt what you can't/don't understand and perhaps someday you will have the wisdom of years to back up your drivel!

On this note, I bid you and this strange thread a fair adew siting the law of the forums...............

Never argue with an idiot........he'll only drag you down to his level, then beat you with expierience!

 

[Nothinman]

I have a poor understanding?????

Yes, and a piss poor attitude to go with it.

I was doing this and had my degree and certs before you were out of Elementary School (if you are) most likely son!

A) You have no idea how old I am.
B) Just because you have experience with punchcards doesn't mean you know how to write an effective VM.

On this note, I bid you and this strange thread a fair adew siting the law of the forums...............

That's funny because you keep calling me an idiot but you have yet to back up a single thing you've said, I was hoping for a good laugh.

 

[iluvdeal]

<< I run a triple boot test bed machine with win2kpro/win2k adv. server/winxp pro corp and I have no page file and 768mb ram. My box at home has 1 gig of ram with win xp pro corp no page file and the only disadvantage is I cannot run adobe photshop 6.0, I'll live with it and use paint shop pro, otherwise it runs fine. >>



Is the reg hack the only way to disable page file in XP?

Just to confirm, is it recommended that anyone with more than 512MB RAM disable it? Will games benefit any from it? Thanks.

 

[Nothinman]

Just to confirm, is it recommended that anyone with more than 512MB RAM disable it?

It's not recommended no matter how much memory you have.

 

[Bucksnort]

good griefd, i think i will leave this thread also. not recommended to disable vm? lol