Would removing the paging file hurt or help system performance?

[Baldy18]

I don't want to do it if will will corrupt files or "hose" my system in any ways. However, if I could see any small performance increase or my system ran more efficiently (even if I didn't see the results) I'd like to give it a try.

I'm not a power user or anything and its just a laptop that I use for browsing, distributed computing, and the occasional game. Had a lot of files get messed up before when I had no paging file but that was with a very overclocked desktop system and the laptop will not be overclocked and is rock solid.

Oops almost forgot to add the system specs. It is Windows XP SP1, P-M 1.5GHz, 512MB RAM.

 

[spyordie007]

it certinly wont halp system performance, it wont help either

even if you remove the pagefile windows will create one because it needs the pagefile to function "correctly"

If you want an increase in performance get more RAM and let windows do what it's already doing.

-Spy

 

[Baldy18]

So there is no way to completely go away from having a paging file? That sucks with a laptop with a slower hdd.

So if it won't help will it hurt?

 

[spyordie007]

as I understand it the way some applications store information in memory requires the existance of a pagefile regardless of whether there is anything stored in it. If you want further technical details I'm sure someone here has a specific answer as to why this is the case.

The page file is esentially used as a temporary memory storage location when you have run out of physical memory and require additional memory for your computing. What windows does is removes things from memory and stores them on the HD temporarily so that there will be enough physical memory available for whatever task you are performing. If you want to improve performance the solution is not to eliminate this behavior but to get enough physical memory so that it does not have to "page" in place of physical memory.

EDIT: Read "The solution for better performance is to get more RAM"

-Spy

 

[bsobel]

So if it won't help will it hurt?

Yes, it can. The system isn't using it anyhow unless your running out of physical memory. If your using the paging comit from taskmanager and thinking your actually using the paging file, your not unless your commit is close to or above your physical memory.

Bill

 

[RVN]

The solution is to get more RAM!

Some programs require a swap file to run. Some situations utilize the swap file, irregardless of size.

This is like treating the symptoms of the problem and not the problem itself. If you've developed the situation to ask this question, it usually means you need more RAM. Get more RAM. The answer is to let Windows manage it and get more RAM. My opinion is based on personal experience and observing the overall, general consensus every time it comes up in this forum.

The above is for informational purposes and not intended to be an advertisement for buying RAM! (I'm not in any business involved with the manufacture or sale of RAM) pssst...how about some commercial truck equipment?

 

[Baldy18]

Ok maybe I didn't totaly explain what I was looking for. I'll try again.

I have 512MB of RAM in the computer but in normal usage I'm only using about 100MB of RAM. Since my system shouldn't be using the paging file anyway would it be beneficial or not for me to disable it.

I'm not a power user or anything and its just a laptop that I use for browsing, distributed computing, and the occasional game. Had a lot of files get messed up before when I had no paging file but that was with a very overclocked desktop system and the laptop will not be overclocked and is rock solid.

Oops almost forgot to add the system specs. It is Windows XP SP1, P-M 1.5GHz, 512MB RAM.

 

[bsobel]

I have 512MB of RAM in the computer but in normal usage I'm only using about 100MB of RAM. Since my system shouldn't be using the paging file anyway would it be beneficial or not for me to disable it.

No it would not be beneficial, in some cases it could cause problems.

Bill

 

[boshuter]

It is generally thought that using a static size for the swap file is better than completely letting windows manage it, make your minimum and maximum sizes the same. But like everyone else has said, don't remove it entirely.

BTW: supposedly having the swap file on a seperate partician is supposed to improve performance, or better yet, a different physical drive (not possible on a laptop).

 

[spyordie007]

BTW: supposedly having the swap file on a seperate partician is supposed to improve performance, or better yet, a different physical drive (not possible on a laptop).

In the event that you run out of RAM and your system is using your page file for swapping memory you will have better performance if the page file is on a seperate physical drive because your system drive will be able to continue working while your additional drive is pulling from the page file. This is not the case with seperate partitions, in actuality you would likely see worse performance if you have it on an aditional partition because it would increase seek time to the pagefile. Also if you are not activly using the pagefile this will not matter at all since your machine will not be performing much swapping.

 

[boshuter]

In the event that you run out of RAM and your system is using your page file for swapping memory you will have better performance if the page file is on a seperate physical drive because your system drive will be able to continue working while your additional drive is pulling from the page file. This is not the case with seperate partitions, in actuality you would likely see worse performance if you have it on an aditional partition because it would increase seek time to the pagefile. Also if you are not activly using the pagefile this will not matter at all since your machine will not be performing much swapping

You are right, I stand corrected..

Check out this link for an excellent explanation of the page file in windows xp...Windows XP page file explained

 

[Baldy18]

Thanks for the info guys.