Comments on: The Truth About Virtual Memory http://www.nilpo.com/2007/07/windows-xp/the-truth-about-virtual-memory/ Ask the Windows Guru! Wed, 08 Sep 2010 07:27:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: Larry Miller http://www.nilpo.com/2007/07/windows-xp/the-truth-about-virtual-memory/#comment-15201 Larry Miller Fri, 31 Oct 2008 03:20:29 +0000 http://www.nilpo.com/2007/07/windows-xp/the-truth-about-virtual-memory/#comment-15201 The author does a good job of dispelling a number of myths. Unfortunately he injects a number of new myths and inaccuracies. First, there are the persistent references to the pagefile as virtual memory. Not only is this incorrect but it also encourages further misunderstandings. The pagefile is an important part of the virtual memory system but it is only a part. Only modified data will be written to the pagefile, not program code. The default setting of letting Windows manage the pagefile is best for most users. If you have little RAM you may have to raise the lower value to avoid warnings. There is no need or value in restricting the upper limit, except that the Win32 platform does not support a single pagefile over 4GB. There is no value in clearing the pagefile at shutdown except for security purposes. Windows will not permit this during a session. Larry Miller Microsoft MCSA The author does a good job of dispelling a number of myths. Unfortunately he injects a number of new myths and inaccuracies.

First, there are the persistent references to the pagefile as virtual memory. Not only is this incorrect but it also encourages further misunderstandings. The pagefile is an important part of the virtual memory system but it is only a part. Only modified data will be written to the pagefile, not program code.

The default setting of letting Windows manage the pagefile is best for most users. If you have little RAM you may have to raise the lower value to avoid warnings. There is no need or value in restricting the upper limit, except that the Win32 platform does not support a single pagefile over 4GB.

There is no value in clearing the pagefile at shutdown except for security purposes. Windows will not permit this during a session.

Larry Miller
Microsoft MCSA

]]> By: Nilpo http://www.nilpo.com/2007/07/windows-xp/the-truth-about-virtual-memory/#comment-10 Nilpo Mon, 23 Jul 2007 05:27:56 +0000 http://www.nilpo.com/2007/07/windows-xp/the-truth-about-virtual-memory/#comment-10 Moving the paging file to another drive or partition that is accessed less frequently than the boot partition will provide noticeable improvements. Since your secondary drive will be accessed much less, the seek time should improve over that of your primary drive--and the fact that your secondary drive is faster will be an added bonus. Moving the paging file to another drive or partition that is accessed less frequently than the boot partition will provide noticeable improvements. Since your secondary drive will be accessed much less, the seek time should improve over that of your primary drive–and the fact that your secondary drive is faster will be an added bonus.

]]> By: anjanesh http://www.nilpo.com/2007/07/windows-xp/the-truth-about-virtual-memory/#comment-9 anjanesh Mon, 23 Jul 2007 02:25:21 +0000 http://www.nilpo.com/2007/07/windows-xp/the-truth-about-virtual-memory/#comment-9 Will there be a seek-time-delay if the partition to where I change the paging-file location is on another hard-disk ? (but a better one - SATA2) Will there be a seek-time-delay if the partition to where I change the paging-file location is on another hard-disk ? (but a better one - SATA2)

]]> By: Nilpo http://www.nilpo.com/2007/07/windows-xp/the-truth-about-virtual-memory/#comment-8 Nilpo Sun, 22 Jul 2007 21:29:30 +0000 http://www.nilpo.com/2007/07/windows-xp/the-truth-about-virtual-memory/#comment-8 Hi anjanesh, Thanks for the reply. You can change the location of the paging file from the within the System Properties control panel applet. Details can be found in the following knowledgebase article. <a href="http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307886" title="Microsoft Knowledgebase Article" rel="nofollow">http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307886</a> Hi anjanesh,

Thanks for the reply. You can change the location of the paging file from the within the System Properties control panel applet. Details can be found in the following knowledgebase article.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307886

]]> By: anjanesh http://www.nilpo.com/2007/07/windows-xp/the-truth-about-virtual-memory/#comment-7 anjanesh Sun, 22 Jul 2007 19:47:35 +0000 http://www.nilpo.com/2007/07/windows-xp/the-truth-about-virtual-memory/#comment-7 <i>Having too little forces your system to completely unload information it needs just to have to load it into memory again later</i> Assuming 2GB of physical RAM, why would it force to unload when it can keep residing in the physical memory even when 1GB of physical memory is still available ? <i>If your peak is less than your installed RAM, then set your minimum to your installed RAM + 512MB.</i> Assuming 2GB of physical RAM, does this mean that we need to set the Paging-file-size to 512MB or 2.5GB ? <i>Creating a dedicated partition for your page file will also improve its performance dramatically</i> How is it possible to set C:'s page-file to say, X: ? By default, C:'s page-file resides in C:\Windows Having too little forces your system to completely unload information it needs just to have to load it into memory again later
Assuming 2GB of physical RAM, why would it force to unload when it can keep residing in the physical memory even when 1GB of physical memory is still available ?

If your peak is less than your installed RAM, then set your minimum to your installed RAM + 512MB.
Assuming 2GB of physical RAM, does this mean that we need to set the Paging-file-size to 512MB or 2.5GB ?

Creating a dedicated partition for your page file will also improve its performance dramatically
How is it possible to set C:’s page-file to say, X: ? By default, C:’s page-file resides in C:\Windows

]]> By: Tony http://www.nilpo.com/2007/07/windows-xp/the-truth-about-virtual-memory/#comment-4 Tony Wed, 11 Jul 2007 17:41:52 +0000 http://www.nilpo.com/2007/07/windows-xp/the-truth-about-virtual-memory/#comment-4 Awesome entry! This is one of the most controversial topics. It is quite amazing to read all of the myths debunked and the whole Virtual Memory phenomenon demystified. Thanks, Tony Awesome entry! This is one of the most controversial topics.

It is quite amazing to read all of the myths debunked and the whole Virtual Memory phenomenon demystified.

Thanks,
Tony

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