Summary: Pagefile.sys is the "paging file" or system file that contains Windows Virtual memory. You can remove it - if you understand the ramifications.
How to delete pagefile.sys. Is it safe to delete?
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Sure, you can delete it. It takes some special steps, but it's not really all that difficult.
The problem is that you probably don't want to.
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Pagefile.sys is the Windows paging file, also known as the file that Windows uses as Virtual Memory. As I've discussed before, Virtual Memory is simply disk space that Windows uses when it runs out of physical memory or RAM. Some of the contents of RAM are written out to disk to make room for whatever other memory request might have come in. If that "paged out" memory is needed again, some other RAM is written to disk and the previously written information is read back in.
Pagefile.sys is the file where Windows keeps all that:
(Note that pagefile.sys is a system file, and thus in order to see the file in Windows Explorer "Show hidden files and folders" should be enabled and "Hide protected operating system files" should be disabled.)
Now, since the file is being used by Windows, you can't just delete it. It'll either tell you permission denied, or "file in use" or something like that. Extra steps are required.
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You'll probably notice that your paging file is roughly the same size as your configured virtual memory settings.
This leads to our first way to get rid of it: set your Virtual Memory to zero, and reboot. Once you return, Windows will no longer be using the file, and thus you can delete it.
If you have enough RAM in your system to handle the amount of memory needed to run the programs you run, you may not need VM at all. That happens to be how I run. (In fact, in researching this article I noticed I had a pagefile.sys when I did not expect one. I'd simply forgotten to delete it after setting my Virtual Memory to zero.)
Pagefile.sys will return if you re-enable virtual memory.
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The other approach to deleting pagefile.sys is less useful, but I'll include it for completeness: boot into another operating system, and delete the file.
Quite literally, if you were to boot from a Linux Live CD, and explore your Windows hard drive you'll find, and should be able to delete, pagefile.sys.
We've done exactly what you asked for, but there's a problem.
As soon as you boot Windows, if you have Virtual Memory configured, pagefile.sys will return.
This approach is benign, but I'm guessing this isn't really what you were after.
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Ultimately, unless you have some reason to be playing with your Virtual Memory settings, or know that you can run without Virtual Memory at all, I suggest simply leaving the settings, and pagefile.sys, the way they are.
Related:
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What is Virtual Memory? Virtual memory is conceptually somewhere between RAM and hard disk space; it's disk space used to maximize the amount of RAM available to programs.
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Virtual Memory: How do I adjust Virtual Memory settings? Available Virtual Memory is controlled by a setting you can adjust. If you're constantly running low, you should look at what you're running.
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How should I configure my swap file / virtual memory settings? The default setting for virtual memory are typically good enough for most. Tweaking virtual memory settings depends on your computer and what you do.
Article C3603 - December 27, 2008
I often defrag and before I do so I set the system to no paging file and reboot, then I defrag and then reset the system to allow Windows to set the paging file size again and it overwrites the previous pagefile,
Posted by: Dave C at December 30, 2008 8:21 AMIn this way I feel that I am defragging the area of disk taken up by the page file which otherwise would not be defragged.
I hope that this is a sensible idea.
Just another way of dealing with pagefile.sys rather than just letting it sit there.
I seem to remember reading somewhere that either Windows or some programs do expect to "see" some sort of page file on the "C" drive (even if it's only a small one) and I recollect that the recommendation in the article I read was to have a token small one on the "C" drive, even if (as I have done) the main page file is put on a second drive, which is supposed to improve performance.
Posted by: David at December 30, 2008 9:18 AMHi Leo, re: VM. Have you seen a case where the a desktop's motherboard and HD seem to be incompatable and this results in VM messages about being out of VM no matter how VM is configured? I finally gave up on the friend's computer but it's bugged me ever since. My guess was a computer shop replaced the HD with the wrong type but the situation wasn't one where I wanted to do it again. Really appreciate your site and insight. Thanks for the help....mike
01-Jan-2009
Had to use the CD boot once to fix a 98 boot pagefile corrupted error. Worked perfectly.
Posted by: Bradford at December 30, 2008 7:27 PMOccasionally had to delete NT pagefile for tweeking performance. Setting VM to zero is a neat trick I'm glad to know.
I recall reading in a Microsoftie's blog something about Windows expecting to be able to potentially write, at minimum, the entire contents of RAM to the pagefile -- not in relation to the hibernation file, but rather to some internal Windows processes. I believe the post in question referred to Windows XP specifically, and I don't honestly expect Vista to behave any differently in this regard.
Furthermore, considering that even with 2 GB of RAM in my computer I'm seeing a commit charge (pagefile usage) or 932 MB, I'm loath to suggest its deletion when Windows clearly is using it.
Unfortunately, all I have is a potentially false memory and anecdotal evidence. Plus, I'm certain that Windows will still work without a page file, it's just that I'm of the impression it will not work as well (either BSOD-ing more often, or just performing (paradoxically) worse) as the same install with a page file.
As such, feel free to disregard this comment.
And I don't believe "commit charge" is actually VM usage. As I said, I have no VM, and as I type a commit charge of 1.2gig, which actually matches current RAM usage.
31-Dec-2008
I see! Indeed, checking it again, it seems the commit charge is the sum total of all memory (physical + virtual) usage.
And, what's more, the so-called "Page File Usage" graphs on the Performance tab of Task Manager seem to follow the commit charge, so... in conclusion, I'd like to slap whoever set the labels on those two graphs, 'cause they did it wrong.
Posted by: Narc at December 31, 2008 9:09 AMI can remember having a WinME computer that keep giving me "hard drive C: write errors", which I eventually solved by deleting the page file. Must have been corrupted.
With XP, as I understand it, it may be a security risk since it can have saved passwords, usernames, and other sensitive data.
Here are two ways to have it deleted at shutdown, a clean one will be recreated at start up.
Clearing the Page File on Shutdown
Click on the Start button
Go to the Control Panel
Administrative Tools
Local Security Policy
Local Policies
Click on Security Options
Right hand menu - right click on "Shutdown: Clear Virtual Memory Pagefile"
Select "Enable"
Reboot
For regedit users.....
If you want to clear the page file on each shutdown:
Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management\ClearPageFileAtShutdown
Set the value to 1
http://www.geocities.com/terryhollett2003/
Posted by: Terry Hollett at January 2, 2009 3:46 PMI read somewhere that the pagefile is where a memory dump is performed if a system failure would occur, like a bluescreen or the likes. My gaming computer got 12GB ram (64bit OS of course and, yeah, what was I thinking getting that much..). Anyway would there be any reasons like the memory dump example to keep the pagefile, or is it usefulness purely to act as additional ram?
Posted by: Christopher at January 7, 2009 2:14 PMDear,
I tried both & both setting is same as u suggested above. But still i cant decrise the size of pagefile.. Kindly suggest me on my mail ID..
Thanks & regards;
Harshit
Posted by: Harshit at February 15, 2009 3:07 AMi read on another site to delete pagefile.sys: turn off (VM) reboot then delete pagefile.sys, then turn on (VM) again and 'click' "set". i did this but when i looked in C:pagefile.sys it was the exact size before i deleted it? (3,712,272) did i do something wrong ?
Posted by: scottt at October 20, 2009 8:33 PM