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Virtual Memory
Virtual Memory, Paging Files, pagefile.sys and other mysterious Windows configuration options relating to it's management of virtual memory.
Can I delete pagefile.sys? What is it?
Pagefile.sys is the "paging file" or system file that contains Windows Virtual memory. You can remove it - if you understand the ramifications.
Can I delete the paging file if I'm using an SSD drive with 8GB of RAM?
The paging file and hibernation file can be turned off. Whether it affects the speed of your computer will depend on how heavily you use it.
How do I tell if programs are using too much memory?
Window's memory management is very complex. There are easier ways to help a sluggish computer than diagnosing memory usage.
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.
Should I configure my page file differently if I have lots of RAM?
The page file is meant for use when the system runs out of RAM; reconfiguring it can be counter-productive if you have plenty of RAM available.
Should I dedicate a hard drive entirely for virtual memory?
Virtual memory doesn't (or shouldn't) fill an entire hard drive. There are better ways to maximize performance.
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.
What are hiberfil.sys and pagefile.sys? (And how do I remove them?)
Hiberfil.sys and pagefile.sys are two system files used by Windows to support two very important features: hibernation and 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.
What is pagefile.sys and can I move it?
If you've added a hard drive to your system you can move pagefile.sys to free up space on your original drive and speed up your system.
Will not having a paging file slow down my system?
The paging file is used by Windows to manage situations where more memory is needed that is present. Not having one shouldn't impact speed.