This post is part of the 17 Tips Series on How to Make Windows Run Faster.
The page file is a tool used by the Windows when you are not having sufficient space in RAM. If you optimize the page file size, then it will help you to increase the speed of Windows. The paging file sometimes is also referred to as swap file. Windows generally sets your initial swap file size at 1.5 times the amount of RAM.This size gets reduced or increased based upon the system requirements automatically.
If you ever get a message from XP saying “out of memory,” it means your swap file is too small, so you should increase it.
How to optimize Paging file to increase Windows speed
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Few simple steps
Right-click My Computer > select Properties. Click on the Advanced tab. Click Settings in the Performance section. Choose the Advanced tab. Click change in the Virtual memory section Click Custom Type the initial size and the maximum size you may wish to have for the page file > Click on Set.
See also the other 16 tips to How to Make Windows Run Faster.
October 27th, 2008 at 7:51 am
I always set the paging file to 1500MB smallest and largest. This is adequate for most systems and you wont get the system resizing the file the whole time. Though I’m sure that saves only a little but of CPU, but every little bit helps right?
April 25th, 2009 at 9:03 am
For the large majority of users the default settings are already optimum.
Unless you you have a very specific need and you understand what you are doing, leave these settings alone. Amateurish tweaking here is far more likely to impair performance (or worse) than improbe it.
Larry Miller
Microsoft MCSA