Page File Question

Loxa · 15 Feb 2013 at 17:09

I recently came across a Windows 7 Optimization topic stating this

"Turn Off or Shrink Page file: Applies to SSDs/HDDs
If you shrink your page file most people recommend 512MB or 1024MB, the minimum for a dump file to be created is 400MB. I suggest that if you have 4GB of RAM or less or do heavy multitasking do not disable the page file just shrink it to a reasonable size because the rule of having page file equal to or set to 1.5x the amount of your RAM is outdated. Several programs use page file when enabled like VMWare, some games, graphics software, MS office, etc. Windows does use the page file if present and will only use it when it is efficient to do so. Page file is also read at boot to speed things up. Do not put the page file on a RAM disk, it is much better to have it on the SSD or HDD."

So im basicly wondering is it safe to remove Pagfile? And will it affect the performance negatively?

zakblood · 15 Feb 2013 at 17:11

if you want to slow down your pc to a crawl then turn it off

Orcvader · 15 Feb 2013 at 17:12

Keep it on, there's not really any reason to turn it off. If using an SSD and the pagefile is on that it's better to reduce the size instead.

MagicBoy · 15 Feb 2013 at 17:13

This has been discussed to death a number of times. I suggest you use the search button.

Short answer - don't turn it off. As to the size - it usually causes arguments.

wazza300 · 15 Feb 2013 at 17:14

if you turn it off it will crash if i remember rightly?

best to shrink it,i have mine set to 2.5gb,usually it uses the same amount as the amount of memory you have installed so 8gb=8gb pagefile and so on

Loxa · 15 Feb 2013 at 17:28

Ok cheers guys, when i'm not 100% sure about something i always feel better after coming here and getting some opinions

@wazza300 does shrinking it have any negative effect?

wazza300 · 15 Feb 2013 at 18:09

Thrust4Money said:
Ok cheers guys, when i'm not 100% sure about something i always feel better after coming here and getting some opinions

@wazza300 does shrinking it have any negative effect?

i dont thinkso,i havnt noticed any

Admetos · 27 Sep 2013 at 23:18

Just thought I would update this old thread.

On my Win 7 development rig I use to run 16gb, I would typically see around 2-3gb of page file use once all applications had been running.

I have just upgraded to 32gb, i'm running the same applications and despite the PC being left on for days the page file counters are zero.

I've read before that Windows 7 will use page file regardless of how much memory you have available. I can confirm this is certainly not the case with 32gb installed.