Paging File?

Question

i have a gateway 350 computer i have 3 hard drives two 30 gigs and and 80 gig i have 256 mb RAM my processer is 2.5Ghz should i keep my paging file or show i get rid of it and if i should keep it how much should i make?

Answer 1

Genereally, a paging or swap file should be atleast the size of your RAM, but no more than twice the size.

Answer 2

Do not get rid of your paging file. Windows will not run without it. The paging file is used as if it is extra memory. Should your computer's memory get too full, it will use the hard drive to store some of the things in memory that it is nor currently using.

You will see Windows do this when you are in long document or web page, and you scroll down. The PC stops for a second of two and then scrolls. That is your computer moving the part of the page you are using out of memory into the swap file to make room for the next part of the page.

If you delete the swap file, the first time it has to swap information the computer will crash. You will be unable to do anything without a swap file.

It is recommended that you NOT change the size of the swapping file. If you do, set the minimum size to half the amount of memory you have in your PC (For 256, that is 128 for the memory). Whatever you set it to, if Windows needs more space for the swap file, it will display a warning that says "Low on Virtual Memory", and when you click OK, it will increase the size as needed. So if you reduce the size, all you do is increase the number of warning pages you have to click. It does not reduce the space used on your hard drive. It just set the amount of space Windows starts with in the file after a reboot. It will not save you any hard drive space.

Answer 3

You can have a paging file (windows increases it anyway when the load on RAM is to great)

Try making the paging file size double your RAM 512 megs

You can't rely on it anyway, but it's good to have, windows is just crap at dealing with memory charges. You can increase it even more, and still see no results.

just make sure the windows install is on your fastest drive (also buy a 133 mhz ATA cable for it; if you SATA capabilities go for it)

I'd tell you more, but I guess yahoo could consider it as spam :(

Answer 4

You Abolutely NEED your pagefile (fileswap) on the HardDrive!!!
Set your pagefile at 1200mbs of Virtual memory...Especially with only 256mbs of RAM!!! This is used when that tiny bit of ram you have is use up...and all that would take is running 2 programs at once! You REALLY need to install more Memory...find out how much your motherboard supports and how many slots you have and fill it up with as much memory as you can...You'll be amazed at just how much faster your computer will be!!!