The swap file is hidden file, located on a hard drive, which is used to store information from programs that do not fit into RAM. The operation of some software and the system as a whole depends on it. In Windows 7 the volume this file equal to size RAM. For example, if the RAM is 2 GB, then the system will automatically set the same amount in automatic mode. To change it, you need to follow a few simple steps.
Changing the size of the paging file
Click “Start”, “Control Panel” and select “System and Security”.
From the listed sections, select “System”.
In the window that opens, click “ Additional options systems."
The System Properties window will open. Go to the “Advanced” tab. In the “Performance” section, click “Options”.
Here we go to the “Advanced” tab. In the “Virtual Memory” section, click “Change”.
Uncheck the box next to “Automatically select paging file size.”
Now select the drive on which the file will be located. We determine its volume. It is worth considering that both the initial and maximum must be the same. If, for example, the RAM is 3 GB, then both the initial and maximum should be set to 1024 GB. Click “Set” and “OK”.
To save the changes, the system will ask you to restart the PC. We agree and reboot the PC.
Some useful facts
Windows OS uses the page file quite actively, which loads the RAM. However, the page file itself is dynamic; it automatically changes size depending on system requirements. Its highest productivity occurs when it is static. In this case, the PC user does not have to change its size. If the user has 2 or more hard drives, the swap file should be moved from the drive on which Windows is installed. If there is only one hard drive, it is recommended to create an additional partition of 2-4 GB and convert it to FAT32. Defragment and specify the file location in the appropriate partition.
Hello friends! Today I want to tell you what a paging file is, why it is needed, and how to configure it correctly.
I will configure the paging file on a computer with an installed operating system Windows 7. But all the advice also applies to Windows XP, it’s just that the path to the settings is a little different.
What is a page file?
Swap file – this is a file (hard disk space) that the operating system uses in case of insufficient RAM.
For example, you run a program or game that needs 2 GB of RAM, but you only have 1.5 GB, those 512 MB will be taken from the page file. The paging file is located on your hard drive or flash drive.
Of course, it is better to install more RAM so that the page file is practically not used by the system. Why? Yes, because it significantly slows down the computer. After all, the speed of access to RAM is much greater than to a hard drive or flash drive.
Yes, and when the swap file is taken from hard drive, then this creates an additional load on it and on the system as a whole, and besides, it shortens its service life. How about it :).
But despite all this, there is a paging file, which means you just need to configure it correctly; below I will give some tips on setting up the paging file.
In order to change the paging file settings, or increase the paging file, right-click on the “Computer” icon (on the desktop) and click properties.
In the window that appears, on the left, click on “Advanced system settings” in section “Performance” click “Options”.
In the window that appears, go to the tab "Additionally" and in the section “Virtual memory” click “Change”.
Another window will open, like this.
Actually, in this window you can and should configure the paging file.
First of all, you need to remove the paging file from the system partition (usually from drive C), as you can see, my paging file is located on drive D. The disk partition with the installed operating system is already loaded, and then there’s the swap file :). Ideally, the swap file should be placed on a different one altogether hard drive, so if you have one installed, then this is very good. Install virtual memory on it.
Don't set the page file to multiple partitions, this will only create heavy load to your hard drive.
As for the size, everything is simple here. The less RAM, the larger the page file. It is recommended to install 2-3 times more than the installed RAM. For example, with 1.5 GB of RAM, I have a 2 GB swap file.
Make the minimum and maximum virtual memory sizes the same.
You can completely disable the paging file, and by the way, this can significantly increase the performance of your computer. But only on the condition that you have a sufficient amount of RAM installed, something like this.
A page file, or swap file, is a so-called virtual memory needed to increase the computer's physical RAM.
During the operation of resource-intensive Windows applications 7 actively uses physical memory, and when it becomes insufficient, it accesses the swap file, which stores data that does not fit in physical memory. The paging file has a strictly defined name pagefile.sys and cannot be changed.
When installing and further Windows 7, the system itself selects the required size of the paging file, placing it on the disk with the operating system. However, the parameters set by the system do not always provide the highest performance. In addition, to improve performance, it is necessary to place pagefile.sys on a partition other than the system partition, which will increase performance.
How to determine the size of the paging file
To ensure good performance, you should set the minimum pagefile.sys size to equal the amount of physical RAM, and the maximum to twice that size. For example, if you have 4 GB of memory installed on your computer, then the optimal minimum swap file size will be 4 GB, and the maximum will be 8 GB.
Some users install same size the original and maximum swap file, which allows you to avoid its fragmentation, and therefore, to some extent reduce the load on the system. However, you can avoid the performance degradation associated with the dynamic size of pagefile.sys by enabling the cleanup feature after system shutdown.
To enable clearing of the paging file upon completion Windows operation, open the window Local policies security. To do this, go to Start - Run - secpol.msc.
In the next window, you need to find the item Shut down: clear the virtual memory swap file. Double-click on it, set the Enabled option and click the Apply button.
Where to locate the swap file in Windows 7
Windows 7 allows you to place the paging file on multiple drives at once, but this will not improve performance. The optimal option from a performance point of view is a single swap file located on any partition other than the system one.
To change the default location of pagefile.sys, you must first completely delete it and then create it in a location convenient for you. How to do this is described below.
Start - right-click on the My Computer - Properties shortcut. A window will appear, in the left section of which you should select Advanced system settings.
A new small window will appear where we need the Advanced tab.
Click on the Settings button in the Performance section. Go to the Advanced tab again.
In this tab, you need to click the Change button in the Virtual memory compartment. A dialog box will appear where you can configure the size of swap files on any partition.
If you haven't changed the settings after Windows installations 7, pagefile.sys will be located on system disk((C:/). Select it and, having activated the No paging file option, click on the Set button. In some cases, a warning may appear. Just click Yes.
Return to the Visual Memory dialog box and highlight the drive where you want to place the swap file. Specify the initial and maximum size of pagefile.sys: the initial size should be equal to physical memory, maximum – twice as much.
If you want to make the size of pagefile.sys static, the settings in the dialog box will look like this.
If you reduce the size of the paging file, the changes will take effect immediately. Increasing pagefile.sys will require a computer restart. In any case, a window will appear in front of you requiring you to reboot the system.
The page file, also called a swap file, is the computer's virtual memory. In some cases, its use is necessary. For example, you install a game on your computer that requires 4 gigabytes of RAM, and you have 2 gigabytes of RAM installed. It is when the RAM runs out that the operating system turns to the virtual memory, that is, the paging file.
Experienced users recommend disabling the page file on your computer and installing additional RAM instead. This is due to the fact that reading virtual memory is not as fast as reading RAM, as a result, the computer will work a little slower.
If you don’t want to go to the store, but there is no RAM at home, then you can increase the RAM using a flash drive. Follow the link and read detailed description how to do it.
If you have never set parameters for the paging file before, then by default the operating system stores it on the disk where you have the OS installed, and itself determines its optimal size.
To increase the speed of your computer, it is better to place the swap file on the wrong hard section the disk where you have the operating system installed, and on any other one.
Swap file size It is recommended to choose based on the installed parameters - set the minimum size equal to the OP, and the maximum should exceed the OP twice. If you have 4 GB of RAM: set the minimum size to 4 GB, the maximum to 8 GB.
If you want to clear the Windows 7 swap file before shutting down your computer, follow the link and read detailed article about this.
Now let's look at the question - how to increase the size of the paging file in Windows 7.
First you need to find out where the page file is located on your computer. To do this, go to “Start” - "Control Panel".
In the next window, open the “System” section.
Here on the tab "Additionally" in section "Performance" Click on the "Options" button.
In the parameters window, go to the tab "Additionally" and in the section "Virtual Memory" Click on the “Change” button.
My swap file is located on the C: drive. To move it to drive D:, I mark it with a marker "No swap file" and click “Set”. An information window will appear, click “Yes”.
Then I click on the D: drive and mark the item with a marker "Specify size" and set the initial and maximum size of the paging file. My RAM is set to 2 gigabytes, respectively, the initial size is 2 GB, the maximum is 4 GB. If you want, then set the maximum value higher, but keep in mind that the available amount of memory on the corresponding partition of the hard drive is also reduced by the same value. Click "Set". If all options are set, click OK.
An information window will appear in which we click “OK”, and for the changes to take effect, we restart the computer.
That's all. We figured out not only how to enlarge a file Windows swap 7, but also found out where it is located and what is the best size to choose for it.
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RAM is one of the key elements of any computer. It is in it that every moment a huge number of calculations necessary for the operation of the machine take place. Programs with which the user is connected are also loaded there. at the moment interacts. However, its volume is clearly limited, and it is often not enough to launch and operate “heavy” programs, which is why the computer begins to freeze. To help RAM on the system partition, a special file large size, called the "swap file".
It often has a significant volume. To distribute resources evenly work program Some of them are transferred to the swap file. We can say that it is an addition to the computer's RAM, significantly expanding it. Balancing the ratio of RAM and page file sizes helps to achieve good computer performance.
Changing the paging file size in the Windows 7 operating system
It is a misconception that increasing the size of the paging file leads to increasing RAM. It's all about the speed of writing and reading - RAM boards are tens and hundreds of times faster than a regular hard drive or even a solid-state drive.
To increase the paging file you will not need to use third party programs, all actions will be performed by built-in tools operating system. To perform the instructions below, the current user must have administrator rights.
- Double click on the shortcut "My computer" on the computer desktop. In the header of the window that opens, click the button once "Open Control Panel."
- In the upper right corner, change the display parameters of elements to "Small Icons". In the list of settings presented, you need to find the item "System" and click on it once.
- In the window that opens, in the left column we find the item "Advanced system settings", click on it once, answer the question issued by the system with consent.
- A window will open "System Properties". You must select a tab "Additionally", in it in the section "Performance" press the button once "Options".
- After clicking, another small window will open, in which you also need to go to the tab "Additionally". In the section "Virtual Memory" click on the button "Change".
- Finally, we got to the last window, which directly contains the settings of the paging file itself. Most likely, by default there will be a checkmark at the top "Automatically select paging file size". You need to remove it and then select "Specify size" and enter your details. After this you need to press the button "Set"
- After all the manipulations you need to press the button "OK". The operating system will ask you to reboot; you must follow its requirements.
A little about choosing a size. Different users have put forward different theories about the required size of the paging file. If we calculate the arithmetic average of all opinions, then the most optimal size will be equal to 130-150% of the amount of RAM.
Correctly changing the paging file should slightly increase the stability of the operating system by distributing the resources of running applications between RAM and the paging file. If the machine has 8+ GB of RAM installed, then most often the need for this file simply disappears, and it can be disabled in the last settings window. A swap file 2-3 times larger than the amount of RAM will only slow down the system due to the difference in data processing speed between the RAM sticks and the hard drive.
