Windows guide for Virtual Memory Configuration

MS Windows guide for virtual memory configuration and how to change page file setting.

What is virtual memory,page file and swap file.

Virtual Memory is system memory that is used by Microsoft windows and it is part of hard disk. Operating system combines computer's RAM with virtual memory on HDD disk. When Windows PC uses more RAM, virtual memory transfer data from RAM to a space the paging file also called as swap file. This will free up RAM and because of this applications can run smoothly without crashes. Use pagefile.sys configuration setting to speedup windows computer. If pagefile.sys size is too large, delete pagefile.sys file and system will automatically create default pagefile.sys.

If you don’t have high RAM, by increasing the size of windows virtual memory you can increase overall memory. Even if PC has plenty of RAM available, it is nice to configure paging file.

Windows guide to configure virtual memory configuration.

 

Steps to change windows virtual memory page file :

Right click on My Computer. And select Properties.
Select the System tab, click on advanced system settings.
This will open the advanced tab. Go to the Performance section and click on the Settings button.

In the Performance Options window, you will see the current size of the swap/paging file which is default configuration by windows operating. To configure virtual memory click on Change.
By default, Windows Vista manages the paging file size for all hard disk drives. To change this, first you need to deselect the checkbox from the top.

If is possible to configure the paging file for each of HDD drives. By default, the paging file is placed on the "C:" drive. If you like to use another partition, then select “c: drive", check the No paging file option and click on Set.

Now Windows 10 needs to create the paging file on different partition. Click the partition on which you want to configure paging file and then select System managed size or Custom size.

For Windows 10 custom size paging, you need to give value for the initial size and the maximum size. For initial size=Give value around the original size of RAM installed)
Maximum size =2 - 3 times the size of computer RAM.

After doing changes you need to restart windows system.

I would suggest that keep record of default value for paging file. If after making changes to paging file, you observed that computer performance is reduced. Change paging file size to original value.This guide for windows page file setting for techi guy only.