Page File XP
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Page File XP
21-03-2009 11:43 AM
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Re: Page File XP
21-03-2009 11:49 AM
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http://www.theeldergeek.com/paging_file.htm
(Note there are several pages accessed from a menu at the bottom of the page).
Also
http://tweakhound.com/xp/xptweaks/supertweaks5.htm
Regards,
Neil
Re: Page File XP
22-03-2009 5:08 PM
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Re: Page File XP
22-03-2009 5:21 PM
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Quote from: poppy had the message last night about virtual memory
Can you be more specific about the message?
The commonest cause of such messages is lack of real memory (ram) or shortage of disk space.
Windows XP has grown over the years and an absolute minimum ram these days for a working system with Antivirus etc. is 512MB. If you start adding software utilities iPlayer iTunes etc. etc then at least 1GB.
Re: Page File XP
22-03-2009 7:20 PM
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What I can't fathom is that it was working absolutely great when I first reformatted a couple of weeks ago. I can't decide whether to do a system restore to before the 13th. Do you think that it is worth it?
Re: Page File XP
22-03-2009 7:35 PM
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Have you tried switching to system managed to see if that improves things at all so it can grow and shrink dynamically?
Re: Page File XP
22-03-2009 7:49 PM
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Quote from: poppy the RAM as it only has 256 which is rather low for XP
No. It's just plain woefully inadequate.
I'm surprised it's actually useable at all.
Unless it's a rather unusual system upgrade it to 1GB for about £10 to £20.
Re: Page File XP
22-03-2009 8:59 PM
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Re: Page File XP
22-03-2009 10:11 PM
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Add some, then download and run page file defragger (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb897426.aspx) - a normal defragmentation utility cannot defrag pagefile.sys
Re: Page File XP
22-03-2009 10:28 PM
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Quote from: decomplexity Memory is very cheap
Absolutely.
I'll be brutally honest; my job is fixing computer/network problems.
If someone asked me to do any work on an XP system with only 256MB memory I would agree/arrange a memory upgrade and do nothing whatsoever on that system until it was fitted.
The only possible exception might be if it was RDRAM-based and there was an extremely urgent need to continue to use it.
Re: Page File XP
23-03-2009 8:04 AM
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I would probably opt for a 1GB module to make it 1256 if she thinks it is worth doing. It is just odd that performance has suddenly deteriorated. Not sure about the system managed thingy.
Re: Page File XP
23-03-2009 8:10 AM
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http://www.7dayshop.com/
Some 1GB modules are less than 12 quid there, though you may have to pay a bit more depending on type.
Regards,
Neil
Re: Page File XP
23-03-2009 8:16 AM
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Have you got your head around what the page file is yet poppy?
Basically, its used for stuff that the computer needs whilst running, but can't fit into RAM.
Its stored on the hard drive, which is slower to access that RAM is, so there is already a performance hit there (a fairly significant one too!)
Secondly, since the hard drive needs to be used for storing files etc, this reduces its performance further, as each of the two processes has to queue in order to be able to read/write to/from the HDD.
The answer is to put up with a system that will just get slower and slower as time goes on, or add more RAM.
1GB would be fine if its a little used machine, but its worth weighing up the cost - its probably not much more to go to 2 or even 3GB - Whatever you do though, its not worth going to more than 3GB on XP, Windows can only use 3GB anyway.
Re: Page File XP
23-03-2009 8:25 AM
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Re: Page File XP
23-03-2009 11:22 AM
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As the machine isn't connected to the net, I removed PCCillin anti-virus and installed FreeRAM XP Pro. It's made a big difference, but it's still no substitute for physical RAM.
It was a nightmare when XP was released. Whereas Win 98 would happily bob along on 256Mb, people like PCWorld and the other box shifters went round their entire stock upgrading these old 256Mb 98 machines to XP, some of which had integrated graphics so they took up to 128Mb of that 256. So maybe these things booted up OK, but they were completely inadequate for anything.
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