Optimum Swap File Size with 4G of RAM

In article <u4UX2UIVIHA.4768@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl>,
Walter_Slipperman <WalterS@nospam.com> wrote:
>So should I just forget about the swap partition and delete that partition?
>And then just let Vista do Virtual Memory with it set to "Automatically
>manage paging file size for all drives"?
>

No.

You had the right idea. A fixed size pagefile approximately
equal in size to the physical ram size and on a seperate drive from the
boot drive if possible.

Dynamic pagefile management is counterproductive as is carefully
trying to position the pagefile in any certain cylinder. Leaving the
pagefile on the boot partition is probably a noop for an ordinary desktop
user.

you want my honest advice?

Just leave it to automatic and forget about it..

if you want to get more perfomance just add more ram and/or a readyboost
flashdrive


"Walter_Slipperman" <WalterS@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:u4UX2UIVIHA.4768@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> So should I just forget about the swap partition and delete that
> partition? And then just let Vista do Virtual Memory with it set to
> "Automatically manage paging file size for all drives"?
>
> The whole idea of setting up swap drives was recommended to me by a guy
> who helped with the initial hard drive partitioning when I was first
> setting up the computer. I'm really not trying to tweak every last bit of
> performance from the system. I just want something that is easily
> manageable. I could delete the partition (and the XP swap partition too
> that I've set up for a multi-boot system) and free up some space for my
> Data partition or the Vista partition. What do you suggest?
>
> \\\\Walter\\\\
>
> "the wharf rat" <wrat@panix.com> wrote in message
> news:fm8bnp$jse$1@reader2.panix.com...
>> In article <47879ad2@newsgate.x-privat.org>, John Smith <john@smith.com>
>> wrote:
>>>
>>>making partitions for virtual memory (pagefiles) is stupid unless you put
>>>the pagefile on a SECOND drive
>>>
>>
>> Hmmm...
>>
>> "The optimal solution, other than the solution of adding more physical
>> memory, is to do the following:
>>
>> 1. Create one paging file on the boot partition by using the
>> default settings.
>> 2. Create another paging file on a less frequently used partition
>> on a separate physical disk or RAID volume.
>> You can create additional paging files for each separate physical disk or
>> RAID volume. "
>>
>> Quoting the KB, BTW.
>>
>>>
>>>But really all this is crap.. you wont see much difference.. if you want
>>
>> You won't see any difference unless you work with a lot of
>> very large processes frequently (IE video editing) or switch users a lot.
>> All the stuff about drive layout optimization is also IMHO pointless.
>> The
>> few milliseconds you might gain is lost in the noise.
>>
>

"the wharf rat" <wrat@panix.com> wrote in message
news:fm8gmm$8nh$1@reader2.panix.com...
> In article <u4UX2UIVIHA.4768@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl>,
> Walter_Slipperman <WalterS@nospam.com> wrote:
>>So should I just forget about the swap partition and delete that
>>partition?
>>And then just let Vista do Virtual Memory with it set to "Automatically
>>manage paging file size for all drives"?
>>
>
> No.
>
> You had the right idea. A fixed size pagefile approximately
> equal in size to the physical ram size and on a seperate drive from the
> boot drive if possible.

Then I'm back to the question - how do I tell it that a particular partition
is supposed to be used as the location for the pagefile? In the Virtual
Memory settings window it lists all the drives:

c: = system managed
d: = 1000 - 3773 *
e: = none
f:: = none
g: = none

* this is the swap file. It says 3773 MB available. I have set it to 1000
for Initial Size and 3773 for Maximum size. and the window in front of it,
the Performance Options window says that I have Total paging size for all
drives = 5394 MB. That would mean to me that I have 1621 MB ( i.e.
5394 -3773 = 1621) of page file on the c: system managed drive. Is that
what I want? (I think I'm not up to speed on your explanations.)

\\\\Walter\\\\

>
> Dynamic pagefile management is counterproductive as is carefully
> trying to position the pagefile in any certain cylinder. Leaving the
> pagefile on the boot partition is probably a noop for an ordinary desktop
> user.
>
>

In a "system managed" page file - size is set at 1.5 times RAM.


"Walter_Slipperman" <WalterS@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:ei5Im5IVIHA.4448@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
>
> "the wharf rat" <wrat@panix.com> wrote in message
> news:fm8gmm$8nh$1@reader2.panix.com...
>> In article <u4UX2UIVIHA.4768@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl>,
>> Walter_Slipperman <WalterS@nospam.com> wrote:
>>>So should I just forget about the swap partition and delete that
>>>partition?
>>>And then just let Vista do Virtual Memory with it set to "Automatically
>>>manage paging file size for all drives"?
>>>
>>
>> No.
>>
>> You had the right idea. A fixed size pagefile approximately
>> equal in size to the physical ram size and on a seperate drive from the
>> boot drive if possible.
>
> Then I'm back to the question - how do I tell it that a particular
> partition
> is supposed to be used as the location for the pagefile? In the Virtual
> Memory settings window it lists all the drives:
>
> c: = system managed
> d: = 1000 - 3773 *
> e: = none
> f:: = none
> g: = none
>
> * this is the swap file. It says 3773 MB available. I have set it to
> 1000
> for Initial Size and 3773 for Maximum size. and the window in front of
> it, the Performance Options window says that I have Total paging size for
> all drives = 5394 MB. That would mean to me that I have 1621 MB ( i.e.
> 5394 -3773 = 1621) of page file on the c: system managed drive. Is that
> what I want? (I think I'm not up to speed on your explanations.)
>
> \\\\Walter\\\\
>
>>
>> Dynamic pagefile management is counterproductive as is carefully
>> trying to position the pagefile in any certain cylinder. Leaving the
>> pagefile on the boot partition is probably a noop for an ordinary desktop
>> user.
>>
>>
>

In article <ei5Im5IVIHA.4448@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl>,
Walter_Slipperman <WalterS@nospam.com> wrote:
>
>Then I'm back to the question - how do I tell it that a particular partition
>is supposed to be used as the location for the pagefile? In the Virtual

Your requirements for the swap partition seem to be:

MUST be large enough to hold your minimum sized swap file (looks
to be 2GB)
SHOULD not be on the same drive as the boot partition

It looks to me like "D:" meets those requirements, so IMHO you
should set a fixed size pagefile on partition D: of at least 2GB and
not more than 3.7GB. Remember to tell windows NOT to put a partition on C:
or it will do so anyway.

Because Windows *always* knows what you eant better than you
do, lol :-)

"the wharf rat" <wrat@panix.com> wrote in message
news:fm8lj4$hlb$1@reader2.panix.com...
> In article <ei5Im5IVIHA.4448@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl>,
> Walter_Slipperman <WalterS@nospam.com> wrote:
>>
>>Then I'm back to the question - how do I tell it that a particular
>>partition
>>is supposed to be used as the location for the pagefile? In the Virtual
>
> Your requirements for the swap partition seem to be:
>
> MUST be large enough to hold your minimum sized swap file (looks
> to be 2GB)
> SHOULD not be on the same drive as the boot partition
>
> It looks to me like "D:" meets those requirements, so IMHO you
> should set a fixed size pagefile on partition D: of at least 2GB and
> not more than 3.7GB. Remember to tell windows NOT to put a partition on
> C:
> or it will do so anyway.
>
> Because Windows *always* knows what you eant better than you
> do, lol :-)

Okay. Now I get it. By setting the C: to "No paging file" and having
values set for the D: I have placed the pagefile on to D: partition. And I
have bumped up the Initial Size from 1000 up to 2000, and have the Maximum
size set to 3773. Thanks for your help. Now I move on to the regedit
tweak that I wamt to do to remove the D: from general view - mentioned in
another thread that I posted this morning. Once again thanks for your
help, everyone.

\\\\Walter\\\\

Having a page/swapfile on a different -partition- of a drive serves no
useful purpose and will actually slow the system somewhat. Picture
yourself jumping from the phone in the LR to the phone in the kitchen to
have a conversation. That's what it's like - the system is jumping from
partition to partition and slowing drive access.

You should not put a swapfile on a mirrored drive (RAID array), if at
all possible because it could cause permance decrease.

The optimum size is actually determined for you by Vista. Once you've
run your system and put it through it's paces, set the swap file size to
Custom Size with minimum and maximum both the same as the maximum was in
System Managed. If you're concerned about PageFile fragmentation, defrag
your drive(s), turn off all PageFiles and reboot, then set it as the
custom size outlined.

If you have a second fast drive, you should configure the system to use
it for the swapfile instead of the OS drive.


--
Wizard of Zo