Windows xp being a bit shite again

[doh_boy]

So I have 768 Mb Ram which I think is a fair amount so I've drastically reduced the size of my paging file coz I figured that might make things a bit smoother.

So playing that demo of jedi academy and suddenly *poof* no more game and windows telling me 'omfg yor out ov page-file m8'* and that it is increasing the size of the page file. A quick ctrl-alt-del and I find that memory usage is up at a wapping 250Mb used (it doesn't really move from there to be honest). The os is aware that I have 768 (it system properties and in taskman) so its not that.

So basically what I want to ask is:

Is there any reason for windows prefering to use the pageing file rather than the memory? (esp after 256mb) and if its just a 'windows thing' could I tell it to stop it and use my damn memory not pagefile?


*

Application popup: Windows - Virtual Memory Minimum Too Low
 : Your system is low on virtual memory. Windows is increasing 
the size of your virtual memory paging file. During this process, 
memory requests for some applications may be denied. For more 
information, see Help.

 

[kameleon]

it doesnt matter how much memory you have, windows will always use the page file

just let windows manage it for you

 

[Embattle]

I managed not to have a page file with XP and 1GB of memory but some apps/games seem to require it

 

[Testin da Cable]

doze is picky like that mate. point it to a spacious partition and click "let windaes do dis for meh"

 

[doh_boy]

cheers....sucks though.

Shouldn't using the page-file be transparent? There's no inheritant advantages in using a page-file is there? bah windows

 

[Testin da Cable]

Originally posted by doh_boy
There's no inheritant advantages in using a page-file is there?

actually there is, but I'll spare you the tech lecture unless you really want in on the knowhow

 

[doh_boy]

I do, seriously, one of my more geekier persuits

So do tell master.....

 

[vofflujarnid]

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SessionManager\Memory Management -> DisableExecutivePaging = 1

Don't know whether this works though, it hasn't for me because it's still popping up!

Page File = Parts of system code and device drivers can be swapped out to page file when the system needs more RAM. The system slows down when it needs that code or drivers since it must load them from the page file. Windows stops while required code is swapped in or out of RAM dependent on very long hard drive access times. So in short, yes, disabling the page file does increase performance.

 

[Testin da Cable]

well, you can argue both ends of the point tbh. doze's virtual memory allocation and paging whatzits aren't very efficient. the best thing you can do is keep chucking ram at your box and windows will find something to put in it. usually disk cache.

windows is configured to expect a pagefile regardless, and will want it. also the programs made to run on it will expect a virtual memory space to be addressable. I seem to recall i386 systems being able to map 4GB worth of ram and windows expecting to be able to see that memory regardless of actual ram and the problem being solved by paging space and stuff, but my knowlege of teh doze is getting hazy.

also, it's a handy place (for the os) to put things. consider the followign example: you have a scanner. for some odd reason you scan a large 1200x1200dpi 32 bit colour image into photoshop. odds are that image will be huge. several hundred megabytes. it will, for the most part, be in your pagefile. along with nearly everything else running op your box at that precise moment. if you select it and press ctrl-c odds are your box will go bananas...but that's another story.

a rule of thumb(s) would be this: pagefile is 1.5x ramsize. put it on a fast drive that doesn't hold your applications. set it to have a start size equal to it's max size. make sure it has room to grow if doze wants it to. these aren't laws, they're hints and tips

handy page here

 

[smurkin]

Originally posted by Testin da Cable


a rule of thumb(s) would be this: pagefile is 1.5x ramsize. put it on a fast drive that doesn't hold your applications. set it to have a start size equal to it's max size. make sure it has room to grow if doze wants it to. these aren't laws, they're hints and tips

handy page here

heres an idea...you could point the page file to one of those memory sticks...that should be quite quick...especially if you only have one hard drive