Page file and correct sizes for different memory sizes. Who is a Sysadmin? Windows 8 virtual memory settings

Such a necessary attribute as the paging file is present in any modern operating system. It is also called virtual memory or swap file. In fact, the page file is a kind of extension for the computer's RAM. If several applications and services that require a significant amount of memory are simultaneously used in the system, Windows, as it were, transfers inactive programs from RAM to virtual memory, freeing up resources. This ensures sufficient performance of the operating system.

In Windows 8, the swap file is called pagefile.sys and is hidden and system-wide. At the user's discretion, various operations can be performed with the paging file: increase, decrease, or disable completely. The main rule here is to always think about the consequences of changing virtual memory and act carefully.

Method 1: Increasing the size of the swap file

By default, Windows itself automatically adjusts the amount of virtual memory depending on the need for free resources. But this does not always happen correctly and, for example, games may begin to slow down. Therefore, if desired, the size of the paging file can always be increased within acceptable limits.

Press the button "Start", find the icon "This computer".
Right-click to open the context menu and select "Properties". For lovers of the command line, you can use the key combination in sequence Win+R and teams "cmd" And "sysdm.cpl".
In the window "System" in the left column click on the line "System protection".
In the window "Properties of the system" go to the tab "Additionally" and in the section "Performance" choose "Options".
A window appears on the monitor screen "Performance Options". On the tab "Additionally" we see what we were looking for - virtual memory settings.
In line “Total size of the paging file on all disks” We observe the current value of the parameter. If this indicator does not suit us, then click "Change".
In a new window "Virtual Memory" uncheck the field “Automatically select the size of the paging file”.
Place a dot opposite the line "Specify size". Below we see the recommended size of the swap file.
In accordance with your preferences, we enter numerical parameters in the fields "Original size" And "Maximum size". Click "Set" and finish the settings "OK".
The task was successfully completed. The paging file size has more than doubled.

Method 2: Disabling the page file

On devices with a large amount of RAM (16 gigabytes or more), you can completely disable virtual memory. It is not recommended to do this on computers with weaker characteristics, although hopeless situations may arise due, for example, to a lack of free space on the hard drive.

Heated debate about the ideal size of the paging file in Windows has been going on for a very long time. According to Microsoft developers, the larger the amount of RAM installed in the computer, the smaller the size of virtual memory on the hard drive can be. And the choice is yours.

How to increase the performance of Windows 8. Increase RAM using the page file. What is a paging file, why is it needed and how to install it.

RAM is one of the important elements in a computer that is responsible for the speed of performing tasks assigned to it. The more RAM (Random Access Memory) you have, the faster running processes on your computer will run.

In modern computers running Windows 8, it is recommended to install at least 6 GB of RAM, and a minimum of 4 GB. If you have 8 GB or more, then you don’t have to worry about increasing it; this amount can cope with all the tasks of an ordinary user.

But who has 4 GB is better to increase. There are two ways to do this - buy in the store and using a swap file. For those who cannot afford the first method, today I will tell you about the second.

What is a paging file and why is it needed?

This is simply allocated space on your hard drive specifically to help your RAM. When you run several processes at the same time (programs, browser, ISQ, etc.) your memory may not cope.

That's when the page file works, adding RAM space on the hard drive for processing processes.

Of course, such a process requires more time than performing tasks only in the most operational way, but in the absence of it, it will be better than nothing, as they say - for lack of fish, fish for cancer. 🙂

For users who have 8 GB or more and who do not use graphic editors (Photoshop, 3Dmax) and do not play computer video games (where graphics are used), they can completely disable the page file.
Because RAM itself processes user tasks faster without using a page file.

By default, for all operating systems, the paging file is installed on the partition (disk) on which the system itself is located and has a dynamic (changeable) size to be able to allocate space as much as RAM is needed.

Today we will install it on another partition and configure it for your computer.

How to properly install the paging file and configure it

You need to install the paging file on a partition where you do not have the system itself and the most free space. Usually the system is installed on the partition with the letter “C”, and other partitions can have letters starting with “D”.

Also, after installing on the “D” partition, make sure that you have disabled the paging file on other partitions, so as not to create additional load on the disk.

Do not install a paging file if you have less than 10% free disk space left after you add paging, this will lead to increased disk load, which is not even more desirable than low RAM.

There are two versions of setting up the paging file:

static - of a certain size,
dynamic - resizable.

In the first case, we ourselves set the amount of space that the RAM can request. Accordingly, we set the minimum and maximum numbers equal to your RAM.
It is believed that in this case the paging file is not subject to fragmentation (empty spaces on the disk) and works better.

The second case suggests making dynamic paging, when the minimum volume is equal to the amount of your RAM, and the maximum is its double value.

I recommend using the second option, because... I find it more productive. And you can fight fragmentation by configuring it to be cleaned after completion of work.

So let's move on directly to the steps to configure the paging file.

Open the right tab and select “Options”

Go to “Computer Information”

We look at the amount of installed RAM (RAM)

Open “Advanced system settings”, a small new “System Properties” window will open. In the “Performance” section, click “Options”

In the new “Performance Options” window that opens, go to the “Advanced” tab and in the “Virtual Memory” item, click the “Change” button

Select a disk with more space or simply not the one on which the system is installed
Check the box next to “Specify size”
We write down our values
Click the “Set” button
And click “Ok”

Next, select the disk (or disks in turn), where it says “By system choice”
Check the box next to “No paging file”
Click the “Set” button
If a window pops up, click “Yes”
And click “Ok”

To do this, select the “Run” command in the “Start” menu; if it is not there, then look in “All applications”

In the window that opens, write secpol.msc and click “Ok”

Click "Properties"
Select “Enabled”
"Apply"
And "OK"

Afterwards you will need to reboot. You can do it right away or later.

Now you know how to increase the performance of Windows 8 without buying anything. 🙂

P.S. Write in the comments whether you use a swap file or maybe you have other methods?

Good day, dear friends, acquaintances and other personalities. Today we will talk again about what is swap file, what are the correct sizes and why.

In the first part of this series, I wrote about what a paging file is, how to create it, what size it should be and where it should be located (i.e. that article contains a block of information necessary to read this one).

Somehow it so happened that the second part of the article will also touch on the paging file, namely a number of subtleties on its configuration, paging file sizes for different amounts of memory, and all that stuff.

Paging file and size - theory

Empirically, it was possible to prove that large paging file sizes are not good, or rather, often even bad. With large file sizes and busy RAM, the system increasingly turns to the paging file (i.e., the hard drive), and not to the RAM itself, which, firstly, reduces performance (RAM is still faster than the disk).

Secondly, this heavily loads the disk (which also affects performance because the disk is also engaged in other operations with files, and here it also has to tinker with the paging file).

What is enough?

This is when, when performing any tasks you need, there is always free RAM above 30% and the system does not complain that it does not have enough virtual memory;
In general, for example, I rarely noticed that 4 GB of RAM (even with a system heavily loaded with processes and games) had little free RAM left, just as with a bunch of running applications in Windows there were some problems on 8 GB. So why load the disk by accessing the paging file and lose performance?

Many, of course, will say that it’s a no-brainer to install so much memory and also leave it free... I don’t know, if performance is more important to you, then the extra 100 rubles should not bother you, since the price of RAM is now simply ridiculous (at at the time of writing, 4GB 1600MHz DDR3 cost less than 1300 rubles), especially since the performance gain is obvious. Anyway, to the point.

Paging file and sizes, practice: which are correct and why

In the course of a year's practice, I derived a series of numbers for each amount of memory so that I could adequately set the paging file, based on the amount of RAM. Here they are.

512 Mb 5012-5012 Mb;
1024 Mb RAM, - the optimal size of the paging file from 4012-4012 Mb;
2048 Mb RAM, - the optimal size of the paging file from 3548-3548 Mb;
4096 Mb RAM, - the optimal size of the paging file from 3024-3024 Mb;
8 GB RAM, - the optimal size of the paging file from 2016-2016 Mb;
16 GB RAM (and more) - most often, without a swap file.

In fact, the more RAM you have, the less you need a paging file and the faster the system will work without it at all (by reducing access to the disk, as well as unloading data there, i.e. everything will be taken directly from memory ).

Note 1. These dimensions are not extremely accurate and are not recommended for everyone. Rather, this is some kind of average value for the majority, but it all depends on how optimized your system is, what you do on the computer, in what mode, etc., etc., i.e. you can select the paging file specifically for yourself based on your needs and increase/ reduce the value if necessary.
Note 2. Some applications (games, software, etc) require a swap file, regardless of the amount of memory. In this case, the file should be left even at 16 GB. Even more (by orders of magnitude) than the values mentioned above.
Note 3. The paging file is needed in a larger size (different from the above) if you minimize applications and switch to others, leaving the application(s) running (this is important), because minimized applications are often unloaded into this very file. In this case, increase the swap.. Or add memory :)
Note 4. The recommendations do not apply to server operating systems and relate strictly to user operating systems.

My personal opinion is that if the amount of RAM exceeds 6 GB, the paging file is not needed at all, which gives a noticeable breakthrough in system performance, extending the life of the hard drive and reducing its fragmentation.

Page file and why we choose the same sizes

The swap file, like any other, tends to fragment, which raises the question of the need for defragmentation (read about what defragmentation is and why it is needed) in order to return to its former performance. However, there is a way to reduce the speed and severity of file fragmentation.

To do this, you just need to set the maximum and minimum sizes to be the same:

If you have any questions, I will be happy to answer them in the comments or using .

PS: The last adjustment to the paging file size was made in August 2017, the data was tested on Windows 7, 8 and 10 (x64 bit size).

Sysadmin(aka in English sysadmin, system administrator) - an abbreviated name of a profession, the full name of which in Russian sounds like System Administrator. This profession has recently become very popular for most young and not so young people; they teach it, work in it, and get good money for it. This is due to the rapid development of various computer technologies and their penetration into all spheres of human life. The word system administrator is often used in colloquial speech, in vacancies and resumes when searching for a job, in a word - everywhere. Below we will talk about what the profession of a system administrator is.

In modern realities, a system administrator can be called virtually any person who is involved in servicing and maintaining the operation of a specific computer network, including all its hardware and/or software components, which may include:

Personal computers, both workstations and servers;
Network equipment such as switches, routers, firewalls and more;
Web servers, mail servers, database servers, and others.

Also, in certain cases, the system administrator may be responsible for ensuring proper information security.

Depending on his specialization, a system administrator can engage in the following activities:

An administrator of workstations and servers most often repairs both hardware (failed motherboards, burnt-out power supplies) and software (Windows won’t load, commas won’t print in Word...).
Administrator of a corporate network based on an Active Directory domain. A very popular activity, given the prevalence of Windows operating systems, as well as the need to somehow centrally control them. Such a specialist must be able to create, distribute into groups, edit users, give them the appropriate rights in the AD domain, and also be able to manage group policies for users, their computers and the groups to which they are all members.
Administration of networks and network equipment. His responsibilities include knowledge of network topology, the ability to work with both non-configurable and customizable network equipment, planning a local computer network, as well as the ability to combine several remote workstations into one network by setting up NATs and VPNs "ov. You should also not forget to control access within this network and outside it - setting up a proxy.
A web server administrator, who must at least be able to install, configure and maintain one of the following web servers - Apache, IIS, Nginx, and monitor hosting (which can be located both within the organization’s network and outside it). In addition, a good administrator should be able to configure normal resource distribution under high loads, clustering and many other specific things.
Administration of a mail server is also a common task for a system administrator; his tasks include working with such popular solutions as Exim, Microsoft Exchange, Postfix, Sendmail, or corporate mail solutions from Google or, for example, Yandex. In addition to the obvious control over accounts (creation, deletion, configuration), it is also necessary to be able to set up an antispam system, etc.
Site administrator. These responsibilities may include simply filling the site with some content, but since we are talking about a system administrator, then in theory he should be able to set up hosting (including a web server, as mentioned above), install and configure the desired site, for example any content management system (CMS).
Very rarely, the responsibilities of a system administrator may include the task of creating or maintaining a video surveillance system. The tasks include installing and configuring cameras, responding to various events, saving and playing back recordings. He has a weak attitude towards system administration, and often falls into his responsibilities in conjunction with some other responsibilities.

Left out of the system administrator's occupations described above are such possible things as database administration (Microsoft SQL, MySQL and its multiple branches, Oracle, etc.), 1C administration (not to be confused with “1C programmer”), PBX and much more .

The swap file (swap file, pagefile.sys) is a specially allocated space on the hard drive where data temporarily unloaded from random access memory (RAM) is stored. Unloading occurs when the amount of RAM is not enough to satisfy the needs of the operating system and programs. The process of moving data between RAM and the page file is controlled by the system. The page file, together with RAM, makes up the computer's virtual memory.

Size matters

The size of pagefile.sys in Windows 8 is dynamic by default: when there is little RAM load, it decreases, when there is a lot of memory, it increases. However, leaving this setting to the system's discretion is not always optimal for PC performance. The fact is that read/write operations on a hard drive are much slower than in RAM, so if your computer is equipped with 8 or more gigabytes of RAM, you can completely abandon the page file - this will have a positive effect on system performance.

If you don’t have much RAM, you can’t completely disable paging (swaping) - the computer will work even slower, constantly notifying you that the system does not have enough memory. In this case, the optimal swap file capacity should be between one (initial size) and two (maximum size) amounts of RAM.

When automatically configuring the paging file (by system choice), its maximum can reach three amounts of RAM.

Static or dynamic?

Windows 8 allows you to set the page file to a fixed, static size. If you have a fairly spacious hard drive, this is the best option to choose. There are two reasons for this:

Dynamically resizing the page file requires time and CPU resources. If the size does not change, swapping will go faster.
A static swap file is not fragmented, a dynamic one is fragmented. In the first case, data exchange between it and RAM is much faster than in the second.

Where is the best place to place the page file in Windows 8

If your PC has one hard drive

To maximize computer performance, it is best to place the page file on a separate, dedicated partition equal to twice the amount of RAM. It is advisable to format this partition in FAT32 and not use it for anything other than swapping.

If you have 2 hard drives or more

In this case, it is advisable to move the page file to a physical disk that does not have Windows installed. This will speed up the processing of I/O requests and, as a result, increase system performance.

However, moving pagefile.sys from the system partition, as well as completely disabling it, can lead to another problem - Windows 8 will not be able to save crash memory dumps when system errors occur. What it warns about:

The message indicates the minimum capacity of pagefile.sys that is required to write dumps. A volume of 1 Mb, as in our example, will allow you to save only small memory dumps. To save full ones, you will have to create a swap file equal to the amount of RAM.

How to Change Page File Capacity in Windows 8

Open system properties using one of the following methods:

Right-click on the “Windows” icon (which replaced the “Start” button) and select the “System” section from the menu.

Right-click on the “This PC” icon on the desktop and select “Properties” from the context menu.

On the left side of the information window about your computer, click the “Advanced system settings” link.

In the Performance Options window, go back to the Advanced tab and click Change in the Virtual Memory section.

Here you can configure the page file size for each drive. The following options are available:

Specify the swap file size (initial and maximum) manually.
Set the size according to the system's choice.
Disable the page file.

Having marked what you want, click “Set”.

The checkbox next to “Automatically select paging file size” disables manual settings. If you enable this option, the paging file size will be determined by the system selection for all disks.

One swap file is enough per physical disk, otherwise it will slow down the computer.

Reducing the size of the paging file, as well as completely disabling swap, take effect after restarting Windows 8.

How to move a swap file to another drive

Open the PC virtual memory settings window, as you did when changing the size of the swap file.
Uncheck the box next to the “Automatically select paging file size” command if it is checked.
In the “Disk [volume label]” window, select the desired partition (by default, the swap file is located where Windows 8 is installed).
Check the “Specify size” checkbox. In the “Original size” field, enter a value close to the recommended one, and in the “Maximum” field – twice as large. In the future, you can either increase or decrease these numbers.
Click the “Set” button and restart your computer.

As we said, if your PC has several physical disks, you can create 2 swap files - one for swapping, the second for recording debugging information for system errors. It is not recommended to create more than two - this will not speed up, but will slow down the computer.

How to enable automatic cleanup of the swap file when the system shuts down

Clearing the swap file when Windows 8 shuts down is one of the information protection measures. While working on a computer, confidential user data can be stored in the paging file, for example, personal passwords, payment information, etc. If they are not removed in a timely manner, they may be stolen by criminals.