Swap File Suggestions, Please

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

Hi, Guys,

Thanking you for all your help in the past, here is my question: Is
there a good rule of thumb (or hard and fast rule for that matter) in
setting up the swap file for those of us who do lots of video editing
and DVD burning? I've read suggestions for general use but was
wondering if there are special considerations for us in video. I use a
Sony Vaio desktop with 500 megs of ram and Windows XP. I put in an
internal 160 GB drive for capturing and holding video I'm working on.
The computer has the original 60 GB drive which is divided into C and D
partitions. Right now I have the swap file set up on the 160 GB drive
following someone's advice to use the largest drive (?) Any thoughts on
this would be greatly appreciated. Let me know if you need more info.

Thanks, Marty

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

"Martin Lab" wrote ...
> Thanking you for all your help in the past, here is my question: Is
> there a good rule of thumb (or hard and fast rule for that matter) in
> setting up the swap file for those of us who do lots of video editing
> and DVD burning? I've read suggestions for general use but was
> wondering if there are special considerations for us in video. I use
> a Sony Vaio desktop with 500 megs of ram and Windows XP. I put in an
> internal 160 GB drive for capturing and holding video I'm working on.
> The computer has the original 60 GB drive which is divided into C and
> D partitions. Right now I have the swap file set up on the 160 GB
> drive following someone's advice to use the largest drive (?) Any
> thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated. Let me know if you
> need more info.

There is no logical reason why the swap file needs to be
"on the largest drive". I question if the person who told you
that really understands how Wndows works.

There is a very good reason to *NOT* have the swap file
on the same physical drive as your video files. It causes
the drive to share its bandwidth between the needs of the
operating system and the requirements of writing/reading
the video. This combination is just asking for trouble.

If I were you, I would put the swap file back on the C
drive where it belongs. I would certainly defrag the C
drive before moving the swap file back there.

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

In article <6fG4e.524885$w62.48795@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net>,
bigkriss@dlab.com says...
> Hi, Guys,
>
> Thanking you for all your help in the past, here is my question: Is
> there a good rule of thumb (or hard and fast rule for that matter) in
> setting up the swap file for those of us who do lots of video editing
> and DVD burning? I've read suggestions for general use but was
> wondering if there are special considerations for us in video. I use a
> Sony Vaio desktop with 500 megs of ram and Windows XP. I put in an
> internal 160 GB drive for capturing and holding video I'm working on.
> The computer has the original 60 GB drive which is divided into C and D
> partitions. Right now I have the swap file set up on the 160 GB drive
> following someone's advice to use the largest drive (?) Any thoughts on
> this would be greatly appreciated. Let me know if you need more info.
>
> Thanks, Marty
>

Even though you don't need it I always go about 800MB locked on a stand
alone 1GB partition
--
_________________________
Chris Phillipo - Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
http://www.ramsays-online.com

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

"Henry Padilla" <padillah@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:7sb5e.30739$hU7.3517@newssvr33.news.prodigy.com...
>
>
> That's not really practical. Even the smallest video file would need
> swapping what with XP taking almost 200 meg, Premiere taking another 2 -
> 300 meg. Then you've got plug-in's, support dll's, and the video file
> itself. You'd need 4 gig just to start a small video.
>
> I've got weddings with over 80 gig of video. That's plain. You start
> adding rendered effects and you're looking at 100 gig easy.
>
> No such thing as "no swap".
> Tom P.
>
You're saying that you'd need a 100 GB swap file?

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

"Henry Padilla" <padillah@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:hUb5e.30752$hU7.172@newssvr33.news.prodigy.com...
>
> "Captain Slick" <CaptainSlick@verizon.net> wrote in message
> news:aHb5e.873$Xm3.808@trndny01...
>>
>> "Henry Padilla" <padillah@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>> news:7sb5e.30739$hU7.3517@newssvr33.news.prodigy.com...
>>>
>>>
>>> That's not really practical. Even the smallest video file would need
>>> swapping what with XP taking almost 200 meg, Premiere taking another 2 -
>>> 300 meg. Then you've got plug-in's, support dll's, and the video file
>>> itself. You'd need 4 gig just to start a small video.
>>>
>>> I've got weddings with over 80 gig of video. That's plain. You start
>>> adding rendered effects and you're looking at 100 gig easy.
>>>
>>> No such thing as "no swap".
>>> Tom P.
>>>
>> You're saying that you'd need a 100 GB swap file?
>>
>
> I've seen them. On the Avid station at the PA station near my house.
>
> Not that you'd have a 100Gig swap because the OS won't let you take up
> more than a certain percentage of the drive. But to eliminate a swap
> drive altogether would take quite a bit of memory. Especially for a video
> workstation.
>
> Tom P.
>
XP limits the maximum size of the swap file to 4096 MB, how can this be
exceeded?

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

Martin Lab <bigkriss@dlab.com> wrote in
news:6fG4e.524885$w62.48795@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net thusly:

> Thanking you for all your help in the past, here is my question: Is
> there a good rule of thumb (or hard and fast rule for that matter) in
> setting up the swap file for those of us who do lots of video editing
> and DVD burning? I've read suggestions for general use but was
> wondering if there are special considerations for us in video. I use
> a Sony Vaio desktop with 500 megs of ram and Windows XP. I put in an
> internal 160 GB drive for capturing and holding video I'm working on.
> The computer has the original 60 GB drive which is divided into C and
> D partitions. Right now I have the swap file set up on the 160 GB
> drive following someone's advice to use the largest drive (?) Any
> thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated. Let me know if you
> need more info.

What I would suggest is using a different controller and a small
partition on a second hard drive for the Pagefile.

For example:

Disk #1 .-------------------------------------------.
| OS/Data Partition |
`-------------------------------------------'

Disk #2 .--------.----------------------------------.
| Swap | Data Partition |
`--------'----------------------------------'

The size of the swap partition depends on the amount of physical RAM
installed in your computer. A general rule of thumb is 1.5 times the
total amount. So if you have 1GB of RAM, then the Pagefile should be set
to 1.5GBs and the partition size should be set to ~1.55GB a bit larger.

You should turn off dynamic sizing and set a static size (both min and
max set to the same value), this way Windows doesn't have to manage it.

The reason behind moving the Pagefile to a different partition, on a
different drive, on a different controller, is to allow the most
bandwidth the bus can achieve when both the OS/Data and the Pagefile are
both being accessed simultaneously.

The other added benefit is with a static swap file configured this way
leaves it impossible for it to become fragmented. Also, Windows doesn't
place it in the middle of the drive dividing your largest free space in
half. This also places the Pagefile at the faster edge of the drive.

--

Tom