Backup files and pagefile question

[lucasbuck2]

When I set my computer up a long time back, I made a small partition, 52 GB. On it I have 11 taken up by the backup file of my original install (a safety measure), and 41 left empty to act as the pagefile. Otherwise I leave the drive alone. I wanted to make another set of backup files as I've installed a lot since I setup the system. So I've got 2 questions.

1 - If I'm storing backups on that drive, how much should I leave empty for the pagefile?

2 - On a side note, can I take an old spare external drive I have, plug it it, move over the backup folders, and just store it somewhere? Or do they have to be set up from the drive they were originally written to?

And actually, I have a 3rd question! I noticed under Virtual Memory it's only allocated 2551mb to the pagefile. I'm was letting the system manage the size. But it recommends 3826 MB. Should I set that manually?

Thanks for any help!

 

[JackNaylorPE]

With small amounts of RAM, 2 x RAM is recommended. With 4 GB recommendations range from RAM + 12 to none at all. Best bet is to try different options and see what gets used. I always used a page file of fixed size (min = max) and put it on its own partition with temp files, setting up that partition at the front (outside edge) of the disk where it's twice as fast as it is at the inside edge. SSD's don't figure in here.

 

[lucasbuck2]

I've got 6 GB, but it's a 32 bit install so not using it all. So whats the minimum to leave the pagefile and be safe?

And no, page\backup drive is on a partition on another drive. The external is big enough (it's just a drive I don't use anymore, and have an external enclosure I could throw it in). But will the reinstall if I move them off or do they have to stay where they were created?

 

[lucasbuck2]

One other question. When everyone says to do the pagefile on the front\outer edge of the drive, do you mean put it on the first partition on the drive (the first one on the left?)