Added RAM - What should PageFile size be?

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support,microsoft.public.windowsxp.configuration_manage,microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

Hi,

I've just increased my RAM from 512 MB to 768 MB.

I went to the Virtual Memory settings via System Properties and chose
System Managed Size.

The info now says:

Total paging file size for all drives: 1151 MB

and:

Minimum allowed: 2 MB
Recommended: 1150 MB
Currently Allocated: 1151 MB

Is this OK?
Is there anything else I need do now that I've added extra RAM?

Thankyou in advance,

--

John Latter

Model of an Internal Evolutionary Mechanism (based on an extension to homeostasis) linking Stationary-Phase Mutations to the Baldwin Effect.
http://members.aol.com/jorolat/TEM.html

'Where Darwin meets Lamarck?' Discussion Egroup
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/evomech

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support,microsoft.public.windowsxp.configuration_manage,microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

In news:43plc1d0hkgsao58g6pfkuf42qhkqld4ja@4ax.com,
John Latter <jorolat@tiscali.co.uk> typed:

> I've just increased my RAM from 512 MB to 768 MB.
>
> I went to the Virtual Memory settings via System Properties and
> chose
> System Managed Size.
>
> The info now says:
>
> Total paging file size for all drives: 1151 MB
>
> and:
>
> Minimum allowed: 2 MB
> Recommended: 1150 MB
> Currently Allocated: 1151 MB
>
> Is this OK?


OK. Yes. It's also almost certainly considerably more than you
need.

Read the late MVP Alex Nichol's article "Virtual Memory in
Windows XP
" at http://aumha.org/win5/a/xpvm.htm


--
Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
Please reply to the newsgroup



> Is there anything else I need do now that I've added extra RAM?
>
> Thankyou in advance,

 

[Jim]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support,microsoft.public.windowsxp.configuration_manage,microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

"John Latter" <jorolat@tiscali.co.uk> wrote in message
news:43plc1d0hkgsao58g6pfkuf42qhkqld4ja@4ax.com...
> Hi,
>
> I've just increased my RAM from 512 MB to 768 MB.
>
> I went to the Virtual Memory settings via System Properties and chose
> System Managed Size.
>
> The info now says:
>
> Total paging file size for all drives: 1151 MB
>
> and:
>
> Minimum allowed: 2 MB
> Recommended: 1150 MB
> Currently Allocated: 1151 MB
>
> Is this OK?
> Is there anything else I need do now that I've added extra RAM?
Yes, quit worrying about the size of the pagefile.
Jim

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support,microsoft.public.windowsxp.configuration_manage,microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

"John Latter" <jorolat@tiscali.co.uk> wrote in message
news:43plc1d0hkgsao58g6pfkuf42qhkqld4ja@4ax.com...
> Hi,
>
> I've just increased my RAM from 512 MB to 768 MB.
>
> I went to the Virtual Memory settings via System Properties and chose
> System Managed Size.
>
> The info now says:
>
> Total paging file size for all drives: 1151 MB
>
> and:
>
> Minimum allowed: 2 MB
> Recommended: 1150 MB
> Currently Allocated: 1151 MB
>
> Is this OK?
> Is there anything else I need do now that I've added extra RAM?
>
> Thankyou in advance,
>
> --
>
> John Latter
>
> Model of an Internal Evolutionary Mechanism (based on an extension to
> homeostasis) linking Stationary-Phase Mutations to the Baldwin Effect.
> http://members.aol.com/jorolat/TEM.html
>
> 'Where Darwin meets Lamarck?' Discussion Egroup
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/evomech

256 more isn't going to make much of a difference.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics,microsoft.public.windowsxp.configuration_manage,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general,microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support (More info?)

Just FYI - I've got 1 gB of RAM and have been working just fine with no
pagefile at all for several months. Recently I got a virtual memory error
while playing a game - so I set it to 500 mB and it worked fine.

Open all the apps that you think you could ever want to use together and
check the pagefile utilization in Task Manager. Add a little for a fudge
factor and you'll be good.

"John Latter" wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I've just increased my RAM from 512 MB to 768 MB.
>
> I went to the Virtual Memory settings via System Properties and chose
> System Managed Size.
>
> The info now says:
>
> Total paging file size for all drives: 1151 MB
>
> and:
>
> Minimum allowed: 2 MB
> Recommended: 1150 MB
> Currently Allocated: 1151 MB
>
> Is this OK?
> Is there anything else I need do now that I've added extra RAM?
>
> Thankyou in advance,
>
> --
>
> John Latter
>
> Model of an Internal Evolutionary Mechanism (based on an extension to homeostasis) linking Stationary-Phase Mutations to the Baldwin Effect.
> http://members.aol.com/jorolat/TEM.html
>
> 'Where Darwin meets Lamarck?' Discussion Egroup
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/evomech
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support,microsoft.public.windowsxp.configuration_manage,microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

> 256 more isn't going to make much of a difference.

That would depend greatly on whether or not the system was currently
frequently paging. There is certainly not enough information to make any
assessment in that direction as yet. If paging was light, or non-existent,
then adding ram will have no effect on performance. If there was moderate to
heavy use of the pagefile, then adding the ram may help light the virtual
memory load.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone
www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

"Nog" <nognog@adelphia.net> wrote in message
news:3tudnZYO97QvYFffRVn-rg@adelphia.com...
>
> "John Latter" <jorolat@tiscali.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:43plc1d0hkgsao58g6pfkuf42qhkqld4ja@4ax.com...
>> Hi,
>>
>> I've just increased my RAM from 512 MB to 768 MB.
>>
>> I went to the Virtual Memory settings via System Properties and chose
>> System Managed Size.
>>
>> The info now says:
>>
>> Total paging file size for all drives: 1151 MB
>>
>> and:
>>
>> Minimum allowed: 2 MB
>> Recommended: 1150 MB
>> Currently Allocated: 1151 MB
>>
>> Is this OK?
>> Is there anything else I need do now that I've added extra RAM?
>>
>> Thankyou in advance,
>>
>> --
>>
>> John Latter
>>
>> Model of an Internal Evolutionary Mechanism (based on an extension to
>> homeostasis) linking Stationary-Phase Mutations to the Baldwin Effect.
>> http://members.aol.com/jorolat/TEM.html
>>
>> 'Where Darwin meets Lamarck?' Discussion Egroup
>> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/evomech
>
> 256 more isn't going to make much of a difference.
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics,microsoft.public.windowsxp.configuration_manage,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general,microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support (More info?)

No.

Open your normal applications and USE them. Then check your page pile usage
while they are being used. Having PhotoShop open, without rendering a photo
is not the same as just opening PhotoShop.

Try rendering a video and using Internet Explorer at the same time. Check
your usage - if you can even get Task Manager to open.

I have 1.5 gig of RAM and have seen over 650 meg of pagefile used under
certain circumstances (working with AutoCAD).

It is best to leave the pagefile on system managed. Let the system adjust it
as needed.

--
Regards,

Richard Urban

If you knew as much as you thought you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!


"usasma" <usasma@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:5CF34DBA-A756-4A33-8EED-D4124CA68789@microsoft.com...
> Just FYI - I've got 1 gB of RAM and have been working just fine with no
> pagefile at all for several months. Recently I got a virtual memory error
> while playing a game - so I set it to 500 mB and it worked fine.
>
> Open all the apps that you think you could ever want to use together and
> check the pagefile utilization in Task Manager. Add a little for a fudge
> factor and you'll be good.
>
> "John Latter" wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> I've just increased my RAM from 512 MB to 768 MB.
>>
>> I went to the Virtual Memory settings via System Properties and chose
>> System Managed Size.
>>
>> The info now says:
>>
>> Total paging file size for all drives: 1151 MB
>>
>> and:
>>
>> Minimum allowed: 2 MB
>> Recommended: 1150 MB
>> Currently Allocated: 1151 MB
>>
>> Is this OK?
>> Is there anything else I need do now that I've added extra RAM?
>>
>> Thankyou in advance,
>>
>> --
>>
>> John Latter
>>
>> Model of an Internal Evolutionary Mechanism (based on an extension to
>> homeostasis) linking Stationary-Phase Mutations to the Baldwin Effect.
>> http://members.aol.com/jorolat/TEM.html
>>
>> 'Where Darwin meets Lamarck?' Discussion Egroup
>> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/evomech
>>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics,microsoft.public.windowsxp.configuration_manage,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general,microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support (More info?)

Never leave the pagefile disabled, regardless of whether or not you are
using it. Many programs will expect it to be there and allocate pages even
if they aren't used. If it is not there, the program may not function
correctly. Disable it only as part of temporary fixes, like deleting a
corrupt pagefile.sys file.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone
www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

"usasma" <usasma@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:5CF34DBA-A756-4A33-8EED-D4124CA68789@microsoft.com...
> Just FYI - I've got 1 gB of RAM and have been working just fine with no
> pagefile at all for several months. Recently I got a virtual memory error
> while playing a game - so I set it to 500 mB and it worked fine.
>
> Open all the apps that you think you could ever want to use together and
> check the pagefile utilization in Task Manager. Add a little for a fudge
> factor and you'll be good.
>
> "John Latter" wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> I've just increased my RAM from 512 MB to 768 MB.
>>
>> I went to the Virtual Memory settings via System Properties and chose
>> System Managed Size.
>>
>> The info now says:
>>
>> Total paging file size for all drives: 1151 MB
>>
>> and:
>>
>> Minimum allowed: 2 MB
>> Recommended: 1150 MB
>> Currently Allocated: 1151 MB
>>
>> Is this OK?
>> Is there anything else I need do now that I've added extra RAM?
>>
>> Thankyou in advance,
>>
>> --
>>
>> John Latter
>>
>> Model of an Internal Evolutionary Mechanism (based on an extension to
>> homeostasis) linking Stationary-Phase Mutations to the Baldwin Effect.
>> http://members.aol.com/jorolat/TEM.html
>>
>> 'Where Darwin meets Lamarck?' Discussion Egroup
>> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/evomech
>>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support,microsoft.public.windowsxp.configuration_manage,microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

In news:3tudnZYO97QvYFffRVn-rg@adelphia.com,
Nog <nognog@adelphia.net> typed:

> "John Latter" <jorolat@tiscali.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:43plc1d0hkgsao58g6pfkuf42qhkqld4ja@4ax.com...
>> Hi,
>>
>> I've just increased my RAM from 512 MB to 768 MB.

> 256 more isn't going to make much of a difference.


For most people, you're right. But stating that for John, when
you know nothing about what apps he runs, is not correct.

It depends entirely on how he uses his computer. If, for example,
he edits large photographic images, it could make a very big
difference.

--
Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
Please reply to the newsgroup

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics,microsoft.public.windowsxp.configuration_manage,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general,microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support (More info?)

USASMA,
Richard and Rick are correct. For instance, I have 4GB of memory and even
though I've disabled paging the executive (the OS), I still have an average
of 61/62 MB paged out at all times.

--

Star Fleet Admiral Q @ your Service!

http://www.google.com
Google is your "Friend"

"usasma" <usasma@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:5CF34DBA-A756-4A33-8EED-D4124CA68789@microsoft.com...
> Just FYI - I've got 1 gB of RAM and have been working just fine with no
> pagefile at all for several months. Recently I got a virtual memory error
> while playing a game - so I set it to 500 mB and it worked fine.
>
> Open all the apps that you think you could ever want to use together and
> check the pagefile utilization in Task Manager. Add a little for a fudge
> factor and you'll be good.
>
> "John Latter" wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> I've just increased my RAM from 512 MB to 768 MB.
>>
>> I went to the Virtual Memory settings via System Properties and chose
>> System Managed Size.
>>
>> The info now says:
>>
>> Total paging file size for all drives: 1151 MB
>>
>> and:
>>
>> Minimum allowed: 2 MB
>> Recommended: 1150 MB
>> Currently Allocated: 1151 MB
>>
>> Is this OK?
>> Is there anything else I need do now that I've added extra RAM?
>>
>> Thankyou in advance,
>>
>> --
>>
>> John Latter
>>
>> Model of an Internal Evolutionary Mechanism (based on an extension to
>> homeostasis) linking Stationary-Phase Mutations to the Baldwin Effect.
>> http://members.aol.com/jorolat/TEM.html
>>
>> 'Where Darwin meets Lamarck?' Discussion Egroup
>> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/evomech
>>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support,microsoft.public.windowsxp.configuration_manage,microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

On Tue, 5 Jul 2005 13:05:09 -0700, "Ken Blake"
<kblake@this.is.an.invalid.domain> wrote:

>In news:43plc1d0hkgsao58g6pfkuf42qhkqld4ja@4ax.com,
>John Latter <jorolat@tiscali.co.uk> typed:
>
>> I've just increased my RAM from 512 MB to 768 MB.
>>
>> I went to the Virtual Memory settings via System Properties and
>> chose
>> System Managed Size.
>>
>> The info now says:
>>
>> Total paging file size for all drives: 1151 MB
>>
>> and:
>>
>> Minimum allowed: 2 MB
>> Recommended: 1150 MB
>> Currently Allocated: 1151 MB
>>
>> Is this OK?
>
>
>OK. Yes. It's also almost certainly considerably more than you
>need.
>
>Read the late MVP Alex Nichol's article "Virtual Memory in
>Windows XP
>" at http://aumha.org/win5/a/xpvm.htm

Thanks Ken - for the link too!

--

John Latter

Model of an Internal Evolutionary Mechanism (based on an extension to homeostasis) linking Stationary-Phase Mutations to the Baldwin Effect.
http://members.aol.com/jorolat/TEM.html

'Where Darwin meets Lamarck?' Discussion Egroup
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/evomech

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support,microsoft.public.windowsxp.configuration_manage,microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

In news:d3ulc1licmrhocbd6v72amut7cc2cj7ffe@4ax.com,
John Latter <jorolat@tiscali.co.uk> typed:

> On Tue, 5 Jul 2005 13:05:09 -0700, "Ken Blake"
> <kblake@this.is.an.invalid.domain> wrote:

>> OK. Yes. It's also almost certainly considerably more than you
>> need.
>>
>> Read the late MVP Alex Nichol's article "Virtual Memory in
>> Windows XP
>> " at http://aumha.org/win5/a/xpvm.htm
>
> Thanks Ken - for the link too!


You're welcome. Glad to help.


--
Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
Please reply to the newsgroup

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support,microsoft.public.windowsxp.configuration_manage,microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

On Tue, 05 Jul 2005 20:39:03 GMT, "Jim" <j.n@nospam.com> wrote:

>
>"John Latter" <jorolat@tiscali.co.uk> wrote in message
>news:43plc1d0hkgsao58g6pfkuf42qhkqld4ja@4ax.com...
>> Hi,
>>
>> I've just increased my RAM from 512 MB to 768 MB.
>>
>> I went to the Virtual Memory settings via System Properties and chose
>> System Managed Size.
>>
>> The info now says:
>>
>> Total paging file size for all drives: 1151 MB
>>
>> and:
>>
>> Minimum allowed: 2 MB
>> Recommended: 1150 MB
>> Currently Allocated: 1151 MB
>>
>> Is this OK?
>> Is there anything else I need do now that I've added extra RAM?
>Yes, quit worrying about the size of the pagefile.
>Jim
>

Ok - just making sure

--

John Latter

Model of an Internal Evolutionary Mechanism (based on an extension to homeostasis) linking Stationary-Phase Mutations to the Baldwin Effect.
http://members.aol.com/jorolat/TEM.html

'Where Darwin meets Lamarck?' Discussion Egroup
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/evomech

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics,microsoft.public.windowsxp.configuration_manage,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general,microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support (More info?)

usasma <usasma@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

>Just FYI - I've got 1 gB of RAM and have been working just fine with no
>pagefile at all for several months. Recently I got a virtual memory error
>while playing a game - so I set it to 500 mB and it worked fine.
>
>Open all the apps that you think you could ever want to use together and
>check the pagefile utilization in Task Manager. Add a little for a fudge
>factor and you'll be good.
>

That is not good advice, and it could in fact be dangerous to follow
it.

Windows XP uses the pagefile for a variety of functions in addition to
the paging out of active memory content when short of RAM; such as:

1. System failure memory dumps. These use the paging file on the
boot drive, and require that it be present. If there is no paging
file configured on the boot drive then the memory dump information
cannot be save, which can make it more difficult to determine the
cause of an error.

2. Fast user switching. When multiple users are configured on a
computer and the Fast User Switching option is in effect then the
memory content relating to the previous user will be rolled out to the
paging file whenever the user is switched.

3. Unused portions of memory allocation requests. All items,
including Windows components, device drivers, and application programs
ask for memory allocation amounts that are larger than what they
ordinarily need under normal circumstances. By design, Windows must
identify memory address space to satisfy all of these requests or
produce an "out of memory" error if it cannot do so. What Windows
normally does is to allocate RAM only to those portions of the
requests that are actually used, and to use space in the pagefile for
the unused portions. Note that this mapping of unused memory requests
to the pagefile does not require any disk activity, just entries in
the memory mapping tables maintained by the CPU. In the absence of
the pagefile then Windows has no choice but to allocate RAM to all of
the requested space including the unused portions. This can add up to
quite a substantial amount. Here are some figures from my system at
this moment, with 5 apps on the taskbar plus antivirus & antispyware
loaded:
PF Usage reported by Task Manager: 340 mb:
Actual memory content currently in the pagefile: 57 mb
Physical size of the pagefile: 80 mb

I am running XP Pro SP2 with 768 mb of RAM.

The above figures tell me that there is 283 mb (340 minus 57) of
memory allocation that has been requested but never used. With no
pagefile this 340 mb would have to come from RAM


Hope this clarifies the situation.

Good luck


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

In memory of a dear friend Alex Nichol MVP
http://aumha.org/alex.htm

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics,microsoft.public.windowsxp.configuration_manage,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general,microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support (More info?)

Great post. Thanks, Ron.

Ted Zieglar

"Ron Martell" <ron.martell@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:iahmc1hhr1hesfd669jjf142qns0rnutkb@4ax.com...
> usasma <usasma@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
>
>>Just FYI - I've got 1 gB of RAM and have been working just fine with no
>>pagefile at all for several months. Recently I got a virtual memory error
>>while playing a game - so I set it to 500 mB and it worked fine.
>>
>>Open all the apps that you think you could ever want to use together and
>>check the pagefile utilization in Task Manager. Add a little for a fudge
>>factor and you'll be good.
>>
>
> That is not good advice, and it could in fact be dangerous to follow
> it.
>
> Windows XP uses the pagefile for a variety of functions in addition to
> the paging out of active memory content when short of RAM; such as:
>
> 1. System failure memory dumps. These use the paging file on the
> boot drive, and require that it be present. If there is no paging
> file configured on the boot drive then the memory dump information
> cannot be save, which can make it more difficult to determine the
> cause of an error.
>
> 2. Fast user switching. When multiple users are configured on a
> computer and the Fast User Switching option is in effect then the
> memory content relating to the previous user will be rolled out to the
> paging file whenever the user is switched.
>
> 3. Unused portions of memory allocation requests. All items,
> including Windows components, device drivers, and application programs
> ask for memory allocation amounts that are larger than what they
> ordinarily need under normal circumstances. By design, Windows must
> identify memory address space to satisfy all of these requests or
> produce an "out of memory" error if it cannot do so. What Windows
> normally does is to allocate RAM only to those portions of the
> requests that are actually used, and to use space in the pagefile for
> the unused portions. Note that this mapping of unused memory requests
> to the pagefile does not require any disk activity, just entries in
> the memory mapping tables maintained by the CPU. In the absence of
> the pagefile then Windows has no choice but to allocate RAM to all of
> the requested space including the unused portions. This can add up to
> quite a substantial amount. Here are some figures from my system at
> this moment, with 5 apps on the taskbar plus antivirus & antispyware
> loaded:
> PF Usage reported by Task Manager: 340 mb:
> Actual memory content currently in the pagefile: 57 mb
> Physical size of the pagefile: 80 mb
>
> I am running XP Pro SP2 with 768 mb of RAM.
>
> The above figures tell me that there is 283 mb (340 minus 57) of
> memory allocation that has been requested but never used. With no
> pagefile this 340 mb would have to come from RAM
>
>
> Hope this clarifies the situation.
>
> Good luck
>
>
> Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
> --
> Microsoft MVP
> On-Line Help Computer Service
> http://onlinehelp.bc.ca
>
> In memory of a dear friend Alex Nichol MVP
> http://aumha.org/alex.htm