This limit is the sum of physical memory RAM and all page files combined. If no page files exist, the system commit limit is slightly less than the physical memory that is installed. Peak system-committed memory usage can vary greatly between systems. Therefore, physical memory and page file sizing also vary. The purpose of a page file is to back support infrequently accessed modified pages so that they can be removed from physical memory.
This provides more available space for more frequently accessed pages. However, be aware that not all the memory on the modified page list is written out to disk. Typically, several hundred megabytes of memory remains resident on the modified list. Therefore, consider extending or adding a page file if all the following conditions are true:. The dump file that is produced from this event is called a system crash dump.
A page file or dedicated dump file is used to write a crash dump file Memory. Therefore, a page file or a dedicated dump file must be large enough to support the kind of crash dump selected. Otherwise, the system cannot create the crash dump file. During startup, system-managed page files are sized respective to the system crash dump settings. This assumes that enough free disk space exists. The Automatic memory dump setting is enabled by default. This is a setting instead of a kind of crash dump.
This setting automatically selects the best page file size, depending on the frequency of system crashes. The Automatic memory dump feature initially selects a small paging file size. It would accommodate the kernel memory most of the time. If the system crashes again within four weeks, the Automatic memory dump feature sets the page file size as either the RAM size or 32 GB, whichever is smaller.
Kernel memory crash dumps require enough page file space or dedicated dump file space to accommodate the kernel mode side of virtual memory usage. If the system crashes again within four weeks of the previous crash, a Complete memory dump is selected at restart. This requires a page file or dedicated dump file of at least the size of physical memory RAM plus 1 MB for header information plus MB for potential driver data to support all the potential data that is dumped from memory.
Again, the system-managed page file will be increased to back this kind of crash dump. If the system is configured to have a page file or a dedicated dump file of a specific size, make sure that the size is sufficient to back the crash dump setting that is listed in the table earlier in this section together with and the peak system commit charge.
Computers that are running Microsoft Windows or Microsoft Windows Server usually must have a page file to support a system crash dump. Additionally, if you have the paging file enabled, operations that exceed the limited RAM space are automatically sent to the paging file to be stored to free up RAM.
A paging file can be read as a connected chunk of data from RAM, which is must faster than reading the data from multiple locations. The Paging File Percent of Usage counter is useful to determine whether the paging file is the appropriate size for your storage and system operating needs.
To determine your needs, monitor the counter as your computer performs under working conditions. Do this over a period of time to get a clear representation of how your paging file is performing. Ideally, your paging file size should be 1.
You can calculate your minimum paging file size with this equation: 8 GB x 1. If your paging file size is not sufficient for your needs, you can seek one of three solutions:. To get the best performance out of the pagefile, you should place it on a dedicated disk. This is especially the case on high-end systems with a large amount of RAM. If your budget doesn't allow you to do this, you can place the pagefile on a disk that contains files that are occasionally read and written to, such as archive files that you create once a month.
Since the pagefile is subject to frequent reads and writes, you want to make sure it isn't placed on a RAID volume. Various formulas are available for how to optimally size the pagefile. Most are based on some percentage of the amount of RAM installed on the computer. These RAM-based pagefile size recommendations are just estimates. None of them will accurately reflect the best pagefile size for your computer. The best way to determine the appropriate pagefile size is to use the Performance Monitor, which has two counters that you can use to determine your pagefile's optimal size:.
The latter value is most useful in determining the best pagefile size. Start by creating a pagefile that is 1. Then, perform the following steps:. These are optional configurations, but you might want to implement them in special circumstances. I recommend that you enable this option only if you have multiple operating systems on the same machine. It's possible to read the contents of the pagefile if you boot into another operating system. However, if you have only a single operating system, the pagefile will be locked and not readable.
With a single operating system, you shouldn't wipe the contents of the pagefile; those contents may be helpful to you if you ever need to run a forensic analysis of the machine. The Windows XP operating system automatically installs and configures a pagefile during system setup.
While the default configuration of the pagefile does a reasonably good job, you can make several improvements on the default configuration. By following the recommendations I've given here, you'll be able to take command of your pagefile and improve your system's performance.
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