Question

Paging File

Asked by: AEII

This is very strange and I hope I am just not missing something:

Recently I had a HD crash that was not my bootable drive.
Running XP Pro with all latest updates

I had my paging file on the drive that crashed and now that I have replaced the drive
I have tries to reestablish it on the drive and it does not seem to be there any more.

I know how to change the paging file settings in the advanced tab for the properties
of My Computer and I have tried changing the drive and size several times and it seems
that there is no paging file ...

I also know how to select in the folder options to see system and hidden files and
there is no pagefile file on any drive ...

My computer as a result seems to be running slower than normal and I am assuming
this is due to this issue ...

How can one check to "see" the file exists or it changes from drive to drive ?

I have tries all drives, changed sizes, and even allowed Windows to Manage, but
the hidden paging file is no where in the roots of the drives as I have on my other
computers ?

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Asked On
2008-04-09 at 08:45:15ID23308569
Topics

Windows XP Operating System

,

Microsoft Windows Operating Systems

,

Microsoft Operating Systems

Participating Experts
5
Points
500
Comments
13

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Answers

 

by: slam69Posted on 2008-04-09 at 08:57:03ID: 21316224

page file is located in c:\ and is named pagefile.sys

if its nto there i would be expecting the no paging file check box to be marked on teh virtual memory tab

 

by: R_BroylesPosted on 2008-04-09 at 09:01:19ID: 21316268

As you no doubt know, the page file is a hidden file named "pagefile.sys", stored in the root of whatever drive you have chosen to have the paging file stored on. If you don't see that file in the drive, windows is not putting a paging file on that drive. Period. End of story. That is the only place windows stores it

 

by: kadadi_vPosted on 2008-04-09 at 09:08:52ID: 21316348

 

by: AEIIPosted on 2008-04-09 at 09:11:52ID: 21316369

I thank you for your responses but I already know what you provided and I tried to state that in my question ...

It is not there on any root drive and I have changed it the Advnaced Tab area
ten times (and yes rebooted) and it is not there ...

How do I get it back ? Or how do I determine if even when I have the folder settings to see hidden and system files, for some reason I can't see it ?

I even though of copying a pagefile.sys from another computer and dropping it in the root drive.

I searched through the Windows/System Folder and there is a script file for the paging file ... I ran it a few minutes ago and it didn't seem to fix the issue.

 

by: dvzPosted on 2008-04-09 at 09:13:19ID: 21316382

Use windows search on all media to find pagefile.sys, in case the file is not on your C drive.
OR
Start | Control Panel | Performance & Maintenance | System | Advanced | Performance Settings | Advanced | Virtual Memory | Change .  A window titled Virtual Memory should pop up.  This shows each of your system's drives.  Down arrow through the list, checking the radio buttons for the paging file(s) on each drive.  The buttons will allow either a custom file, system managed one, or none.

Bonus suggestion:  next time you install or format a drive, set aside 3-4 Gb for a SWAP partition.  Then change to a system managed file on the new partition, and reboot the PC.  This will prevent excessive fragmentation (faster execution).  I also use a partition manager to redirect my users' temporary internet files there, so that I don't waste time or space in my regular backups.

HTH

 

by: slam69Posted on 2008-04-09 at 09:14:27ID: 21316391

Open up task manager check performance tab and see whats happening in pf usage will tell you if anythigns happenign with it or not

 

by: GRiTechPosted on 2008-04-09 at 09:56:53ID: 21316790

Open the registry and goto HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management

From list on right select PagingFiles and Delete it, say yes when asked if you want to delete this value.

Reboot PC and reset up paging file


Good Luck
G

 

by: AEIIPosted on 2008-04-09 at 11:28:00ID: 21317663

Okay ... I have tried everything listed above ... no pagefile.sys on any root of my Partioned C/D drive or my E Drive ...

I have searched all drives with windows search ... no file exists.

I have deleted the registry keys for two controlsets for the page file and rebooted
and reset up three times ... using both the C Drive and E Drive ... no file

I looked at the Task Manager pf usage and when I have no page file the useage is between 320 - 340mb ... when I set the page file to 1600mb .. the usage is the same ... the real time graph is flat line at 320mb ...

There are two things that were strange that has happened ...
1) The first time I rebooted after removing the registry entries for the pf, I went into the advanced tab to setup the page file and when I set the pf to 1534mb(recommended size) on my E drive ... a message asked that the file already existed and did I want to replace it ... I select yes ... BUT the file was not there and the page file size listed was 0 before I set it up.

2) I also went to the folder options and selected to hide all hidden files and system files and saved ... also applied to all folders
  - When I go back into the C Drive the config.sys file is still visable even though
    it is a hidden system folder ...
  - When I go back to the folder options the radio button is back on show
    hidden folders ?

I have changed these setting multiple times and the config.sys file is visable, but no page file ... and as I said earlier if I do a files and folder search including system and hidden files ... no pagefile.sys.

Currently my paging file in the advanced tab is set to 1600mb, but I still don't think it is there ...

 

by: R_BroylesPosted on 2008-04-09 at 11:31:49ID: 21317702

Your Windows Explorer is of course set to display hidden files, correct? As an aside, how much RAM does this machine have?

 

by: AEIIPosted on 2008-04-09 at 11:56:52ID: 21317932

Yes I have the settings correct to view hideen files and folders as well as protected system folders ... but ...

I set up a folder on the E Drive Root called hidden as a test ... could see it fine ... changed the properties to "Hidden" and could see it ghosted until I hit refresh and then it is gone ...

No matter what I do in the setup in the Folder Options ... I can't get back to the
hidden folder ? (or as I said make the radio buttons stay changed)
I can find the hidden folder it in the Windows Search though ... but still no pagefile.sys.

I have 1 gig of RAM so the recommended pagefile.sys is listed as 1534mb.

 

by: GRiTechPosted on 2008-04-09 at 12:12:33ID: 21318078

Run a full CHKDSK and try again

Cheers
G

 

by: AEIIPosted on 2008-04-09 at 16:45:13ID: 31447384

Ok ... Solved finally ...
None of what was suggested really solved the issue. However the link from the answer did lead me to check a couple of things and I matched the other registry settings "NOHIDDEN" and "SHOWALL" ...

This allowed me to see the hidden files again ....

But what fixed the PageFile Original question I believe was that the group policy for creating a page file did not have my user name in the list, so I think that even though I thought I was creating it ... it would not create it ?

Thanks

 

by: GRiTechPosted on 2008-04-10 at 02:57:24ID: 21323102

Glad you got it sorted, thanks for the points, grade and for letting us know what fixed it.

Cheers
G

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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