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How to manually change the size of the virtual memory paging file
You must be logged on as an administrator or as a member of the administrator’s group to complete this procedure. If your computer is connected to a network, network policy settings may prevent you from completing this procedure.
To manually change the size of virtual memory, follow these steps:
1. Click Start, click Run, type sysdm.cpl in the Open box, and then press ENTER.
2. Click the Advanced tab, and then under Performance click Settings.
3. Click the Advanced tab, and then under Virtual memory click Change.
4. Under Drive [Volume Label], click the drive that contains the paging file that you want to change.
5. Under Paging file size for selected drive, click Custom size, type a new paging file size in megabytes (MB) in the Initial size (MB) or Maximum size (MB) box, and then click Set.
6. Click OK to close the dialog box and apply changes.
Note After you change the size of the paging file, you may be prompted to restart Windows. If you are prompted to restart, the changes will not take effect until Windows is restarted.
Notes
* To have Windows select the best paging file size, click System managed size. The recommended minimum size is the same as 1.5 times the RAM on your computer, and 3 times that figure for the maximum size. For example, if you have 256 MB of RAM, the minimum size is 384 MB, and the maximum size is 1152 MB.
* For best performance, do not set the initial size to less than the minimum recommended size under Total paging file size for all drives. The recommended size is the same as 1.5 times the RAM on your computer. It is good practice to leave the paging file at its recommended size as performance can decrease if a paging file is too large. However, you may increase its size if you frequently use programs that use lots of memory, such as graphics programs or games.
* We strongly recommend that you do not disable or delete the paging file because this can lessen the computer's performance. However, if you decide to delete a paging file, set both the initial size and the maximum size to zero, or click No paging file.
How to manually optimize the memory usage
You can optimize your computer's memory usage to reflect your specific needs. If your computer is used as a workstation instead of as a server, you can increase performance by devoting more memory to your programs. Your programs will work faster and the system cache size will remain the default size that was included with Windows XP. Or, you can set aside more computer memory for a larger system cache if your computer is used primarily as a server, or if you use programs that require a large system cache.
1. Click Start, click Run, type sysdm.cpl in the Open box, and then press ENTER.
2. Click the Advanced tab, and then under Performance click Settings.
3. Click the Advanced tab, and then under Memory usage use one of the following methods:
* Click Programs if you use your computer primarily as a workstation instead of as a server. This option allocates more memory to your programs.
* Click System cache if your computer is used primarily as a server or if you use programs that use a large system cache.
4. Click OK to save preferences and close the dialog box.
You must be logged on as an administrator or as a member of the administrator’s group to complete this procedure. If your computer is connected to a network, network policy settings may prevent you from completing this procedure.
To manually change the size of virtual memory, follow these steps:
1. Click Start, click Run, type sysdm.cpl in the Open box, and then press ENTER.
2. Click the Advanced tab, and then under Performance click Settings.
3. Click the Advanced tab, and then under Virtual memory click Change.
4. Under Drive [Volume Label], click the drive that contains the paging file that you want to change.
5. Under Paging file size for selected drive, click Custom size, type a new paging file size in megabytes (MB) in the Initial size (MB) or Maximum size (MB) box, and then click Set.
6. Click OK to close the dialog box and apply changes.
Note After you change the size of the paging file, you may be prompted to restart Windows. If you are prompted to restart, the changes will not take effect until Windows is restarted.
Notes
* To have Windows select the best paging file size, click System managed size. The recommended minimum size is the same as 1.5 times the RAM on your computer, and 3 times that figure for the maximum size. For example, if you have 256 MB of RAM, the minimum size is 384 MB, and the maximum size is 1152 MB.
* For best performance, do not set the initial size to less than the minimum recommended size under Total paging file size for all drives. The recommended size is the same as 1.5 times the RAM on your computer. It is good practice to leave the paging file at its recommended size as performance can decrease if a paging file is too large. However, you may increase its size if you frequently use programs that use lots of memory, such as graphics programs or games.
* We strongly recommend that you do not disable or delete the paging file because this can lessen the computer's performance. However, if you decide to delete a paging file, set both the initial size and the maximum size to zero, or click No paging file.
How to manually optimize the memory usage
You can optimize your computer's memory usage to reflect your specific needs. If your computer is used as a workstation instead of as a server, you can increase performance by devoting more memory to your programs. Your programs will work faster and the system cache size will remain the default size that was included with Windows XP. Or, you can set aside more computer memory for a larger system cache if your computer is used primarily as a server, or if you use programs that require a large system cache.
1. Click Start, click Run, type sysdm.cpl in the Open box, and then press ENTER.
2. Click the Advanced tab, and then under Performance click Settings.
3. Click the Advanced tab, and then under Memory usage use one of the following methods:
* Click Programs if you use your computer primarily as a workstation instead of as a server. This option allocates more memory to your programs.
* Click System cache if your computer is used primarily as a server or if you use programs that use a large system cache.
4. Click OK to save preferences and close the dialog box.