Delete pagefile.sys

[pointd]

Win 2K Pro - If I boot from a floppy disk and delete pagefile.sys will Windows recreate it when booting normally?

The reason I want to do this is because it is fragmented and running defrag doesn't cure it.

Thanks

[LwdSquashman]

If you go into gpedit.msc there is a policy setting to clear the pagefile at shutdown. Cant remember where but it is a security setting. There is also a way to not use the pagefile at all. It is a registry hack. I will have to search for that link on another forum I visit.

You can also put the pagefile on its own partition if you want.

[pointd]

Thanks for that.

It is in Group Policy Editor under Computer Configuration\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options. This option wouldn't work for me as I have a manual, fixed pagefile therefore it would be emptied but would stay fragmented.

However I hadn't thought of the second suggestion as I could move it, run the defrag, and then move it back if necessary. Sorted.

[LwdSquashman]

You can run the pagefile on its onwn partition all the time. You could just leave it there.

If you have a ton of memory you really dont need a pagefile. I would say that if you are running a gig or more of memory you really dont need a page file.

It is still a good idea to clear the pagefile at shutdown anyways. It doesn't hurt to do it.

[Iman74]

Also, I learned if you make the pagefile.sys a constant number it will help prevent the fragmenting of it. For instance, instead of having a range of 150 to 250, just set it from 250 to 250.

[pointd]

LWD - I'm aware that it can be on its own partition all the time but my drive has separate partitions for separate purposes and has no free space to create further partitions. There would be a performance gain if it was on a separate physical disk but I have only one disk.

Iman - It currently is a range (I thought it wasn't but I was at work earlier and couldn't check) so when all this is sorted I will make it a fixed size.

Thank you both.

[glc]

Try this - manually set the pagefile to zero and reboot (into safe mode if it won't start in normal mode), then defrag. Then reset the pagefile to a fixed size. I've done this with NT but I don't know if XP will start with a zero size pagefile.

The other option is use Diskeeper Pro to defragment - its "boot time" defragmenter will defrag the pagefile.

[reboot]

XP will start in safe mode, with no pagefile, but don't try and start in normal mode without one...any number of things can go haywire.
What I do is move the pagefile to another drive/partition, then restart.
Set the pagefile max and min the same (usually 768), which leaves lots of room for photo editing and such, and then move it back to C, or c:\windows
No more fragmentation.

[pointd]

Thanks - I have already moved the pagefile to a different partition and defragged. All is now well.

The idea of the zero pagefile is useful when the machine you are working on has no partitions and it is not easy to add a second disk, even temporarily. I will maybe try this at work where I can Ghost the machine beforehand.

As for Diskeeper I know it comes well recommended but I got the Lite version off a magazine cover disk a few months ago and then immediately after installing and then running the defrag I started getting a lot of strange errors, explorer crashing, wouldn't shutdown, some zero byte files that wouldn't delete. Although I can't be sure it was Diskeeper that caused this at the time I couldn't think of anything else it could be as I hadn't installed/updated anything else so I am a bit wary.

Thanks again.