Tweak the Windows Vista page file size

Increasing virtual memory can compensate for you lack of RAM but it also uses space in the hard drive. This means getting data from the paging file takes longer than getting data from the actual RAM. This is why if you really prefer to get a significant performance gain, installing additional RAM is a necessity.

What if you already maxed out your PC’s physical RAM? Vista by default combines the computer’s Physical Memory with temporary space in the hard drive. When the computer needs more memory, it uses a virtual RAM using your hard drive. This is called the paging file or the swap file in Unix and Linux lingo. To tweak your computer’s paging file, follow the simple steps below.

First, go to your Desktop and right click on Computer. From the right click menu select Properties.

In the System window, click on Advanced system settings.

The System Properties window will open directly at the Advanced tab. Go to the Performance section and click on the Settings button highlighted in the screenshot below.

In the Performance Options window you will see the current size of the paging file. To configure it click Change.

By default, Windows Vista manages the paging file size for all your drives. To change this, you need to uncheckAutomatically manage paging file size for all drives option.

You can customize the paging file size for each of your drives. By default, the paging file is placed on the drive C: and it is automatically managed by the system. If you want to use another partition, select the partition (C:) and select the No paging file option and click on Set.

Now you need Windows Vista to create the paging file on another partition. Click on the partition where you want to create your paging file and then select Custom size or System managed size.

If you want to have a custom size of paging file you will need to specify values for the initial and maximum size of your paging file. For the initial size you should have a value close to your Physical Memory (RAM) and for the maximum size approximately 2.5 times. Others recommended fixed size with the same initial and maximum size. If you want to go for this approach the size should be 2.5 times the size of the installed RAM.

After making all the necessary changes, click on OK. If you increased the size of the paging file, Windows Vista won’t require you to reboot the computer to apply the changes. However, if you decreased the size or changed the location of the paging file you will need to reboot the computer to make the changes take effect.