virtual mem
- Thread starter Gag
- Start date
Generally NO you should not play with it. Virtual memory is hard drive space that the operating system uses when it has insuffent RAM, or just needs to store temporary information. Windows 9X is set by default to automaticly controll this and it usually does a decent job of it.
However IF you want to play with it, you can find the controls for it in:
Control Panel / System/ performance / Virtual Memory
Because the "swap file" as it is called can get large at times you always want to keep a decent amount of empty drive space for it (you should always have 3 x your memory size of hard drive empty) and if you are low on space be sure to keep your drive defragmented.
However IF you want to play with it, you can find the controls for it in:
Control Panel / System/ performance / Virtual Memory
Because the "swap file" as it is called can get large at times you always want to keep a decent amount of empty drive space for it (you should always have 3 x your memory size of hard drive empty) and if you are low on space be sure to keep your drive defragmented.
DS_Sultan
New member
I have to 'Emphatically" disagree RWhite. Windows in it's infinite wisdom will do a lousy job of utilizing the vmem (swapfile) if you let it do the 'Let Windows handle" it option. Also, if you let windows handle Vcache as well, it will use all your available memory and cut your available resources down to nothing.
Also, with regard to the swapfile. The amount that windows will use for the swapfile will change day to day, session to session. For this reason alone you should set it to a permanent swapfile if nothing else.
A rule of thumb that I have made my living on using and configuring windows (since v2) is this: "Tell windows what it can and can't do, not the other way around".
Tell it what memory it can use, tell it what size to make swapfiles, tell it if it can use upper memory, tell it not to use video memory, and so on. I have fixed many a crashing system with simple optimization tweaks such as these. And I built a successful consulting firm based on my ability to 'fix' the unfixable system.
*get's down off soap box*
This is of course my opinion based on 15 years of experience so take it as you will. And if you have a counterpoint I would be glad to listen to you.
Take care.
Also, with regard to the swapfile. The amount that windows will use for the swapfile will change day to day, session to session. For this reason alone you should set it to a permanent swapfile if nothing else.
A rule of thumb that I have made my living on using and configuring windows (since v2) is this: "Tell windows what it can and can't do, not the other way around".
Tell it what memory it can use, tell it what size to make swapfiles, tell it if it can use upper memory, tell it not to use video memory, and so on. I have fixed many a crashing system with simple optimization tweaks such as these. And I built a successful consulting firm based on my ability to 'fix' the unfixable system.
*get's down off soap box*
This is of course my opinion based on 15 years of experience so take it as you will. And if you have a counterpoint I would be glad to listen to you.
Take care.
crosstudio
New member
I agree
I agree DS. I normally set my Vmem to be 2.5 X ram size. at the moment i've got 640m ram, and thereby, 1.2g of swap space. which is probably twice what i really need, but better too much than too little.
I agree DS. I normally set my Vmem to be 2.5 X ram size. at the moment i've got 640m ram, and thereby, 1.2g of swap space. which is probably twice what i really need, but better too much than too little.
DS_Sultan
New member
Cross, if you have that much ram I suspect your swapfile isn't even getting touched. You should check this by using the system monitor. If it never get's hit then having it be that high is a waste of space and system resources tracking it. I have 512 MB and my swapfile NEVER gets hit no matter how hard I track. So mine is set to 32MB just to have a safe minimum amount. 1.2GB is a whole project dude! I would see what's really going on then adjust it accordingly. Also, what drive is your swapfile loaded on? This can have an impact if it is indeed getting hit.
Good luck and let me know.
Good luck and let me know.
Ah, now you hit on it.
I too have been doing this stuff for 15+ years and I have come to change my view on it. Back in the Windows 3.1 days I would always set a dedicated swap file of 3 X your system memory. I did this for awhile also when Win95 came out, when system RAM was typically 8-16 megs, and 32 meg of RAM was monsterous!
Now I load up all my cpus with RAM - 256 megs minimun for a "normal" PC - and I find the swap file is rarely touched. If it ever were, I would think that 32 meg could go awful quick. So I leave it set on the default brainless mode and let Windows take as much as it thinks it needs. I have no objection to setting a dedicated swap file, I just don't think it is necessary anymore with cheap RAM. I'm also using Cakewalk, which has its own cacheing system which seems (and I am not 100% sure on this) to ignore the system swap file anyway.
I too have been doing this stuff for 15+ years and I have come to change my view on it. Back in the Windows 3.1 days I would always set a dedicated swap file of 3 X your system memory. I did this for awhile also when Win95 came out, when system RAM was typically 8-16 megs, and 32 meg of RAM was monsterous!
Now I load up all my cpus with RAM - 256 megs minimun for a "normal" PC - and I find the swap file is rarely touched. If it ever were, I would think that 32 meg could go awful quick. So I leave it set on the default brainless mode and let Windows take as much as it thinks it needs. I have no objection to setting a dedicated swap file, I just don't think it is necessary anymore with cheap RAM. I'm also using Cakewalk, which has its own cacheing system which seems (and I am not 100% sure on this) to ignore the system swap file anyway.
Okey you guys lost me at swapfiles. thanks for the quick response though. I haven't bothered with the virtual mem yet but maybe you guys could take alook at my other posting where my computer info is listed and feel free to comment whether I should dick with virtual mem or not also DS I think there's a little more info on my rig as well thanks folks. Gag
DS_Sultan
New member
RWhite, even tho the swapfile may not get hit that often, and 32MB is a small swapfile (because it never get's hit of course) I still hold to the belief that if windows is allowed to monitor the swapfile at will, it will pick the most inopportune time to resize it, even if it's a reduction in size. Tracking, tracking, tracking, WHAM. hiccup! It's happened too often. fixing the size alleviates that issue entirely.
If you have 256MB of ram your swapfile WILL still get hit. If you have more than 256MB then it is likely that the swapfile will not get hit, so 32MB will never go quickly as you say because it will not get hit once by the system. If you allow windows to manage your swapfile it will use what it thinks is appropriate at startup, which can and does change, AND, it can fragment that same swapfile. So, that being said, I never let windows do anything 'automatically' when it comes to disk or memory management. Do you also exclude the video bios and upper memory areas by default? I do. You should if you don't.
Gag, I will look into your configuration in the other thread and let you know my thoughts.
Take care all.
If you have 256MB of ram your swapfile WILL still get hit. If you have more than 256MB then it is likely that the swapfile will not get hit, so 32MB will never go quickly as you say because it will not get hit once by the system. If you allow windows to manage your swapfile it will use what it thinks is appropriate at startup, which can and does change, AND, it can fragment that same swapfile. So, that being said, I never let windows do anything 'automatically' when it comes to disk or memory management. Do you also exclude the video bios and upper memory areas by default? I do. You should if you don't.
Gag, I will look into your configuration in the other thread and let you know my thoughts.
Take care all.