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Article ID: 308417 - View products that this article applies to.
System Tip
This article applies to a different version of Windows than the one you are using. Content in this article may not be relevant to you.
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INTRODUCTION
Windows allocates resources according to its settings and manages devices and programs accordingly. However, you can use the
System item in Control Panel to change these performance options and how Windows manages them.
This article describes how to set the performance options for your computer by downloading and using Guided Help, or by using
manual steps.
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If you cannot download or install Guided Help you can follow the manual steps in this article.
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.
Glossary
background program A background program is a program that runs while the user is working on another task. The computer's
microprocessor assigns fewer resources to background programs than to foreground programs.
environment variable An environment variable is a string of environment information such as a drive, path, or file name that is
associated with a symbolic name that Windows can use. You use System in Control Panel or the set command at the command
prompt to define environment variables.
foreground program A foreground program is a program that runs in the active window (the upper-most window with the
highlighted title bar). The foreground program responds to commands that the user issues.
mirrored volume A mirrored volume is a fault-tolerant volume that duplicates data on two physical disks. A mirrored volume
provides data redundancy by using two identical volumes. These volumes are known as mirrors. They duplicate the information that
the volume contains. A mirror is always located on a different disk. If one of the physical disks fails, the data on the failed disk
becomes unavailable, but the system continues to operate in the mirror on the remaining disk. You can create mirrored volumes only
on dynamic disks.
paging file Generally known as "virtual memory", a paging file is a section of a hard disk that is created in order to extend available
memory. When Windows runs low on physical memory (RAM) that is installed, the paging file will be used as "virtual" memory. By
default, Windows transfers data for background services and idle programs to this paging file in order to free more RAM for
programs that are currently being used.
partition A partition is part of a physical disk that functions as if it were a physically separate disk. After you create a partition, you
must format it and assign it a drive letter before you can store data on it. On basic disks, partitions are known as basic volumes. Basic
volumes include primary partitions and logical drives. On dynamic disks, partitions are known as dynamic volumes. Dynamic volumes
include simple, striped, spanned, mirrored, and RAID-5 volumes.
RAID-5 volume A RAID-5 volume is a fault-tolerant volume with data and parity striped intermittently across three or more physical
disks. Parity is a calculated value that is used to reconstruct data after a failure. If a part of a physical disk fails, Windows recreates the
data that was on the failed part from the remaining data and parity. You can create RAID-5 volumes only on dynamic disks, and you
cannot mirror or extend RAID-5 volumes.
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NEXT STEPS
If these methods did not work for you, you can use the Microsoft Customer Support Services Web site to find other solutions to your
problem. Some services that the Microsoft Customer Support Services Web sites provide include the following:
Searchable Knowledge Base: Search technical support information and self-help tools for Microsoft products.
Solution Centers: View product-specific frequently asked questions and support highlights.
Other Support Options: Use the Web to ask a question, contact Microsoft Customer Support Services, or provide feedback.
If you need more help setting performance options in Windows XP, you might want to contact Support:
http://support.microsoft.com/contactus
For help with system performance issues in Windows Vista, visit the following Microsoft web page:
Problems with overall system speed and system performance
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References
For more information about how to move the paging file, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft
Knowledge Base:
307886 How to move the paging file in Windows XP
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Properties
Article ID: 308417 - Last Review: June 22, 2013 - Revision: 12.0
Applies to
Microsoft Windows XP Professional
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