Page file and VM problems
DFD
eventually run out of VM. This problem precedes my downloading of SP2 and
fixing of other problems which includes the removal of the GAOBOT worm with
the help of the Norton antivirus. The problem started with an update download
and the subsequent help of a MS tech representative, long ago. I have tried
all of the solutions offered in this group, to no avail. I do not find a
pagefile.sys file no matter how I look for it. The only files that I have are
pagefile.vb in C:\I386 and pagefile.vbs in several c-disk folders. The only
place I see a reference to pagefile.sys, with whatever values I define, is in
the register keys, local management, as a type REG_MULTI_SZ with data, for
instance C:\pagefile.sys 500 4000. There are several users set in my
computer, but mostly I am the only one using it. When I start it and the
screen shows the users, if I click on a user right away, there is no further
response until I click CTL-ALT del. If I wait longer, until I see that my
hard disk stopped working, when I click on a user, it logs in fast but the
box comes up saying that there is no page file, etc. I'll appreciate any
advice different from what has already been written, as well as to have it
phrased in sort of step-by-step instructions. I am no expert.
Thanks a lot.
--
Dora
Ken Blake
DFD <D...@discussions.microsoft.com> typed:
> I do not find a pagefile.sys file no
> matter how I look for it.
Pagefile.sys is in C:\ unless you've explicitly turned it off or
moved it. Your problem is that it's a hidden system file, and
Windows, by default, is set to hide these.
In My Computer or Windows Explorer, go to Tools | Folde Options.
On the View tab, click the Radio Button "Show hidden files and
folders" and click OK.
You should now be able to see pagefile.sys.
--
Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
Please reply to the newsgroup
R. C. White
Are you logged in as an Administrator of this computer? If so, then go to
System Properties | Advanced | Performance/Settings | Advanced. What do you
see at the bottom of this screen, just above the Change button? The line
should say "Total paging file size for all drives", and the number should be
1.5 times your RAM, by default.
Another way to verify that you do, in fact, have a page file is to press
Ctrl+Alt+Del to bring up Task Manager, then click the Performance tab. Look
at Total under Physical Memory; this should show the amount of RAM in your
computer. Then look at Limit under Commit Charge; this shows the total of
RAM and Virtual Memory. The difference is your page file.
Pagefile.sys is always created in the Root of a volume (the Boot Volume by
default), with the Hidden and System attributes, so it doesn't appear in
normal directory listings. The file can be created in a different volume,
but it will always be in the Root of that volume. So, the first place to
look in the typical WinXP is C:\pagefile.sys, and be sure you can see the
System and Hidden files. If you have other volumes, look in the Root of
each (D:\, E:\, etc.) You can open a "DOS" window and use the Dir command
with the /a switch to show All files, no matter their attributes: dir c:\
/a
If you click on that Change button I mentioned above, you should see a page
that shows which volume WinXP is using, and you can change your settings
there. First, choose each volume and click No paging file and then Set.
Then, select the volume where you want your page file to be, click System
managed size, and Set. OK your way out and reboot, if necessary, for the
change to take effect.
MVP Alex Nichol knows more about Virtual Memory than most of us. You can
read his explanation at: http://aumha.org/win5/a/xpvm.php
If this doesn't solve your problem, please post back. Tell us the make and
model of your computer, how much RAM, how many HDs and how they are
partitioned.
RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
r...@corridor.net
Microsoft Windows MVP
"DFD" <D...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:94C874C5-98DA-4FB1...@microsoft.com...
DFD
Thank you for your response. I am answering each of your questions in the
text of your reply.
"R. C. White" wrote:
> Hi, Dora.
>
> Are you logged in as an Administrator of this computer? YES
If so, then go to
> System Properties | Advanced | Performance/Settings | Advanced. What do you
> see at the bottom of this screen, just above the Change button? The line
> should say "Total paging file size for all drives", and the number should be
> 1.5 times your RAM, by default.
IT SAYS 0 MB
>
> Another way to verify that you do, in fact, have a page file is to press
> Ctrl+Alt+Del to bring up Task Manager, then click the Performance tab. Look
> at Total under Physical Memory; this should show the amount of RAM in your
> computer. : 261424 KB
Then look at Limit under Commit Charge; this shows the total of
> RAM and Virtual Memory. : 238552 KB
The difference is your page file.: 42.872 MB
>
> Pagefile.sys is always created in the Root of a volume (the Boot Volume by
> default), with the Hidden and System attributes, so it doesn't appear in
> normal directory listings. The file can be created in a different volume,
> but it will always be in the Root of that volume. So, the first place to
> look in the typical WinXP is C:\pagefile.sys, and be sure you can see the
> System and Hidden files. : I DID, STILL I DO NOT SEE IT
If you have other volumes, look in the Root of
> each (D:\, E:\, etc.) I DID, NO PAGEFILE.SYS FILE
You can open a "DOS" window and use the Dir command
> with the /a switch to show All files, no matter their attributes: dir c:\
> /a : I DID, NO PAGEFILE.SYS FILE
>
> If you click on that Change button I mentioned above, you should see a page
> that shows which volume WinXP is using, and you can change your settings
> there. First, choose each volume and click No paging file and then Set.
> Then, select the volume where you want your page file to be, click System
> managed size, and Set. OK your way out and reboot, if necessary, for the
> change to take effect. I DID ALL THESE, NO SUCCESS, NO FILE.
>
> MVP Alex Nichol knows more about Virtual Memory than most of us. You can
> read his explanation at: http://aumha.org/win5/a/xpvm.php : I READ HIS ARTICLE, BUT HAVING NOT FOUND THE FILE TO DELETE IT I WAS UNABLE TO PROCEED.
>
> If this doesn't solve your problem, please post back. Tell us the make and
> model of your computer, how much RAM, how many HDs and how they are
> partitioned. MY COMPUTER IS A DELL DIMENSIONS 4400, 256 MB DDR SDRAM, PENTIUM 4 PROCESSOR AT 1.6 GHz.
Thank you (and Ken Blake for his attention)
Dora
Alex Nichol
>I have XP Pro. Like many in this group I do not get a page file, and
>eventually run out of VM. This problem precedes my downloading of SP2 and
>fixing of other problems which includes the removal of the GAOBOT worm with
>the help of the Norton antivirus. The problem started with an update download
>and the subsequent help of a MS tech representative, long ago. I have tried
>all of the solutions offered in this group, to no avail. I do not find a
>pagefile.sys file no matter how I look for it.
See Control Panel - System - Advanced - Performance Settings - Advanced
- Virtual Memory and see how much is being shown there. If none, see
the problems section at my page www.aumha.org/win5/a/xpvm.htm
The pagefile - by default c:\pagefile.sys - is a protected file, and in
Folder Options - View you need to have Show Hidden files selected, and
Hide Protected mode files *not* checked
--
Alex Nichol MS MVP (Windows Technologies)
Bournemouth, U.K. Al...@mvps.D8E8L.org (remove the D8 bit)
DFD
I did the changes to view both hidden files and unchecked 'hide protected
mode files'. My virtual memory is 0. I read your document, but do not see
the solution there. The only .sys files I see in the root directory are
congig.sys, io.sys and msdos.sys.
Dora
perris
pagefile...everyone needs access;
On the Tools menu, click Folder Options.
2. Click the View tab.
3. Click to clear the Hide protected operating system files check box.
Note that you should check box again when you finish this procedure to
help protect the system files.
4. Click Yes when you are prompted to verify the change, and then click
OK.
3. On the File menu, click Properties. Click the Security tab to view
the current permissions.
4. Click Add, click System, and then click Add.
5. Click Administrators, click Add, and then click OK. Note that you
must click Administrators, not Administrator.
6. Click System, and then click to select the Full Control check box.
This automatically selects the other check boxes.
7. Click Administrators, and then click to select the Full Control
check box. This automatically selects the other check boxes.
8. Click OK.
if you're running home and you havn't added the sucurity tab you'll
have to do this in safe mode
--
perris
------------------------------------------------------------------------
perris's Profile: http://forum.osnn.net/member.php?userid=17
View this thread: http://forum.osnn.net/showthread.php?t=50890
R. C. White
In your reply to Alex Nichol, you said:
> The only .sys files I see in the root directory are
> congig.sys, io.sys and msdos.sys.
Whoa!! Something does not compute! Config.sys, io.sys and msdos.sys are
Win9x/ME files. They are NOT WinXP files. How did they get into your C:\?
There's something about your computer that you haven't told us, Dora! And
it might be what is causing your problems.
Do you have the system files C:\NTLDR? C:\NTDETECT.COM? C:\Boot.ini? If
so, please post the text of C:\Boot.ini.
>> If this doesn't solve your problem, please post back. Tell us the make
>> and
>> model of your computer, how much RAM, how many HDs and how they are
>> partitioned. MY COMPUTER IS A DELL DIMENSIONS 4400, 256 MB DDR SDRAM,
>> PENTIUM 4 PROCESSOR AT 1.6 GHz.
You left out some things that I asked for (how many HDs and how they are
partitioned) and some things that I didn't realize I needed to ask:
What was pre-installed on your computer? Did it come with Win9x/ME
pre-installed? How did WinXP get onto this computer?
WinXP will run on a computer with only 256 MB RAM, but sluggishly; 512 is
much better. And your computer apparently shares some of its memory with
the graphics system.
>> Total under Physical Memory; this should show the amount of RAM in your
>> computer. : 261424 KB
> Then look at Limit under Commit Charge; this shows the total of
>> RAM and Virtual Memory. : 238552 KB
> The difference is your page file.: 42.872 MB
My formula failed to consider an important little "-"; I expected the Limit
to be MORE than Total RAM. In your computer, the 261,424 KB / 1024 = ~256
MB of RAM. But the Limit is only 238,552 KB / 1024 = ~233 MB, or about 22
MB LESS than total RAM. Apparently, your computer is sharing the 256 MB RAM
with your video system, which is using this 22 MB of RAM at the moment.
I've never dealt with a "shared RAM" system, so I'm not sure how it affects
Virtual Memory. But my assumption that "the difference is your page file"
was obviously wrong; you can't have a MINUS page file. (261,424 - 238,552 =
22,872 KB / 1024 = 22.336 MB; how did you arrive at 42.872 MB?)
Your computer apparently was built to support Win9x/ME and may be inadequate
for WinXP. You haven't told us about your HD space (how much total and how
much in C:); perhaps you have no room for WinXP to create a page file of ANY
size there. :>( Go back to that "Change" page, where you set the page file
volume and size. As we said:
>> Then, select the volume where you want your page file to be, click System
>> managed size, and Set. OK your way out and reboot, if necessary, for the
>> change to take effect. I DID ALL THESE, NO SUCCESS, NO FILE.
On that page, click on C:, then look just below the drive table and see what
it shows as "Space available". What is that number? Click on each volume
you have; what is the biggest Space available number you see on ANY volume?
Perhaps you simply don't have enough space for a page file anywhere in your
computer. WinXP can't create a page file if no unused space exists. :>(
RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
r...@corridor.net
Microsoft Windows MVP
"DFD" <D...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:19C93834-77CD-47F7...@microsoft.com...
DFD
pagefile.sys file.
Dora
DFD
I don't now how those Win9X/Me files got into Win XP, but they are there.
The other files you mention are in c:\ and the text of boot.ini is:
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn
R. C. White
> I don't now how those Win9X/Me files got into Win XP, but they are there.
You might as well delete them unless you have MS-DOS or Win9x/ME installed;
they are just taking up disk space.
Your boot.ini looks fine, assuming WinXP is on the second volume of your
first HD, probably D:.
But you didn't answer my other questions: How many HDs? How are they
partitioned? How much unused space on each volume?
RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
r...@corridor.net
Microsoft Windows MVP
"DFD" <D...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:877A48C1-6F56-4A15...@microsoft.com...
DFD
I do not know how those files got there. I have only one hard drive. No
partitions. The only operating system I have is Windows XP Professional. When
I look into disk management I see two volumes, one has no name, it reads
partition for layout, basic for type, Healthy(EISA Congifuration) for Status,
31 MB for capacity, 30 MB for Free Space, 96% for %free, and No for Fault
Tolerance. Second volume is C: with partition for layout, basic for type,
Healthy(System) for Status, 37.21 GB for capacity, 21.60 GB for Free Space,
58% for %free, and No for Fault Tolerance.
Dora
perris
The registry value where the pagefile settings get stored might have
become corrupt It's in;
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session
Manager\Memory Management
the value is called "PagingFiles". It should be a REG_MULTI_SZ and for
the setting you're trying there, should look like this:
D:\pagefile.sys 800 800, those two numbers representing your settings
Try deleting it, then go into the System applet again and set it to
what you want it to be from there.
if that doesn't help, try reading this solution;
R. C. White
I'm no expert on how Dell configures the HDs in the computers they sell,
never having owned one. From what you report, I'm guessing that your first
partition in the hidden partition that others have reported. Note that it
is very small: 31 MB - NOT GB! You also didn't mention any "drive" letter
assigned to it. My understanding is that WinXP does not use this partition
at all; it's there only in case you need it to restore your computer to its
factory-fresh state after a disaster (wiping out all your installed
applications and data in the process).
For all practical purposes, you have only a single HD with a single
partition, assigned the "drive" letter C:. It's ~32 GB with over 21 GB
free - plenty of room for a page file.
The Status column for your Drive C: might hold just one of several labels:
System, Boot, Page File, Active, and others. Unfortunately, it shows only
the first label from that list that fits. Chances are, all 4 of those
labels fit your Drive C:, but only the first, System, shows up, so we can't
see the paging file location from this display for your computer. We'll
have to use another way.
That other way is the VM Change button we've already discussed. I don't
understand why you can't use that screen.
One further way that might work is described in the Help file. In Disk
Management, click Help | Help Topics. In the search box, type "change page
file" (without the quotes, since we don't want to limit the search to this
exact phrase), then click List Topics. In the list that appears,
double-click the only entry in the Disk Management location, Volume status
descriptions. (Yes, there are short-cuts to where we're going, but I want
you to see the sights along the way. There's a LOT of information in this
Help file. Some time spent - INVESTED, actually - reading this file will
pay dividends not just for the current problem, but for as long as you keep
using PCs.) Click the little + sign in front of Healthy and you'll see the
list of Statuses that I mentioned earlier. On the Page File line, click the
underscored link, System Properties overview. Then, from the list at the
BOTTOM of this page, click on the line, To change the size of the virtual
memory paging file. Here's just about the same advice I gave you a couple
of posts ago, but with more detail and a slightly different (and longer)
path to that Change screen.
Now that we know you have only Drive C:, we know that there's no other place
to put the paging file. Since you have over 20 GB free on that Drive, I
don't understand why you can't create a paging file there. :>( Maybe it's
time for you to ask Dell.
RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
r...@corridor.net
Microsoft Windows MVP
"DFD" <D...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:E5333AF8-3FED-4BEE...@microsoft.com...
R. C. White
> the value is called "PagingFiles". It should be a REG_MULTI_SZ and for
> the setting you're trying there, should look like this:
>
> D:\pagefile.sys 800 800, those two numbers representing your settings
Since my page file is set to System Managed Size on Drive X: on my third HD,
that entry for me is:
X:\pagefile.sys 0 0
That reference is old (2000 - pre WinXP) and talks about WinNT and Win2K,
but perhaps holds the clue to Dora's problem. Perhaps some problem in the
past has caused WinXP to create a temporary page file, which is now
preventing the creation of a normal PF.
Dora, do you have a file named C:\Windows\system32\temppf.sys? If so,
delete it, or at least rename it or move it temporarily to another folder
where WinXP won't find it. You may need to reboot into Safe Mode to do
this, because the file probably will be protected in some way. After
deleting it, reboot and see if you have C:\pagefile.sys.
RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
r...@corridor.net
Microsoft Windows MVP
"perris" <perris...@no-mx.forum.osnn.net> wrote in message
news:perris...@no-mx.forum.osnn.net...
DFD
I did what you adviced below (looked for the temppf.sys file in safe mode,
with all the hide options lifted), and did not find the file in question. I
read somewhere that looking in the registry (localmachine\system\current
control Set\Sessionanagement\Memory Management), if I found a key named
temppagefile of type REG-DWORD (which I found), I should delete it (which I
did) and reboot the computer. However, this was no solution and the key
showed up anyways. I looked into another DELL pc with XP Pro and saw that
there is no partition in the hard disk. So, I am starting to think that this
partition is the source of my problem, but I'm afraid of removing it. So, I
tried to follow your last advice and contact DELL. This proved to be the most
difficult task! When I tried to submit my question, there system had a
problem and I was invited to write it again. I truly prefer to avoid them.
Thank you anyhow for your interest.
Dora