whats a swapfile?

[ReefDogg]

Can someone explain in simple layman terms what a swap file is? I have a partioned 40 gig drive, with my appl's and programs in drive and multi-media (games, mp3's, etc) in the other.

I read that my system would run more efficiently if I had a windows swap file? How does that work, can I do now that my system is running. Is it even worth doing?

Thx,

:t

[Bizkitkid2001]

I am not 100% shure but I think it is something that lets windows do it "thing" without having to use your memory, instead it uses a space on your hard drive.:t But i could be totally wrong. All I no is that it is to let windows "breath" or have room to do things.

[Jgedeon]

googled because I'm lazy! LOL

http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/0,289893,sid9_gci213077,00.html

[Bizkitkid2001]

YAY I was right:eek: I'm so pround of myself for taking a good geusse:p :rolleyes: :D

[AllGamer]

Originally posted by ReefDogg
Can someone explain in simple layman terms what a swap file is? I have a partioned 40 gig drive, with my appl's and programs in drive and multi-media (games, mp3's, etc) in the other.

I read that my system would run more efficiently if I had a windows swap file? How does that work, can I do now that my system is running. Is it even worth doing?

Thx,

:t

Think of the SWAP file as a FAKE RAM :t

[Midknyte]

the swap file is also called virtual memory, since your computer will use hard drive space when it runs out of physical ram. like AG said, it's like fake ram. by default, windows has a swap file. You have more control over this swap file depending on which OS you have. You usually want to limit the size of the swap file to 1.5-2x your physical ram. If you have a ton of ram, then you can make the swap file less than that.

[DocEvi1]

Windows and most applications are very bad at memory management, as such your computer (if you have smaller amounts of RAM) will run out of RAM (fast, instance access memory but loses details when no power). To resolve this MS came up with Virtual Memory. Virtual Memory is, exactly as the title suggests (and AllGamer) fake RAM. Utilising hard-drive space Windows puts data in it to maintain "speed". The problem is that your HDD is never as fast as your RAM (never ever!) so your system will slow dramatically when a large swapfile is employed.

Don't be fooled, you already have a swap file / Virtual Memory, it is just that Windows is looking after it for you. You can however specify the amount of HDD space that Windows will use, either limiting or extending what is already used, check out www.tweak3d.net for tips on Virtual Memory and other important Windows tweaks.

Oh and with a system with over 256MB of RAM, make the swapfile about 512MB max! Increase the RAM, decrease the swapfile. On My 512MB PC133 system I run 256MB of Virtual Memory nicely.

Stefan

[ReefDogg]

hey, hey! now it's starting to make sense! thanks alot :r !!! I appreciate everyone's input/advice:)

i'm running 512meg and have Win98. I heard that I can change easily in my properties, by right clicking, etc.... this true, what the easiest way?

thanks all!

reefdogg:t

[AllGamer]

yes is true

i'll suggest to run a 250 meg swap file in your case for Max and Min

Do a right click on "Your Computer"
Then select Advance
then where it says "let Window manage it"
change it to, specify
and enter 250 for both boxes :t

[Bizkitkid2001]

AllGamer whats a good setting if I have 256mb of SDRAM?:t

[ReefDogg]

what the? man, either I can't see or something aruck! I've right clicked My Computer and I don't see any advance tab, even when I into properties? I've checked in the Control Panel and nada?

I installed TweakUI a few weeks, could that have done something to it??

Thx :(

[Midknyte]

to get to the virtual memory, right click my computer - properties - performance - virtual memory. click the radio button next to "let me specify my own virtual memory settings". :)

bizkit - the normal rule is 1.5x to 2x your physical ram. You can set it to 256mb or 384 and see if there is a performance difference. The main thing is to keep it one size, so set the max and min to be the same value. so if you want 256, then put 256 as your max and min values. :)

[fasttoon]

If you really want to make it run the best, delete swapfile, reboot, do scanreg, defrag, then re-enable swapfile and you will now have one contigious swapfile, if you can get a program to stick it at the front of the drive then it will be even faster.

And take what these guys are telling you with a grain of salt, there is no rule of swapfile 1.5x to 2x ram (partially true in the old days when 32mb and 64mb ram was high end)

I have 256mb ram and sometimes I run it without swapfile for days, other times I have to increase swapfile to 4-5x times ram to get certain graphics program to work properly.

here's what I would do in your situation, are you doing any type of editing/manipulation of files? yes? then start at 256mb ram and increase size til you find your sweet spot. No editing? Then start at 256mb ram and move down untill you find your sweet spot. Gamer only, internet only? Then you can get away with a small swapfile, I run my swapfile on win98 at home at 76mb and that is still more than enough for playing games, internet, most office suite stuff, average Paint editing, etc.

Have fun playing around! :x

[Bizkitkid2001]

Right now I have starting to do photo editing with Photo delux 3.0. BUt I also do a lot of gaming a internet surfing. I will try it at 256mb for now. Before it was set at 384mb:t

[Midknyte]

It's hard to say what is best unless you try it out. Traditionally, it was 1.5x to 2x, but with the large amounts of ram out there, that is kind of outdated. If you are seeing the hard drive access a lot when you are doing photodelux, etc. then you might just want to invest in some more ram. Real ram is always better than using the swapfile. :)

[rick42]

the 1.5 to 2x rule applied to smaller memory AND how the memory is used AND the swpping algorithm.
Some swappers do not swap out if the page is read-only and can be read back from the original disk location, therefore not requiring a swap out. Also, pages that have never been written to, may not yet exist, therefore not requiring swapping. :r
The swap size is always dependent on your application load. You have to play with it. :)

[ReefDogg]

hey, I've been playing with the settings, some settings make my system bogg down. now i have a better understanding of a swapfile/virtual memory. i just have to find the right setting that my system agrees with.

i read that some people will make a small partition for their swapfile when they reformatt their harddrives? has anyone heard of this?

thx :t

[Midknyte]

it's most effective to put the swap file on another physical hard drive, not another partition on the same drive. the drive head still has to split time with the data and the swap file if they are both on the same drive.