Comprehensive Guide to the Windows Paging File

busfahrer writes "Adrian's Rojak Pot has a nice article about the internals of the Windows paging file. It explains what a paging file is and lists the differences between a swapfile and a paging file. But first and foremost, a large part of the article deals with the various methods of optimizing the Windows paging file, thus yielding a notable performance gain for people who are not overly blessed with RAM."

Comments

corrupt

[SirChris]

isnt paging file the thing that f*cked up my install last week?

Re:corrupt

[Anonymous Coward]

It seems like Linux needs a paging file instead of swap partitions to become more responsive and more ready for the desktop.

Paging file

[Anonymous Coward]

Fuck Taco in the ass with a big rubber dick!

Rojak Pot?

[kin_korn_karn]

is that what Terry Savalas smoked?

optimizing windows

[Anonymous Coward]

format c: ?

Re:Windows' memory mismanagement woes

[Anonymous Coward]

use linux, you muppets.
..................

Re:Lots of RAM

[Anonymous Coward]

use linux, you muppets.

...

Re:Defrag first, man.

[Anonymous Coward]

use linux, you muppets.
....

Re:Before the defrag

[Anonymous Coward]

use linux, you muppets.
.

this guy's an idiot

[Anonymous Coward]

"Finally, some programs require the use of a paging file to function properly. It may be to store sensitive data on something less volatile than the RAM or to ensure the computer will have sufficient memory to run it. But whatever the reasons, a paging file is needed in order for these programs to run."

This guy really doesn't know what he's talking about. WHY IS HE WRITING AN ARTICLE? Actually sensitive data belongs in RAM, not in a swapfile (paging file, whatever). The paging file should be considered volatile, if you reboot data in it is GONE (not literally, but might as well be in all but the most crucial circumstances). On windows at least, the paging file comes in handy when you want to share memory across processes (via memory mapped file) but don't want to have to manage the filename (you can have it allocated out of the system paging file), Among other uses.

Also, shit like "Even the fastest hard disk is currently over 70X slower than the dual-channel PC2700 DDR memory common in many computers". OK so maybe he's looking at theoretical throughputs, but he clearly doesn't even comprehend the latency differences. Taking 20 cycles vs 20,000+ cycles to get at a byte of memory is a lot more than 70x!. dumbass.

Re:Windows' memory mismanagement woes

[imsabbel]

about the firefox thing: Its in bugzilla since 2001 or so.
Generall consense of the developers:the codebase is so fucked up they dont know how to fix it, so they ignore it.