Pagefile.sys, can it really be deleted?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Edge30
  • Start date Start date
E

Edge30

Hello,

I've seen lots of pages which recommend different methods to delete the
pagefile.sys.
The most popular methods, even posted by MS, include enabling in the local
security policies an option to automatically delete the file during shutdown
or running a script in the system32 folder (pagefileconfig.vbs /delete /VO
c:)
These methods are very popular and everybody uses them... but I haven't seen
anybody saying that they actually work...
The reason is that they are "supposed" to delete pagefile.sys at shutdown,
so, if the PC is off nobody can actually check this is true.
When the PC is started next time the file is re-created so... so again,
nobody can confirm it was really deleted before

In my case due to my work I deal with HDDs all the time and I have taken the
HDDs to other systems, even other OS, and check and... the file is always
still there...
I've been behind this for months, tried tons of different systems and never
saw one single case where these methods work.

Has anybody done the same tests?
Does anybody know a method that, for certain, will delete the pagefile.sys?

The problem is that it is 1.5 times local ram. And current systems have
minimum 4GB ram, with 8 and 16 being typical so when I create a partition
image for further cloning if I don't remove it then the image file is
excessively large (unnecesarily).
I always have to remove the file manually from other OS but I would like to
know if there's a real method to do it from XP (or Vista as both show
exactly same behavior)

Any ideas?
Thanks
e.
 
Edge

Set the pagefile to No pagefile and restart the computer. On rebooting
you will have no pagefile.

--



Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
Leonard Grey said:
The page file is an essential part of the Windows operating system.
There's no good reason to delete it.
Click to expand...

Yes there is.

Sometimes you remind me of Carey Frisch. I think your lame-assed sig
file is to cover your own mistakes.
 
Hi, I was unaware of the setting that Gerry mentions above but the ability to
switch off the pagefile is indeed there in the Virtual Memory settings of the
System Properties. I haven't felt the need to completely remove the pagefile
from the system but I have in the past moved it from the default system drive
to another physical hard drive. Once you configure the no pagefile option,
after reboot you should be able to delete pagefile.sys from the original
location.
In the past Windows wouldn't actually allow you to configure no pagefile
settings on the default partition so I often used to remove the entry for the
C: drive in the registry and add it in for another drive instead. But you
always have to reboot afterwards in order to delete the original pagefile.sys
from the disk.

Hope this helps.

BTW the registry setting if you want to use that method is here:
HKLM\system\ccs\control\Session Manager\Memory Management
and the value to edit is PagingFiles
 
cwalker

You should only use the no pagefile option as a temporary measure. If
you choose to relocate the pagefile to another location it should
preferably be the first partion on a second drive. If you relocate you
should leave a nominal pagefile on the C partition.
http://aumha.org/win5/a/xpvm.htm

Changing registry settings using regedit carries much greater risks than
changing settings through System in Control Panel. Far more can go
wrong.


--



Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
Other options are Knoppix, BartPE, or Ultimate Boot CD/Win. Or, DOS' DELTREE
and Avira's NTFS driver. (if the DOS method can be made to work it's by far
the quickest to load)

There is also a Server 2003 group policy item to clear the pagefile at
shutdown.
Not sure if can be applied to standalone XP though.
 
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