Single page file for multiple Windows XP installation?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Tomasz Lisowski
  • Start date Start date
T

Tomasz Lisowski

Hi,

I have searched in the net, but all I could find is some information
about setting up multiple paging file for a single Windows installation.
My problem is different ...

My laptop has four partitions:
C: (4GB) - main system partition
D: (2,5GB) - second system partition
E: (2,5GB) - third system partition
F: (remaining space) - data partition

I am using the other system partitions for testng the software and for
some special situations, where I need the most clean system as possible.
Because of the small size of the system partitions, I wonder, if it is
possible to set up a SINGLE paging file FOR ALL THREE system partitions?

Then I could set up the 700MB paging file on C: in the first Windows
installation, and re-use it in the two other Windows installations.
Instead of consuming 2,1GB of precious disk space, I will then need only
700 MB!

Again. Is this possible? ...

My system is Windows XP Professional SP1 English. I would, of course
choose the same settings for virtual memory in all three Windows
installations.

Best regards,
Tomasz Lisowski
 
Tomasz said:
Hi,

I have searched in the net, but all I could find is some information
about setting up multiple paging file for a single Windows installation.
My problem is different ...

My laptop has four partitions:
C: (4GB) - main system partition
D: (2,5GB) - second system partition
E: (2,5GB) - third system partition
F: (remaining space) - data partition

I am using the other system partitions for testng the software and for
some special situations, where I need the most clean system as possible.
Because of the small size of the system partitions, I wonder, if it is
possible to set up a SINGLE paging file FOR ALL THREE system partitions?

Then I could set up the 700MB paging file on C: in the first Windows
installation, and re-use it in the two other Windows installations.
Instead of consuming 2,1GB of precious disk space, I will then need only
700 MB!

Again. Is this possible? ...

My system is Windows XP Professional SP1 English. I would, of course
choose the same settings for virtual memory in all three Windows
installations.

Best regards,
Tomasz Lisowski
Click to expand...

Has anyone tried setting a single (common) page file for multiple
Windows XP installations?

Tomasz Lisowski
 
Tomasz Lisowski said:
Hi,

I have searched in the net, but all I could find is some information
about setting up multiple paging file for a single Windows installation.
My problem is different ...

My laptop has four partitions:
C: (4GB) - main system partition
D: (2,5GB) - second system partition
E: (2,5GB) - third system partition
F: (remaining space) - data partition

I am using the other system partitions for testng the software and for
some special situations, where I need the most clean system as possible.
Because of the small size of the system partitions, I wonder, if it is
possible to set up a SINGLE paging file FOR ALL THREE system partitions?

Then I could set up the 700MB paging file on C: in the first Windows
installation, and re-use it in the two other Windows installations.
Instead of consuming 2,1GB of precious disk space, I will then need only
700 MB!

Again. Is this possible? ...

My system is Windows XP Professional SP1 English. I would, of course
choose the same settings for virtual memory in all three Windows
installations.

Best regards,
Tomasz Lisowski
Click to expand...

It would be possible, and should work. The page file contents are not
carried forward when the system is rebooted.

However I have some concerns about your partitioning setup. If all 3
system partitions are visible at the same time then it is possible, in
fact quite likely, that one or more of the system partitions will
become contaminated by files intended for one of the other system
partitions.

I strongly suggest that you consider using a third-party boot manager
product such as BootIt Next Generation (www.bootitng.com) which will
allow you to configure the drive so that the non-booting system
partitions are hidden. I have had my own system partitioned that way
for at least 3 years now and I have never had a problem with files
intended for one operating system getting installed into another
operating system's partition.

With my suggested changes you would put the common page file on the
data (F:) drive so that it was accessible regardless of which system
partition you booted from.

Good luck


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"The reason computer chips are so small is computers don't eat much."
 
Ron said:
It would be possible, and should work. The page file contents are not
carried forward when the system is rebooted.

However I have some concerns about your partitioning setup. If all 3
system partitions are visible at the same time then it is possible, in
fact quite likely, that one or more of the system partitions will
become contaminated by files intended for one of the other system
partitions.

I strongly suggest that you consider using a third-party boot manager
product such as BootIt Next Generation (www.bootitng.com) which will
allow you to configure the drive so that the non-booting system
partitions are hidden. I have had my own system partitioned that way
for at least 3 years now and I have never had a problem with files
intended for one operating system getting installed into another
operating system's partition.

With my suggested changes you would put the common page file on the
data (F:) drive so that it was accessible regardless of which system
partition you booted from.

Good luck


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
Click to expand...

Thanks, Ron, for your reply. I wonder, how could I contaminate the other
system partitions while using, e.g. the first one? The system itself is
on the given system partition, whereas all the other program files and
data are on the Data partition in the specific folder foreseen for the
use of this system partition. You don't have in mind a virus infection,
do you?

So, I do not see, how the other partitions could become contaminated.
Each system instance uses only its own system partition and the specific
folder on the Data partition. Could you clarify a bit, what you had in
mind, telling, that I could contaminate the other system partitions?

Tomasz Lisowski
 
Tomasz said:
I wonder, if it is
possible to set up a SINGLE paging file FOR ALL THREE system partitions?
Click to expand...
===
As long as the first partition is visible as a "drive" from the other
two system partitions, you can specify what drive to place your pagefile
on.
Just guessing, but are all partitions visible when you boot?

So you "see" (in my computer) partitions, C, D, E, F, where "C,D,E" are
different bootable copies of Windows, and F is a data drive?

When you boot from drive D or E, you should be able to go into
System Properties (Win+Break keys, or right click on my computer and
select properties), Advanced, Performance (Settings), Advanced (again),
and at bottom, under Virtual memory (Change), you should see your 4
drives listed (C, D, E, and F). Just make sure that the OS copies on
drives D and E have their swap file used on drive "C".

That "should" work -- but I've never tried it.

-linda
 
U¿ytkownik L. Athena W. napisa³:
===
As long as the first partition is visible as a "drive" from the
other two system partitions, you can specify what drive to place your
pagefile on.
Just guessing, but are all partitions visible when you boot?

So you "see" (in my computer) partitions, C, D, E, F, where "C,D,E"
are different bootable copies of Windows, and F is a data drive?

When you boot from drive D or E, you should be able to go into
System Properties (Win+Break keys, or right click on my computer and
select properties), Advanced, Performance (Settings), Advanced (again),
and at bottom, under Virtual memory (Change), you should see your 4
drives listed (C, D, E, and F). Just make sure that the OS copies on
drives D and E have their swap file used on drive "C".

That "should" work -- but I've never tried it.

-linda
Click to expand...

Yes, Linda. That's exactly, what I would like to do. I understand, that
each Windows instance (C, D, or E) recreates the page file, when started
(please correct mt, if I am wrong).

Otherwise, if the paging file, when created, stays there after the
reboot into another installation, it would be difficult to specify, that
I want to use the same area on C: drive, that has been already allocated
to some file (the page file for C: Windows installation) :-)

Best regards,
Tomasz Lisowski
 
U¿ytkownik Tomasz Lisowski napisa³:
Yes, Linda. That's exactly, what I would like to do. I understand, that
each Windows instance (C, D, or E) recreates the page file, when started
(please correct mt, if I am wrong).

Otherwise, if the paging file, when created, stays there after the
reboot into another installation, it would be difficult to specify, that
I want to use the same area on C: drive, that has been already allocated
to some file (the page file for C: Windows installation) :-)

Best regards,
Tomasz Lisowski
Click to expand...

Correction. After setting a pagefile on C for the first Windows
instance, I rebooted the second Windows instance (on D), and tried to
set the page file for this instance also on C. I have got a message,
telling, that there is already an existing file called C:\pagefile.sys
with a question, if I want to overwrite it with the page file.

I was afraid, that if I confirm, the pagefile for the first Windows
instance (on C) will become unuseable, corrupted. So I answered No ...

The new thing is the evidence, that Windows XP does not recreate the
page file on startup, but creates it once (when declaring it), and
leaves it there forever (I am not letting Windows manage the page file -
I am setting the minimum and maximum values the same - simply an old
habit from earlier Windows versions :-)

Best regards,
Tomasz Lisowski
 
Tomasz Lisowski said:
Thanks, Ron, for your reply. I wonder, how could I contaminate the other
system partitions while using, e.g. the first one? The system itself is
on the given system partition, whereas all the other program files and
data are on the Data partition in the specific folder foreseen for the
use of this system partition. You don't have in mind a virus infection,
do you?

So, I do not see, how the other partitions could become contaminated.
Each system instance uses only its own system partition and the specific
folder on the Data partition. Could you clarify a bit, what you had in
mind, telling, that I could contaminate the other system partitions?

Tomasz Lisowski
Click to expand...

Some applications (shoddy programming, I know) are hard coded to put
certain files into the c:\windows folder. So if you were booting from
the d: drive and were to install one of these types of apps then you
would be at risk.


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"The reason computer chips are so small is computers don't eat much."
 
U¿ytkownik Ron Martell napisa³:
Some applications (shoddy programming, I know) are hard coded to put
certain files into the c:\windows folder. So if you were booting from
the d: drive and were to install one of these types of apps then you
would be at risk.
Click to expand...

OK, Ron, now it is clear enough for me. Fortunately, I canot recall an
application, which I have installed, being so dumb, that it puts its
files on C: drive by default. So in my case, the risk is minimal.

There is another problem: Windows XP DOES NOT recreate the page file on
startup, but keeps it after allocation. I have tried to specify the page
file for the D: drive Windows instance to be located also on C:, but
then I have got a warning, that on C: there is another file with the
name pagefile.sys, and I was asked for confirmation, if I want to
overwrite it with the page file.

I was afraid, that I would 'contaminate' :-) the C: drive Windows
instance by overwriting the page file with the new file. So the problem
still persists - probably it is not safe to specify a single page file
(overwriting previous settings), common to all my Windows instances.

Maybe I am too cautious, and I could go ahead and allow D: drive Windows
instance to overwrite the C: drive page file. I rememer, though, that
the physical location of the page file is somewhere hard coded in the
registry, so it would not be safe to overwrite the page file, since the
location could change, and make the C: drive page file unuseable. Am I
right?

Tomasz Lisowski
 
Back
Top