Unable to move pagefile to secondary drive.

[renji5471]

Hello everyone, I am running Windows 10 Pro 64 bit, and I have been trying to move the paging file from my SSD to my HDD.

I know the process to move the page file normally involves going to the virtual memory page, unchecking the automatically manage paging file size for all drives option, selecting no paging file for the default drive, and selecting system managed size for the new drive. Whenever I do this and reboot my computer I get a message telling me that windows created a temporary paging file because of a problem with my paging file configuration, and it creates the paging file again on my SSD.

I have also attempted to set a small paging file for my SSD such as 800 MB, and then set a large paging file on my HDD, however whenever I reboot and look at the virtual memory page it shows that only the small file on the SSD is allocated, even though it shows the custom paging file size I set on my HDD (as in the currently allocated shows 800 MB, but the E: drive shows a much higher number is set in custom size.)
Does anyone know how to fix this so I can move the paging file off of my SSD onto my HDD?

 

[rgd1101]

try doing it 2 step. create one on the hdd first. reboot then the ssd.

 

[Ralston18]

Actually you may need to reconsider the matter...

For the most part you/your system will be better off just letting Windows 10 deal with the memory management.

I.e., no need for any such "manual" interventions.

And HDDs are inherently slower than SDDs anyway.

Is there some specific requirement for a pagefile? If not just let Windows 10 manage memory.

 

[renji5471]

Actually you may need to reconsider the matter...

For the most part you/your system will be better off just letting Windows 10 deal with the memory management.

I.e., no need for any such "manual" interventions.

And HDDs are inherently slower than SDDs anyway.

Is there some specific requirement for a pagefile? If not just let Windows 10 manage memory.

My SSD is fairly small, and my page file takes up to 12.5 GB on my SSD, so I was wanting to move it to free up space since I am running low.

 

[Ralston18]

Where are you seeing that 12.5 GB pagefile size?

How much RAM does your system have?

(Have the thought that you have 8 GB RAM and that you have manually set the pagefile to 1.5 x RAM.)

 

[renji5471]

Where are you seeing that 12.5 GB pagefile size?

How much RAM does your system have?

(Have the thought that you have 8 GB RAM and that you have manually set the pagefile to 1.5 x RAM.)

I see the pagefile size when I look in my explorer window and also on WinDirStat. I also tried the order that rgd specified and it still tells me that it created a temporary paging file when I set no paging file for the SSD.

I have 16 GB of ram.

 

[USAFRet]

Given 16GB of actual RAM, just set your pagefile, still on the SSD, at 1GB min/max. (1024MB)

And then leave it.

Unless you are working with a REALLY small SSD, this should be fine.
I've had mine set that way for years....starting with a 120GB SSD.

Zero performance impact.

 

[USAFRet]

This is how mine is set:

Has been that way through various size SSD boot drives (120-250-500GB), and from 16GB to 32GB actual RAM

 

[renji5471]

This is how mine is set:

Has been that way through various size SSD boot drives (120-250-500GB), and from 16GB to 32GB actual RAM

I tried something similar except I did 2 GB I believe, and I kept getting a lot of errors telling me that I ran out of video memory.

 

[USAFRet]

I tried something similar except I did 2 GB I believe, and I kept getting a lot of errors telling me that I ran out of video memory.

1. Your "video memory" does not talk to your pagefile, AFAIK.

2. What size is your SSD?

 

[renji5471]

I tried something similar except I did 2 GB I believe, and I kept getting a lot of errors telling me that I ran out of video memory.

1. Your "video memory" does not talk to your pagefile, AFAIK.

2. What size is your SSD?

I wasn't sure if video memory used the pagefile or not, but the errors occured when I manually lowered the size, and fixed when I let windows automatically control it, so it seems like something is happening with it.

My SSD is 120 GB.

 

[USAFRet]

120GB SSD and 16GB RAM is exactly where I was 5 yrs ago, and what prompted me to turn down the pagefile size to 1GB.

But to change sizes or which drive it is on...you need to reboot between each setting change.

 

[Ralston18]

Thanks.

Moving the PageFile to the HDD may be counter productive. And 16GB of RAM should be more than enough for most purposes and certainly enough memory to warrant allowing Windows to manage the PageFile.

Here is a reference link regarding the pagefile:

https://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch001293.htm

Let Windows Manage the pagefile and see if the size is reduced.