Instructions for changing Pagefile size and position on Windows

Occasionally, you will see an Internet-recommended fix that requires you to change the location and/or size of the pagefile or pagefile.sys file on your Windows PC. Pagefile is a part of your system's virtual memory, used by Windows to expand available memory for everyday tasks. If you know why you were asked to do it, follow this guide to change the size and position of pagefile in Windows.

Change Pagefile size in Windows

When Windows is running low on physical memory (RAM), it will access the pagefile.sys system file and transfer all the least used bits of memory to that file. The system can clear physical RAM for any additional tasks. Windows automatically manages pagefile size by default, so only make changes if you really need to. Windows typically reserves about 1/8 of the total RAM or 4GB (whichever is greater) on the hard drive for pagefiles.

Follow the steps below to change pagefile size:

Right-click the Windows node, select System , then select Advanced system settings .

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Under Performance under the Advanced tab , click Settings .

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In Virtual memory under the Advanced tab , click Change . Uncheck Automatically manage paging file size for all drives in the Virtual Memory window , select the paging file drive and click the button next to Custom size . Enter the Initial size and Maximum size values ​​for your pagefile and click OK to save the changes.

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It's best to restart the system for the changes to take effect. Additionally, if you encounter high memory usage errors in Windows, try increasing virtual memory, although this may not completely fix the problem.

Change Pagefile location in Windows

To change the pagefile location, follow the steps above until the Virtual Memory window opens, then uncheck the box next to Automatically manage paging file size for all drives . Select the default paging file drive, click the button next to No paging file and click Set to effectively disable file paging on the drive you selected.

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Select the drive where you want to store the paging file, then click the button next to System managed size and click Set to apply the changes. Click OK and close all windows.

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Restart your system for the changes to take effect.

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Jessica Tanner

Update 29 November 2023