Why is PF usage so high

Question

I have just increased the memory in my PC.

I noticed in task manager that you can monitor PF usage.

Please can someone explain why this value is so high.

I thought page file (swap file) was only used when you run out of physical RAM.

Having just increased from 256MB to 512MB, I am suprised to be using 200MB of page file.

John

Dimension 4500 P4 2Ghz, 2 x 256MB 266DDR , Windows XP Professional

alevasseur14 · Answer

I have 1024 MB of RAM and depending on what I'm doing, my page file is still somewhere around 200-300 MB.  I don't really worry about it.

gryjhnhpe · Answer

Does 'Task Manager' show  Physical Memory , Total : of about  512 MB.?It might not be recognising new memory.? You can also check by using 'Run' & typewinver   , then click OK or press 'Enter' key.

msgale · Answer

For reasons I no longer remenber pgae file will be usedregardless of available memory.  The only exception is if you page file to zero.  I have 1024 Mbytes RAM and PF usage is 200 to 400 Mbytes

msgale · Answer

I don't think so, since it is possible to run with a zero swap size, no swap file.

SidBord · Answer

This might not be pertinent, but years ago when I was working on IBM main frame installations, whenever I executed a program, that program was read off the hard disk, then IMMEDIATELY written to the virtual memory. All subsequent references the the program software were made to the VM. Could that be what's happening here??

JRosenfeld · Answer

As I (roughly) understand it, Prefetch puts some app pages into VM for faster loading of the app; also, Windows XP loads much of itself on startup, first in RAM, then moves bits of itself to VM, to release RAM as you open apps.

jongkind · Answer

This link might be of aid: http://aumha.org/win5/a/xpvm.php Herman

jongkind · Answer

Hm, I forgot this one: http://www.theeldergeek.com/paging_file.htm

Windows General

Why is PF usage so high

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