Dimension 8400 memory management

Use the Windows recommended size - it is generally 1.5 times the installed memory.  While disabling the page file can increase performance, 3GB is just not enough alone to go without a page file, so it can also adversely affect your performance, because if your physical memory gets full, there is nowhere for Windows to page memory to, meaning Windows has to just bump it out of memory altogether.  If you never use more than half of your RAM, you can usually get rid of your page file without affecting anything.

Flash:

Thanks for the reply! I checked "System managed size" in Virtual Memory to let Windows select the optimum size. According to an article on microsoft.com, that should be 1.5 times the installed memory (like you said.) However, Windows only gave me a page file size of 3082 MB or 1.0 times the size of the installed memory. That is significantly less than the 4605 MB size Windows itself recommends on the same tab where I checked "System managed size." I don't know what to make of that. Do you?

As far as my RAM usage goes, I estimate that the maximum I'll use with my current applications is almost exactly half of my RAM. By your recommendation, that is right on the borderline of whether to keep the page file or not. I'll keep it since that is what Microsoft strongly recommends (in the same article I mentioned above.)

Any tips on disabling the Paging Executive? I *think* that is different than turning off the page file itself, but I'm not certain.

I've never found a need to disable Paging Executive, but I'll admit to not really doing my research into what I might benefit (or what pitfalls may exist) by doing so.  There is an article linked to in this discussion about it:
http://www.pcreview.co.uk/forums/disabling-paging-executive-t441971.html

As for why it won't let you set the paging file to more than 3GB ... System Managed Size may use things like hard drive free space to determine how much it will actually set.  If you are even close to full capacity on C:, I would clean off some stuff from C:, then set Custom Max and Min to the Recommended number.  That way, if you run out of disk space and Windows tries to expand the pagefile when needed, it won't crash your system.

Thanks for the link about disabling Paging Executive. Like many computer questions, the answer probably depends on how you use your computer, how it's configured, etc. Also, it sounds like one of those things that probably doesn't make a noticeable difference regardless which setting you use (except in cases of very low RAM, of course.) I think I'll try it and see what happens since it is so easy to do (and undo.)

Regarding the pagefile size, I suppose I can simply up it by using the "Custom size" option, but I think I'll stick with Window's managed size. Lacking strong evidence to the contrary, I'll assume "Windows knows best." Even though Windows recommends 4.5GB, it evidently "sees something" when Managed Size is actually run. You  suggest it may have to do with disk space, but I doubt that; my disk capacity is 145 GB and only 40 GB are used.

Another reason why it may not set a larger page file, assuming there's sufficient drive space (as previously mentioned), is the hard drive is so fragmented that Windows can't find any continuous block of space larger than 3 GB. (Page flies can't be fragmented.)

So clean out all the junk, move videos, photos etc off onto external media and then defrag the drive.

BTW: Are you looking at  the "recommended" or the "allocated" size of the page file? My 8400 (3 GB RAM) is set to let WIndows manage the page file size. It says the recommended size is 4605, but currently allocated is only 3082. So even though Windows recommends a larger page file, it allocated a smaller amount. My hard drive is fully defragmented with ~80GB of continuous free space available.

Ron

I run a very "clean" computer. I run defrag, CCleaner, McAfee virus scan, McAfree QuickClean and Windows Disk Cleanup on a regular basis (like every few days.) So I don't think fragmentation or junk is an issue.

Regarding page file size, the "recommended" and "allocated" sizes are identical to yours. That's probably because we both have 8400s with 3 GB of RAM and a large amount of defragmented free space. If you're happy with your memory configuration, I'll be happy with mine....

Just a comment, many have the impression Microsoft does not "know best" but in most cases, including this Microsoft "does know best".  Using the default or what the Operating System sets up is the best method.

For some excellent information regarding virtual memory in Windows XP see the article @ http://aumha.org/win5/a/xpvm.htm It clears up some common misconceptions. (and while the article is written for Windows XP the same general principles appy to Vista & 7)