How to Reduce or Delete pagefile.sys Safely

The pagefile.sys is an important system file used by Windows to manage virtual memory. When your physical RAM is full, Windows uses the pagefile as temporary storage to prevent system crashes. However, the size of the pagefile can grow significantly over time, consuming valuable disk space. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to reduce or delete pagefile.sys, along with important considerations to ensure your system continues to run smoothly.

What is pagefile.sys

pagefile.sys is a hidden system file that acts as virtual memory. When your physical RAM is insufficient to handle running processes, Windows temporarily uses the pagefile to store data that would otherwise be kept in RAM. This allows your computer to continue running even when memory is scarce.

However, over time, itpagefile.sys can take up significant disk space, especially if you’re using a machine with a lot of memory.

Note: Before modifying or deleting the pagefile, ensure that your system has enough physical RAM. Deleting the pagefile or reducing its size may cause performance issues on machines with low RAM, leading to crashes or slowdowns. If your system relies heavily on virtual memory, it is not recommended to disable the pagefile entirely.

Why is pagefile.sys Takes so Much of Space

This is an ordinary file existing in Windows as the pagefile. The pagefile is a file that exists solely for the purpose of virtual memory management by the operating system and lets the entire file be treated as though it were additional physical memory. The accessed data is moved from the RAM to the hard disk and used only when required. A few things could make this file grow too large.

• The capacity of virtual memory when physical RAM is exhausted.
• The dump from the system crash that keeps information when the system goes down.
• Dynamic resizing done by Windows based on memory demands.
• Hibernate which saves contents of RAM into disk.
• Applications with a lot of memory usage and large amounts of background processes.

This file is usually about 1.5 times larger than the installed RAM, but can be significantly larger depending on the usage and settings of the system.

Is it Safe to Delete pagefile.sys?

Now, one major thing to consider before jumping to delete, move, or resize pagefile.sys is that pagefile stores state information about your PC and programs currently running on it. Thus, deleting it could have possibly bad outcome and ruin the stability of your machine. Pagefile may be occupying a huge amount of space on your drive, but it's quite the vital necessity for the effective functioning of your computer. This is exactly what makes pagefile.sys hidden by default on Windows 10.

Impact of a Large pagefile.sys on System Performance

The pagefile.sys is a system file used by Windows operating systems as a part of its virtual memory management. It acts as an overflow area for when the physical RAM is fully utilized. The system writes extra data to this file on the hard drive, effectively increasing the amount of RAM available but at the cost of slower access times compared to physical RAM. Here’s how a large pagefile.sys can impact system performance:

Positive Impact:

1. Prevents System Crashes: By having a large pagefile, the operating system can accommodate more virtual memory usage, which helps in preventing system crashes due to out-of-memory errors especially in environments running many or resource-intensive applications.
2. Enhanced Multitasking: A larger pagefile allows for more programs to run concurrently without exhausting physical RAM, enhancing multitasking capabilities.

Negative Impact:

1. Reduced Performance: Access times for data in the pagefile are significantly higher than for data kept in RAM. This can lead to slower system performance, particularly if the system frequently needs to swap information between RAM and the pagefile.
2. Disk Space Usage: A large pagefile can consume a considerable amount of disk space, which might be a concern especially on systems with limited storage capacity.
3. Fragmentation: Especially when set to a dynamically resizable option, the pagefile can become fragmented over time. Fragmentation of the pagefile may result in degraded performance as the system has to spend more time reading and writing to different areas of the disk.

How to Reduce or Delete pagefile.sys

Although it is not advisable, you can delete the pagefile.sys if you suspect it has been corrupted or is causing any other issues with the system. Follow the steps whereby the file can be located and deleted.

How to Check the Current Size of pagefile.sys

To begin, it’s important to understand the current size of your pagefile and whether it’s using an unreasonable amount of space on your drive.

Step 1: Open the 'System Properties' Window (Run)

• Press Win + R, type sysdm.cpl, and press Enter.

Step 2: Navigate to the Advanced Tab

• In the System Properties window, click on the “Advanced” tab.

Step 3: Access Virtual Memory Settings

• Under the “Performance” section, click on “Settings,” then go to the “Advanced” tab. In the Virtual Memory section, click on “Change”.

Here, you’ll see the current size of your pagefile.sys. You can either leave it as is or adjust the settings.

How to Resize the pagefile.sys

Resizing the pagefile can help optimize disk space usage, especially if your system's primary storage is limited. By adjusting the pagefile size, you can allocate only the necessary amount of virtual memory, preventing it from taking up excessive space. This allows your system to continue using virtual memory efficiently while freeing up space for other tasks, improving overall system performance.

Step 1: Open Virtual Memory Settings

• Press Win + R, type sysdm.cpl > hit Enter > in the System Properties window, click Settings under "Performance" > go to the Advanced tab > under "Virtual memory" > click Change.

Step 2: Choose ‘Custom Size’

• Uncheck “Automatically manage paging file size for all drives.” Then, select the drive where your pagefile is stored and choose “Custom size.”

Step 3: Adjust the Initial and Maximum Size

• Set both the initial and maximum size to a smaller value based on your needs. A good rule of thumb is to set the initial size equal to your system's RAM size, and the maximum size to 1.5-2 times your system’s RAM.

How to Move pagefile.sys to Another Drive

Moving pagefile.sys to a secondary drive (if available) can free up valuable space on your system disk while still allowing Windows to use virtual memory efficiently.

Step 1: Open Virtual Memory Settings

• Press Win + R, type sysdm.cpl > hit Enter > in the System Properties window, click Settings under "Performance" > go to the Advanced tab > under "Virtual memory".

Step 2: Select the New Drive

• In the Virtual Memory settings, select the drive where you want to move the pagefile. This could be an HDD or another SSD with more available space.

Step 3: Set the Pagefile Size

• Choose “Custom size” and set the initial and maximum sizes, as explained in Step 2.

Note: Make sure the drive you choose has sufficient free space and is fast enough to handle the pagefile. SSDs are ideal for pagefile relocation due to their faster read/write speeds, but make sure that the additional writes won’t reduce the lifespan of your SSD.

How to Disable pagefile.sys (Not Recommended)

While it’s technically possible to completely disable the pagefile, it’s generally not recommended unless your system has sufficient RAM to handle memory-intensive applications.

Step 1: Open Virtual Memory Settings

• Press Win + R, type sysdm.cpl > hit Enter > in the System Properties window, click Settings under "Performance" > go to the Advanced tab > under "Virtual memory".

Step 2: Disable the Pagefile

• In the Virtual Memory window, select “No paging file” and click “Set.”

Important Note: Disabling the pagefile can result in system instability if your system runs low on memory. This should only be done if your system has 16GB of RAM or more and you don’t run memory-intensive applications. Users with limited RAM should never disable the pagefile completely.

How to Delete pagefile.sys (Not Recommended)

If you decide to delete pagefile.sys, follow these steps. However, be aware of the performance implications and system instability this may cause.

Step 1: Disable the Pagefile

• Press Win + R, type sysdm.cpl > hit Enter > in the System Properties window, click Settings under "Performance" > go to the Advanced tab > under "Virtual memory" > click Change > uncheck Automatically manage paging file size for all drives > select No paging file > click Set > then click OK to disable the pagefile.

Step 2: Navigate to the Pagefile Location

• Open File Explorer and navigate to C:\pagefile.sys.

Step 3: Delete the File

• Delete the file manually. You might need to have administrative privileges to do this.

Note: Deleting pagefile.sys can lead to crashes, especially if your system is under heavy load. Always ensure you have sufficient physical RAM available before attempting to delete the pagefile. It’s usually safer to resize or move the file instead.

Conclusion

Reducing or deleting pagefile.sys can free up valuable space on your system drive, but it comes with risks. It’s crucial to understand how pagefile.sys works and the consequences of modifying or deleting it. Resizing the pagefile or moving it to another drive can be a good compromise to optimize disk space without compromising system stability.