Windows Forum

Ask something
Discussion Locked

Paging File Error Upgraded W2K to XP Pro

0 helpful
9 replies

by fgiffone

Closed to new repliesThis discussion is closed. It stays readable, but it takes no new replies.

After Upgrading from Windows 2000 Pro to XP Pro, dialog box warning is displayed:

Limited Virtual Memory
"To fix the problem, go to System in Control Panel, click Advanced tab and under Performance, click Settings. On the Advanced tab, click Change. Click ?Custom size? and then type an initial or maximum page file size."

After selecting the Advanced Tab the following is also displayed:

"Windows created a temporary paging file on your computer because a problem that occurred with your paging file configuration when your started your computer. The total paging file size for all disk drives may be somewhat larger than the size you specified."

The dialog error refers to a 0 MB Paging File being.

I have attempted, twice, to "set" the Virtual Memory Settings to a different configuration i.e. 1000MB initial/3000MB maximum... these changes bring me right back to 0 MB!

Thoughts, comments, advice, suggestions....

Thank you!
Frank Giffone

9 replies

by ann777

How much RAM do you have in your computer?

You should set VM from 1-2.5 times that amount of RAM.

by fgiffone

256MB of RAM. That is NOT the issue. The issue is no matter what numbers I "set" the VMemory to, 0MB registers. No paging file is created to show the changes I've implemented.

by fgiffone

Ran ALL WinXP updates... still presented with the same message when logging on...Limited Virtual Memory "To fix the problem, go to System in Control Panel, click Advanced tab and under Performance, click Settings. On the Advanced tab, click Change. Click ?Custom size? and then type an initial or maximum page file size."

thanks for the idea!

by saihib

It sounds like your swap file has become very fragmented. Try the Microsoft fix below:

To defragment, or reduce the amount of fragmentation in the paging file:
Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click System.
On the Advanced tab, click Performance Options.
Click Change to open the Virtual Memory dialog box.
Change the paging file to another drive.
Reduce the minimum and maximum size of the original paging file on the drive you want to defragment to 0 MB.
Restart your computer to have the system use the new paging file.
Run Disk Defragmenter on the original drive to consolidate the free space segments created by moving the paging file.
Re-create the paging file on the original drive.
Reduce theminimum and maximum size of the temporary paging file to 0 MB.
Restart your computer.

by saihib

It may be that your swap file is very fragmented. Try this: Set your paging file to zero, min and max. Or, if you can move the swap file to another drive. But still set it to zero an C:\. Reboot your machine. It may only allow you to boot in Safe Mode if you can't move the swap to another drive but don't worry about this at the moment. Defrag your hard drive. Windows defragger is a multi-pass program so you may have to do it several times to reclaim the maximum amount of contiguous space. Thenset your swap file to a fixed size. Say 3 gigs and 3gigs. When you do this Windows claims a single contiguous 3 gig space that can't be fragmented. Reboot normally.

This discussion is closed to new replies.