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Relocating or re-sizing PC virtual memory (pagefile)

Computer pagefile is a temporary file area set aside by Windows for use when physical memory (RAM) is exhausted.  It is also known as "page file" or "swap file".  More on how LUSAS uses PC virtual memory

The location and size of of the PC virtual memory may be altered using:

Windows XP
Start > Control Panel > (double-click) System icon > Advanced tab > under Performance (click) Settings button  > Advanced tab > under Virtual memory (click) Change button

Windows Vista
Start > Control Panel > (click) System and Maintenance > (click) System icon > Advanced tab > under Performance (click) Settings button  > Advanced tab > under Virtual memory (click) Change button

Windows 7/8.1/10
Start > Control Panel > (click) System icon > (click) Advanced System Settings link
> under Performance (click) Settings button > Advanced tab > under Virtual memory (click) Change button

We would recommend setting the size is set to that "Recommended" in this dialog (which is generally 1.5 times the amount of RAM installed) and locating the page file on a local disk drive with plenty of free space available. Depending on how many local drives are in use on the PC and their capacities, it may be advantageous to locate the PC virtual memory on a different local drive from other Windows temporary files, LUSAS temporary files and on a different local drive from where you store any large models and results files.  Note that LUSAS temporary files can become very large and reduce the disk space available for the dynamic growth of the PC virtual memory.  

Increases in size of the pagefile do not normally require a restart of the PC.

NOTE! It is not generally a good idea to reduce the size of a pagefile on an internal drive, even if only temporarily because it can lead to the pagefile being physically moved on the disc (usually it it will be located at the front), and it may become fragmented if the drive does not have a single contiguous block of memory that is big enough, and the consequences of these two may be a reduction in speed and it may not be easy to put it back to how it was.  There are third party programs available that can be used to move the pagefile and defragment it if needed, with more control and options compared to  the standard Windows defragmenter.  

If you do not have administrative rights to perform these changes, please contact your IT department.

 


More on how LUSAS uses PC resources

 


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