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Use flash drive for paging file

Anonymous
2011-02-19T18:23:09+00:00

Hello. I would like to use a USB flash drive for the paging file rather than the HDD to increase performance on an older system. I set it up to use the flash drive and the system reboots. But every time I check, it is using the HDD. Why won't the setting stick?

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Performance and system failures

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Anonymous
2011-02-24T21:52:35+00:00

Hello. OK, well I figured out what I was doing wrong. I never set the C: to not have a page file. 

http://www.ehow.com/how_6054256_use-usb-memory-ram-xp.html

@greenestguy

Paging file can't be greater than 4 GB so no need for an 8 GB flash drive. Save some $$. 

Don't know why it would be a bad idea since MS did program it into Vista and Win 7 as ReadyBoost. I guess there is always the chance that I won't see any difference on ancient equipment but I can't see how it would break anything.

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  1. Anonymous
    2011-02-23T21:54:33+00:00
    1. Well I can accept the first proposed solution if I can find a citation for XP documentation -- since Windows 2000 and Windows Vista and Windows 7 (allegedly with 7 since I haven't seen the documentation) have the option and it did work well even in Windows 2000 Professional I just wonder why Microsoft would 'skip a generation' so to speak - with the 8 GB USB flash drive for my pagefile.sys W2K was faster.

    2.  Don't accept the proposal that its a 'bad idea' without documentation -- why would putting your pagefile on a faster drive be a bad idea?  If there was a problem Windows would automatically default to create at least a minimal pagefile on the primary hard drive.  This sound more like religious computer dogma than a scientific, logical explanation.

    Thanks, hope to get a response to both points.

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  4. LemP 74,945 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2011-02-20T04:11:44+00:00

    Hello. I would like to use a USB flash drive for the paging file rather than the HDD to increase performance on an older system. I set it up to use the flash drive and the system reboots. But every time I check, it is using the HDD. Why won't the setting stick?

    A.  Because Windows XP won't let you do that.

    B.  Because it's a bad idea.

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