What is the purpose of the pagefile.sys file?

Question

Hi Microsoft! I was asked this question, I didn't know the answer, but I was told Microsoft would be my best source to find it!

So can you help me answer the question: What is the purpose of the pagefile.sys file?

Thanks!

Answer 1

Hey Cat. I'm Greg, an installation specialist, 10 year Windows MVP, and Volunteer Guardian Moderator here to help you.

The Paging File provides Virtual memory to assist your RAM in making pages open faster.

There is a good explanation of it here as well as how to optimize it for best performance. I recommend Automatic setting unless you want to try a manual setting to compare and decide:

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/77692-manag...

I hope this helps. Feel free to ask back any questions and keep me posted. If you will wait to choose if I solved your problem, I will keep working with you until it's resolved.

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Answer 2

See Greg Carmack's reply.

Also note that this isn't Microsoft you're addressing here; this is a peer support forum. We are all just users of this version of Windows here, helping each other if and when we can. We are not Microsoft employees (not even those of us with "Microsoft MVP" behind our names; that's an honorary title for having provided consistently helpful advice) except for an occasional Microsoft contractor or employee.