question about xp pagefile size

why does win xp home need a large pagefile? i have 512 mb in one machine and it has a 700 mb pagefile. isn't this excessive for just surfing the web and running programs like paintshop pro? i tried completely turning it off and didn't have any problems needing more memory. i read there is a way to tell windows to use conservative settings but can't remember how. thanks.

Try doing a search on the forums, this topic has been discussed many times.

It IS excessive, but that amount is not necessary.

I have 512 and I use a 386mb swapfile at the most. Only while movie editing, or using heavy graphics, (or memory leak prone programs!) do I use more.

It's all covered in the Windows XP memory guide on this site, check it in the guides - OS resources section. I'd copy/paste it, though I'm short on time

paging file

disable in the advanced tab of your performance tab...........right click my computer/properties/advanced/performance/advanced/bottom

Thanks.

If you are using image editors to any great length, you might not want to disable the PF. Just use the setting to specify your own steeing and set the min and max to the same size. I'd recommend a setting around 300MB or so to start, you may need to increase that but it is sufficient for most.