I would assume this means the normal defrag will not do this, but I did think windowsXPSP3 defraged the page file.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/s.../bb897426.aspx

Edit: I vote for a sticky too.

Regarding pagefile defrags you can make your life much simpler! I'll explain

Once Windows starts, the pagefile space is "locked-in-place" because Windows starts using it so it can't be moved. Normal Windows' defraggers run under Windows (i.e. after it's started) and therefore can't move that pagefile space.

The Sysinternals Pagedefrag utility hooks itself into the Windows startup process in order to do it's job BEFORE Windows is running. Therefore, it can move the pagefile without interfering with Windows.

By default, Windows controls your pagefile space and will increase the pagefile as it needs more space. This can be done while windows is running because it doesn't move existing pagefile disk space but simply adds to it (using whatever free disk space is available). This only makes fragmentation worse so you need to defrag the pagefile once in a while

But why bother with this hassle? IMHO: Don't let Windows grow it as needed. Given you probably have the free disk already available, invest what you need for max pagefile space once upfront. Meaning you allocate your space once upfront, defrag it to, ideally, one contiguous block of disk space upfront and then you never need worry about it again! (Unless of course you ever add physical RAM in the future)

To do this

• Do a normal Windows defrag
• Change your windows' settings under System Properties->Advanced->Settings->Advanced->Virtual Memory->Change
• Set your Virtual Memory to Custom Size. Then set Initial Size = Maximum Size = whatever maximum you figure you'll need based on your current physical memory size
• Start Sysinternal's Pagefrag tool and tell it defrag on next boot.
• Reboot and you're done with it once and for all unless you ever add RAM in the future

p.s I run with a 3.0 GB pagefile size that's already in ONE contiguous disk block! so i never want to touch it again (unless i add more memory)

i think this is a good post for me who is new in It , i m looking for various tools by which my pc run fast, i have ram cleaner and advanced system care which i download from www,techpost.com, nd this is gr8 , i m using it , nd my pc runs very much fast,., this is agood post for new ones.

While LookinAround’s advised values would allocate plenty of disk space to pagefile, those who prefer a more conservative allocation can use values as described below:

start > CP > System > Advanced > Performance: Settings > Advanced > Virtual Memory: Change > tick “Custom size”.

Under “Total paging file size for all drives” you’ll see 3 values which vary depending on physical memory available, e.g.
Minimum allowed: 2 MB
Recommended: 1342 MB
Currently allocated: 720 MB

Now, under “Paging file for selected drive” (usually C), use the above recommended size as Initial size and twice the physical memory as Maximum size, e.g.

Initial size (MB): enter the above recommended size (1342)
Maximum size (MB): enter a value 2 times the physical memory, e.g. for a 1 GB physical memory enter 2000

> Set > OK

bobcat

I think you're missing a perhaps subtle point.

1) The thread title is about "Making Windows run faster"
2) As part of that approach, my whole point is IMHO it's well worth comitting to the maximum page file size once and upfront. Then defrag your pagefile to try and get it to the "ideal" of occupying just one large contiguous block of space on your disk (ie. will you give you a speed/performance boost!)
>> Not doing so means Windows will grow (and fragment your pagefile as it grows) at the price of performance
>> One can keep monitoring and TRYing to defrag their pagefile every so often.. but why bother?
====> Modern disks are HUGE. IMHO i consider giving up some extra disk upfront to gain the performance. AND KEEP THE PEFORMANCE so I never have a future worry of my pagefile fragmenting. So i never need even look/check again (unless i ever add/change my physical RAM size)
====> PLUS: As your disk gets full AND your pagefile grows.. there's also no guarantee you can keep getting a large pagefile defragged to just one contiguous block unless you do so early and upfront (especially with a new disk before you start to fill it up with stuff). Then no worries about ever having to pagefile defrag again as you fill up your disk and no need to worry if windows has been growing and fragmenting your pagefile unbeknownst to you

/* EDIT */
See display output of PageDefrag tool (click the thumbnail for full view below). Seeing my pagefile.sys file always display as just 1 fragment is what i always want to see on my machine

There is indeed a small misunderstanding here.

I never implied that your advice is inappropriate, it will do the job amply, as I said. And those with a HUGE (or just large) disk, as you say, may probably derive a small additional gain by following it.

However, my alternative advice is for those with more moderately sized disks who may prefer a more conservative allocation, as I said, which will probably still allocate an increased space to pagefile thus improving performance. After all, it uses the size recommended by the system itself as initial minimum. This is usually 1.5 x RAM. An eventual pagefile defragmentation, which is only very rarely required anyway, will occur even more rarely, if ever.

I also tried to address a small ambiguity in your instructions because some laymen users might not know what value to use here:
By the way, there’s more advice for optimizing the pagefile: Move the Pagefile off the system disk to another fast HD, but leave a small amount on C, format the pagefile partition with NTFS, etc, but could confuse users even more.

In conclusion, both methods work and the matter is not sufficiently important to merit long argumentation. A user can do what he likes and I leave it up to him.

Changing power management to performance, disabling file and printer sharing will also improve your speed. I'm sure everyone and there momma already knows this though ^^.

Make this a sticky! (This serves as a vote and a bump.)