Windows pagefile.sys swap file - what is it?

The Windows swap file pagefile.sys usually takes up several GB of your computer's hard drive space. In this tip we explain the purpose of the important system file and how you can change its size.

What does the pagefile.sys file do?

As you probably know, your computer has memory. This consists of the built-in RAM modules. Every Windows service and program accesses and uses part of the memory. If you have started many applications at the same time, the RAM may not be sufficient for the processes. Then the file pagefile.sys is used. Pagefile.sys is the name of the swap file under Windows. This uses a fixed amount of disk space to create virtual memory. Thanks to the virtual memory, your programs continue to run even when the memory is full.

Change the size of the pagefile.sys swap file

You can determine the size of the pagefile.sys swap file yourself. If you often start more complex programs and your working memory is not sufficient for this, a larger swap file makes sense. Accordingly, you can shrink the pagefile.sys file if, for example, you only use Office applications and an Internet browser. How to save space. However, you should only change the size of the paging file with the necessary specialist knowledge. Usually it is managed automatically by the system.

1. Go to the "Control Panel" via the start menu.
2. Select the Category view in the top right, then click System and Security.
3. Go to the "System" menu.
4. In the left column click on "Advanced system settings".
5. The submenu of the "Advanced" tab shows you the "Performance" category as the first point. Here you continue with the button "Settings".
6. Select the "Advanced" tab again. The size of the swap file is there under the heading "Virtual memory". By clicking on "Change" you can edit them (see screenshot). To do this, click on "Custom size" and enter the desired value.