Pagefile.sys

[Deozaan]

I know that the Pagefile is kind of like extra ram (virtual memory), but is there a way to safely delete it or clean it up so that it isn't taking up all that hard drive space? You know, start a fresh pagefile?

[kimmchii]

you can clear it on shutdown
How to Clear the Windows Paging File at Shutdown

it will start a fresh one after reboot.

[Deozaan]

Thanks!

[f0dder]

If you've got plent of ram (in my experience at least a gigabyte, but preferably two) you can disable the paging file entirely, if you're running XP (win2k will create a temp pagefile at boot if you disable it >_<).

Go to system properties -> advanced tab -> performance <settings button> -> advanced tab -> virtual memory <change button> -> select "no paging file" and press <set button> for each partition that has a paging file. Then click all the OK buttons , reboot, and you can delete pagefile.sys.

[Edvard]

PageDefrag from Sysinternals.com
http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/PageDefrag.html

PageDefrag uses advanced techniques to provide you what commercial defragmenters cannot: the ability for you to see how fragmented your paging files and Registry hives are, and to defragment them. In addition, it defragments event log files and Windows 2000/XP hibernation files (where system memory is saved when you hibernate a laptop).