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I bought a new system with 4 GB of RAM. I don't know how do I check how much swap memory I have allocated. I know that we can increase RAM physically. I want to increase swap memory on windows. How can I increase swap memory? Is that possible?

bhathiya-perera
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Ramkee
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  • Why is this tagged with windows-7 and windows-8? Are you running both operating systems? – ChrisInEdmonton Aug 06 '14 at 15:51
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    https://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/sysdm_advancd_perform_change_vmpagefile.mspx?mfr=true It's similar for other versions of Windows. – ChrisInEdmonton Aug 06 '14 at 15:52
  • no previously i worked with windows-7 , now i moved to windows-8. I want to know on both. thats why i tagged – Ramkee Aug 06 '14 at 15:53
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    The process to increase your virutal memory has not been changed in 14 years since the release of Windows XP. This seems like a question that could have been researched a great deal more before asking it. – Ramhound Aug 06 '14 at 16:09
  • FWIW, I find it hard to dig up a dupe. – Louis Waweru Aug 06 '14 at 16:35
  • @Louis Probably because it's quicker to type the question [into Google](https://www.google.com/search?q=windows%207%20swap%20space) than ask here and wait. First result is MS documentation on [changing the size of virtual memory in Windows](http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/change-virtual-memory-size). Similar to the reason you won't find a canonical question for "How do I turn on my computer?" – Jason C Aug 06 '14 at 16:37
  • @JasonC Haha, true. But one day google will point here. ^_____________^ – Louis Waweru Aug 06 '14 at 16:39
  • @Louis Arguably, it would be better if the top Google result remained the official documentation, which Micrsoft, despite other issues, is traditionally good at maintaining. I am debating if I should delete my answer. – Jason C Aug 06 '14 at 16:51
  • @and31415 ^ Nice find, there it is. – Jason C Aug 07 '14 at 05:42

3 Answers3

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Windows 8 and earlier

Taken directly from the documentation, which is the first Google result for "windows change swap space":

  1. Open System by clicking the Start button, right-clicking Computer, and then clicking Properties.

  2. In the left pane, click Advanced system settings. Administrator permission required If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

  3. On the Advanced tab, under Performance, click Settings.

  4. Click the Advanced tab, and then, under Virtual memory, click Change.

  5. Clear the Automatically manage paging file size for all drives check box.

  6. Under Drive [Volume Label], click the drive that contains the paging file you want to change.

  7. Click Custom size, type a new size in megabytes in the Initial size (MB) or Maximum size (MB) box, click Set, and then click OK.

See also http://www.thewindowsclub.com/increase-page-file-size-virtual-memory-windows.

Windows 10

It's the same procedure, just a slightly different path to the settings dialog:

  1. Click the Start button and type "Computer" or "This PC", then right-click "This PC" in the search results, and click Properties.
  2. Resume at step 2 above.

Alternatively:

  1. Click the Start button and type "Advanced system settings", then click "View advanced system settings" in the search results.
  2. Resume at step 3 above.

Or from the command line or by typing in the start menu:

  1. Run SystemPropertiesAdvanced.exe (there's others, btw).
  2. Resume at step 3 above.

This all applies to Windows 7, 8, 10, and all earlier versions back to at least XP. Aside from possibly having to type the word "Computer" first, the procedure hasn't changed in just shy of two decades.

Jason C
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  • @ThatBrazilianGuy This procedure is for Windows 8 as well. – Jason C Aug 06 '14 at 19:04
  • What do the "Initial size" and "maximum size" actually do in Windows? Is there some reason to prefer one over the other, or any other specific relationship between the two? I'm familiar with swap on Unix systems but it isn't clear why, e.g., changing the Maximum size is allowed at runtime, but changing Initial Size requires a reboot — there is plenty of free disk space. – Conrad Meyer Sep 08 '20 at 00:08
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    Since _this_ is now the first result when binging this (who uses google these days?), it deserves an update to Windows 10: https://www.pcgamer.com/what-are-page-and-swap-files-and-how-big-should-they-be/ – Rich Jun 05 '21 at 23:05
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    @Rich It's exactly the same, heh; you just have to type "Computer" in the start menu first. Or choose whatever your other favorite path to Control Panel -> System is. Updated. – Jason C Jun 05 '21 at 23:29
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    Nice edit - I suspect that "search in start" hook would work all the way back to Vista; and might even work on XP, 2k, and NT4. – Rich Jun 06 '21 at 00:28
  • @Rich Yeah, or right click the computer icon on the desktop if you've got it enabled. That'd work from 10 on back as well. ‍♂️ – Jason C Jun 06 '21 at 00:30
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First of all, newer versions of Windows use mainly page file not swap file.

To check your current pagefile:

Win+R (Run...) -> sysdm.cpl -> Advanced -> performance -> settings -> Advanced -> Change -> custom size -> set

hossein hayati
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mwilczynski
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Its true, the process of all Windows when it comes to changing the virtual or paging file remains almost the same. You need to access your computer, control panel and follow procedures as shown in this way

Procedures : Windows 8

  1. Power on your machine and open all programs.

  2. Go to Control panel and then systems and security.

  3. Go to system and then to advanced system setting.

  4. Open properties, advanced and then settings.

  5. Click change, paging file settings and follow prompts.

Procedures : Others

  1. Go to advanced, settings and performance.

  2. Advanced, virtual memory and then Change.

  3. Click the drive you want to change, go to Paging file size for selected drive and add the new size of your choice.

based on this link

bhathiya-perera
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Minute
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    Welcome to Super User! Whilst this may theoretically answer the question, [it would be preferable](http://meta.stackoverflow.com/q/8259) to include the essential parts of the answer here, and provide the link for reference. – Cfinley Aug 06 '14 at 16:25