First off, let us get a couple of things out of the way
XP is a Virtual Memory Operating system
There is nothing you can do to prevent virtual memory
There is nothing you can do to prevent paging in the NT kernel
No matter your configuration, with any given amount of ram, you can not reduce the amount of paging by adjusting any user interface in these virtual memory operating systems... you can redirect operating system paging, and you can circumvent virtual memory strategy, but you cannot reduce the amount of paging in the NT family of kernel.
To elaborate;
We have to realize that paging is how everything gets brought into memory in the first place!... it's quite obvious that anything in memory either came from your disc, or will become part of your disc when your work is done.... to quote the Microsoft knowledge base:
No matter what your system configuration is, Windows NT will create and use a paging file... Windows NT REQUIRES "backing storage" for EVERYTHING it keeps in RAM. If Windows NT requires more space in RAM, it must be able to swap out code and data to either the paging file or the original executable file.
Here's what actually happens:
Once information is brought into memory, (it must be paged in), the operating system will choose for that process the memory reclamation strategy... one form of this memory reclamation (or paging, so to be clear)... the kernel can mark to release or unload data without a hard write, the os will retrieve said information directly from the .exe or the .dll that the information came from if it's referenced again.
Accomplished by simply "unloading" portions of the .dll or .exe, and reloading that portion when needed again... nice.
Note: For the most part, this paging does not take place in the pagefile, this form of paging takes place within the direct location of the .exe or .the dll
The "paging file" is another form of paging... this form of paging is, on that point, to provide space for whatever portion of virtual memory has been modified since it was initially allocated... for instance, IF it's not in RAM at the moment, AND it isn't backed up by any other file, then it's in the pagefile. (other data can be in the page file as well, but these dati in particular)
See this?...modified information cannot have backing store to the original file or .exe's SINCE it's modified* ...this is obvious once told isn't it.
Different types of things are paged to different files. You can't page "private writable committed" memory to exe or .dll files, and you don't page code to the paging file.*
With this understanding we realize:
HAVING A PAGEFILE THAT DOESN'T MATCH THE RAM YOU HAVE IN USE WILL AT TIMES INHIBIT THE PAGING OF PRIVATE WRITABLE VIRTUAL ADDRESS SPACE AND FORCE THE UNNECCSARY UNLOADING OF POSSIBLY RECENTLY ACCESSED .DLLS AND .EXES!
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