Is it necessary to turn the virtual memory off with 8GB Ram?

[Axe-IT]

One of my friend has recommended me to turn off the virtual memory if I am using 8GB ram in the system for a smoother performance In the system. So what do you all think does this statement holds true to any instance? I don’t think so and I didn’t believe him that’s why I thought of referring you all. I am using windows xp 64 bit operating system and I want to know does it make any difference if I turn off the virtual memory in it? I play a lot of games and hence that’s why I had switched to 8GB performance is something that I will never compromise too. I haven’t noticed any kind f difference if I keep the virtual memory on. Still I want to know if there is any difference noticed or no? please let me know about it as soon as possible.

[Munishi3]

No there is no way by which you can turn off the virtual memory actually virtual memory is the page file. If you want then you can disable the page file but yes the process will take you a lot of time. So that’s why I would say instead of doing such kind of modifications stick to the normal basics that’s all I can say for you. I hope that was pretty clear for you.

[Skullnit]

I would advise to let it be on as I don’t think so there is any kind of difference you would notice when you disable it. Some applications in the system will require a page file so that’s why advisable to stay it one and rather not disable it that’s what I think. If you think you need to disable it then do go ahead some applications which need page file will automatically create one even if it is disabled. Some people also say that page file is only required for the 2GB or lesser ram and anything over it is not required. I don’t support that idea at all. Personally speaking it isn’t true.

[BahaDurr]

So you are telling me that applications create a page file when there is a requirement, so can you please tell me which are those applications? Even I need to know about them. As far as I know there is no such application which can talk to the page file. There should be enough RAM space to do that.

[Skullnit]

So you are telling me that applications create a page file when there is a requirement, so can you please tell me which are those applications? Even I need to know about them. As far as I know there is no such application which can talk to the page file. There should be enough RAM space to do that.

Adobe photoshop is one such application and there are many games that I have encountered which sadly I can’t recollect the name that requires a page file to get started. Not many of the games are 64 bit today that’s why such problem.

[BahaDurr]

Who said that Photoshop requires page files to run properly it can run completely fine without the page file and why are you blaming on the games. Firstly you need to look at the system of yours to see how efficient it is. I am quite sure that you might have run out of the memory that’s why you got to see such kind of slow performances in games. If you install a application then it just allots a memory in the system now an application does not knows whether the memory is mapped to physical ram or the page file. So how will it be dependent on the page file to get started ? there is no logic behind your statement.

[The Vedas]

Guys I want to make a statement over here. see what I am saying here is that changing or disabling the page file will not make a single difference at all. So stop fighting on this silly issue. However if you were discussing this issue some years back during the time of windows 95/NT then it could have been a valid discussion. At the time of windows 95/nt there was lots of shortage of memory and people had to pay a lot to get extra amount of memory for the system. So to turn some applications on they had to disable page file. This was the trick that was followed by the people at that time no longer now. At that time windows had no control over the processor, memory or the page file. Now today we have a smarter operating system which has a control for everything and today the old hardware’s has been replaced by a new one. Now no applications or programs are under the control of page file of something. If you disable the page file it does not affect any kind of performance at all. So this trick was applied years back in the nineties and it is not applied now.