No pagefile (XP Pro SP1)

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I just upgraded my system from XP Home to XP Pro and now I don’t have a pagefile. Here are the details (sorry for the long post, but I think you need the details):

512MB memory
Intel P4 1.9Ghz
100GB C Drive (82.6 GB free)
30 GB F Drive (7.4GB free)
30 GB G Drive (11GB free)

Turn on system – it goes thru the normal boot sequence until the Welcome screen shows up and then I get a window:
Limited Virtual Memory
Your system has no page file, or the paging file is too small.
To fix this problem, go to System in Control Panel, click on Advanced tab, under Performance, click Settings. On Advanced tab, click Change. Click ‘Custom size’, and then type an initial value or maximum paging file size.

When I go into the System Control Panel Applet I get a window that says:
Windows created a temporary paging file on your computer because of a problem that occurred with your paging file configuration when you started your computer. The total paging file size for all disk drives may be somewhat larger that the size you specified.

OK, did what first window indicated – up to Click ‘Custom Size’ as when I got to that screen, Drive C: shows 900-900; drive F: shows 900-900 – yet total paging for all drives shows currently allocated 0 MB. So when I searched my entire system – NO pagefile.sys anywhere… so I click on drive C:, Custom size and then on Set, yet total allocated remains at 0MB, so I tried clicking on F:, Custom size and then Set – same thing – total allocated remains at 0 MB – even tried clicking on Apply – still nothing shows in total allocated. Even after several re-boots (warm and cold) and trying various amounts, still no pagefile.sys anywhere on my system.

The difference between Genius and Stupidity:
A Genius knows their limits.
- Albert Einstein

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I’m not sure that just clicking SET without changing the size will do anything. Try changing the size of each pagefile from 900 to 0, then reboot, then change them back to a useful size again.

StuartR

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I have tried all combinations of numbers – from 0 everywhere, to 1500 – still no pagefile.

The difference between Genius and Stupidity:
A Genius knows their limits.
- Albert Einstein

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I have tried all combinations of numbers – from 0 everywhere, to 1500 – still no pagefile.

The difference between Genius and Stupidity:
A Genius knows their limits.
- Albert Einstein

Reply | Quote

I’m not sure that just clicking SET without changing the size will do anything. Try changing the size of each pagefile from 900 to 0, then reboot, then change them back to a useful size again.

StuartR

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(Edited by DaveA on 30-Dec-03 09:34. )

Is this computer a “Brand Name” and if so what OEM made it ?

If the Home was a OEM type you may have needed to get the Pro version from the OEM or format the drive.

You may want to set the setting to be “System Manage Size”, once you get it working then you MAY want to go back and try controlling it your self.

Edit
What drive is the Pro version ON? You may have both Home and Pro now on your machine. There should not be a need for the page file on “F” unless the Prov version got installed there.

DaveA I am so far behind, I think I am First
Genealogy....confusing the dead and annoying the living

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(Edited by edsmalley on 30-Dec-03 11:58. Added where stuff is loaded)

Dave –

This is a vpr-matrix (from best buy) and I have not really had any problems, just wanted to put XP Pro on it. While it was still XP Home, I had moved the pagefile off of C: to F: (but at 1755 1755 or something close to that), then when I upgraded, suddenly I had 900 900 on both C: and F: – yet looking at either drive shows NO pagefile.sys – the registry indicates what I set in the Applet, but nothing ever shows up – not even when using ‘System managed’. So it appears that I have to either do a full install of XP Pro – rather than an upgrade and/or a reformat of C: – – everything is loaded on C: F: is just for data files…

The difference between Genius and Stupidity:
A Genius knows their limits.
- Albert Einstein

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I have NOT myself tried to the this type of upgrade. But I have heard from others tjhat they ended up doing the the FULL format and clean install. At one time MS had a “Step Up” to Pro for those whose OEM did NOT provide Pro version.

DaveA I am so far behind, I think I am First
Genealogy....confusing the dead and annoying the living

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Not quite sure from your posts if you tried this: Set the pf to “no paging file”, set, and then reboot and see if that takes. If it does then you should be able to start from scratch. I’ve run up against this before, and can’t remember exactly what fixed it, but I do know that I did get it fixed without a reformat/reinstall.

kip

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Thanks everyone for your suggestions – setting pagefile to no pagefile did not work either – went ahead and tried a full install of XP Pro and everything has been OK – except for a lot of swearing when I could not immediately find some of the original load disks/CDs – luckily I had most of them copied off on another hard drive and after about 6 hours was back up and running.

The difference between Genius and Stupidity:
A Genius knows their limits.
- Albert Einstein

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6 hours is pretty quick!

Thank you for letting us know the outcome, I hope it all goes well for you now.

StuartR

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[indent]

---

6 hours is pretty quick!

---

[/indent] Lots of practice with NT4 & O2K at work – not too much difference – actually XP is a lot easier than NT4!

The difference between Genius and Stupidity:
A Genius knows their limits.
- Albert Einstein

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[indent]

---

6 hours is pretty quick!

---

[/indent] Lots of practice with NT4 & O2K at work – not too much difference – actually XP is a lot easier than NT4!

The difference between Genius and Stupidity:
A Genius knows their limits.
- Albert Einstein

Reply | Quote

6 hours is pretty quick!

Thank you for letting us know the outcome, I hope it all goes well for you now.

StuartR

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Thanks everyone for your suggestions – setting pagefile to no pagefile did not work either – went ahead and tried a full install of XP Pro and everything has been OK – except for a lot of swearing when I could not immediately find some of the original load disks/CDs – luckily I had most of them copied off on another hard drive and after about 6 hours was back up and running.

The difference between Genius and Stupidity:
A Genius knows their limits.
- Albert Einstein

Reply | Quote

Not quite sure from your posts if you tried this: Set the pf to “no paging file”, set, and then reboot and see if that takes. If it does then you should be able to start from scratch. I’ve run up against this before, and can’t remember exactly what fixed it, but I do know that I did get it fixed without a reformat/reinstall.

kip

Reply | Quote

I have NOT myself tried to the this type of upgrade. But I have heard from others tjhat they ended up doing the the FULL format and clean install. At one time MS had a “Step Up” to Pro for those whose OEM did NOT provide Pro version.

DaveA I am so far behind, I think I am First
Genealogy....confusing the dead and annoying the living

Reply | Quote

(Edited by edsmalley on 30-Dec-03 11:58. Added where stuff is loaded)

Dave –

This is a vpr-matrix (from best buy) and I have not really had any problems, just wanted to put XP Pro on it. While it was still XP Home, I had moved the pagefile off of C: to F: (but at 1755 1755 or something close to that), then when I upgraded, suddenly I had 900 900 on both C: and F: – yet looking at either drive shows NO pagefile.sys – the registry indicates what I set in the Applet, but nothing ever shows up – not even when using ‘System managed’. So it appears that I have to either do a full install of XP Pro – rather than an upgrade and/or a reformat of C: – – everything is loaded on C: F: is just for data files…

The difference between Genius and Stupidity:
A Genius knows their limits.
- Albert Einstein

Reply | Quote

(Edited by DaveA on 30-Dec-03 09:34. )

Is this computer a “Brand Name” and if so what OEM made it ?

If the Home was a OEM type you may have needed to get the Pro version from the OEM or format the drive.

You may want to set the setting to be “System Manage Size”, once you get it working then you MAY want to go back and try controlling it your self.

Edit
What drive is the Pro version ON? You may have both Home and Pro now on your machine. There should not be a need for the page file on “F” unless the Prov version got installed there.

DaveA I am so far behind, I think I am First
Genealogy....confusing the dead and annoying the living

Reply | Quote