You cannot delete the file until you turn it off and reboot.
Control Panel-->System and Security-->System-->Advanced System Settings-->Advanced Tab-->Performance Settings-->Advanced Tab-->Virtual Memory Change.
-Click on the drive letter that you want to remove the pagefile. -Select the No paging file button and hit set. -Click all the OK boxes and you will be prompted to reboot.
After reboot, you can remove the 11 gig file.
The only thing I can think of that would have put that in there in the first place would be if you installed any software recently. Another reason could be you have the "Automatically manage paging file size" checked in the Virtual Memory settings and Windows made the decision for you.
Normally when Windows is given the automatic choice of page file size it will keep the page file on the (C:) or system drive. However if the system drive is getting full with less than 20% free space and another drive is available, Windows will use that other drive.
Check the used against free space in the system drive and if less than 20% free space, look towards removing unwanted stuff, and shifting some more of the wanted to a different drive if possible. Otherwise it means installing a bigger system drive.
You shouldn't really allow any system drive to become that full that there is less than 20% free space, it can eventually lead to malfunction of the operating system and even finish up with a damaged drive.
Yes my system drive is full - only about 18% remaining. I keep cleaning it up but it seems to get bigger as I update my programs. The biggest file is my BB file: I just don't dare move it after having issues before. I try to keep everything very 'standard' with BIAB
I have followed the instructions above - thank you excellent
I have everything music (BIaB, Reaper, SampleTank, National Instruments, ...) on my E-drive without problems. On the C-drive there is only that stuff that needs to be in Common Files, Program Files and Program Files (x86).
Z, you may want to search for and remove all duplicate files with a free utility such as Double Killer. It does not destroy system files and can be reversed, if you mess things up. You might be amazed at how many mp3 files have accumulated on your HDD, for example.
I did as explained in the thread above by sslechta, the page file disappeared, but was replaced by another file called "System Volume information" and another called MediaID.bin
These files will not tell me how big they are but they are huge at least 11 gig. They are sited on my storage drive not the system drive.
I do have System Volume Information on all of my drives. I can't access them, but properties claim that they are 0 bytes large.
I don't have the MediaID.bin, a short search on the internet says it has something to to with (your) backup settings. There are articles about that file available on the support pages of the Wizard of OS. The links I get are all in German language and therefore, I suppose, not really helpful for you.
Good luck finding the cause and solving the issue.
System Volume Information is how Windows knows what kind and size of drives to report to you in Windows explorer.
Page files used to be called swap files. The term pages refers to how memory is allocated, in pages. Reboot and they will change size. They are files that show how much of your hard drive is being used as virtual RAM. It is a good idea, especially with Windows 7 or 8 that allows you to use all the RAM, to have as much RAM as your wallet allows. That will allow everything to load into RAM and avoid the need for swap (page) files. A lesser amount of RAM creates the need for data to move in both directions across the data bus and it slows the computer down some. It's simple physics, but when you fill your physical RAM the OS turns to spare hard drive space to create virtual RAM. So data is running toward the hard drive, the hard drive has to spin to wrote that data, and then your system is limited by the rotation speed of the drive.
Bottom line is to buy as much RAM as your system will handle. XP will only address 3.7 gigs of RAM no matter how much you have in the box, but 7 or 8 will use whatever you give it. One of the HUGE improvements in 7.
So is your main C:\ drive still getting full? You may still continue to have problems unless you resolve that issue. In other words, you may need to get a larger C:\ drive and do a complete system reinstall....... or find what is taking all that space. Remove old programs, look for excessively large files that can move to the other drive.
In the meantime, I had you remove the page file on the secondary drive. you can go back in that same section and add a fixed page file size by checking custom size and 4096 in Initial and Maximum. That will give you a fixed 4 gigs. Make sure the secondary drive is highlighted when you make that change. Click OKs and reboot again.
Bottom line is to buy as much RAM as your system will handle. XP will only address 3.7 gigs of RAM no matter how much you have in the box, but 7 or 8 will use whatever you give it. One of the HUGE improvements in 7.
The limitation is not so much XP as 32 compared to 64 bit - 64 bit XP will address the extra RAM just fine. 32 bit Win7 will not but 64 bit Win7 will, Win8 is ONLY 64 bit so that's fine.
I wouldn't be worried about the page file - most of the angst that exists about letting Windows manage page files is a hold over from Win 3.1 days when it didn't do it very well. These days Windows manages page files quite well all by itself.
The ONLY reason to interfere with page files is if you want to manage which drive it's on due to drive performance issues, otherwise just leave it alone - especially if YOU don't fully understand it.
However, something Eddie mention that I'd like to emphasize - stick as much RAM in the box as the OS will handle: 32bit XP and 32 bit Win7 = 4GB 64 bit XP, Win7 and Win8 = lots more - I'd stick in a minimum of 16 GB if the hardware will address it (some older motherboards won't address over 8 GB)
--=-- My credo: If it's worth doing, it's worth overdoing - just ask my missus, she'll tell ya --=--
If not sure about either the operating system capabilities or the motherboard limitations regarding how much RAM memory you can install, use the Crucial system scanner and it will not only tell you how much you can put in but also recommend what type. You don't have to buy from them if you take note of the type and search elsewhere for equivalents.
The page file on a separate drive other than C: is also valid.
Maybe your pagefile is meant to be on another drive.
Here is how to get to the page file settings:
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
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