In Windows, what is a swap file?

A swap file is an area on the hard drive used for temporary storage of information. Windows makes use of the swap file to improve performance. Normally a computer uses primary memory, or RAM, to store information used for current operations, but the swap file serves as additional memory available to hold additional data.

Note: Microsoft recommends that you allow Windows to manage the Virtual Memory settings for you (i.e., leave the default setting as is). Only experienced users should change this setting, as it can adversely affect system performance.

Also note that you can manually move the location of the swap file to a different drive. In some situations, this can be advantageous. If you have a drive with more free space or a faster access time, you may improve performance by moving the swap file to this drive.

Windows NT, 2000, and XP

The name of the Windows NT, 2000, and XP swap file is pagefile.sys, located in the root directory. The swap file is dynamic, changing sizes depending on the conditions of the system at any given time. If you run several applications at once, the swap file will grow in size to accommodate the additional information required to run each application smoothly. This is a hidden file, so you will have to change your folder view setting to be able to see the file.

To view your current swap file information in Windows NT, 2000, or XP, follow these steps:

1. Right-click My Computer, and then select Properties.
   
   
2. Select the Advanced tab.
   
   
3. Under "Performance", click Settings.
   
   
4. Select the Advanced tab. Information about your swap file is listed under "Virtual memory".

Windows NT, 2000, and XP allow you to set up swap files for each drive on your system, but this feature is not available in Windows 95, 98, or Me.

Windows 95, 98, and Me

The name of the Windows 95, 98, or Me swap file is Win386.swp, located in the root directory. Like the pagefile.sys in Windows NT, 2000, and XP, the file is dynamic and hidden.

To view your current swap file information in Windows 95, 98, or Me, follow these steps:

1. Right-click My Computer, and then select Properties.
   
   
2. Click the Performance tab, and then click the Virtual Memory button.

Also see:

• What is a swap file?