Learn the steps to change (increase or decrease) easily the paging file size in Windows 11 and Windows 10 (virtual memory size).
The paging file, also known as virtual memory or pagefile.sys, is a special, hidden file that Windows uses to extend physical memory (RAM). Windows uses this file to store and retrieve infrequently accessed data, dump crash logs, and other data. This allows Windows to efficiently manage the available memory and prevent your computer from crashing when it runs out of RAM.
By default, Windows automatically manages the paging file size depending on the available physical memory. For example, if your system has only 8 GB of RAM, then the paging file size might be larger, and vice versa.
While this is a good thing, there may be situations where you need to set how much space the paging file can use manually. For example, if you are low on disk space, limiting the paging file can give you a few extra gigabytes of space for free.
Whatever your specific reason may be, if you want to, you can manually change the paging file size in both Windows 11 and Windows 10. This guide shows you how. Let’s get started.
Before You Start
- Changing the paging file size requires administrator rights.
- Please create a system restore point or a full backup of your system before proceeding with the steps below.
Steps to Change Paging File Size (Virtual Memory Size)
- Open the Start menu by pressing the “Windows” key.
- Search for and open “View advanced system settings“.
- Click “Settings” under the “Performance” section.
- Go to the “Advanced” tab.
- Click the “Change” button.
- Uncheck the “Automatically manage paging file size for all drives” checkbox.
- Select the “C:” drive.
- Select the “Custom size” option.
- Enter the “Initial size” and “Maximum size” in MB (megabytes).
- Click the “Set” button.
- Click the “OK” button.
- Reboot your computer, and you’ve changed the paging file size in Windows.
Detailed Steps (With Screenshots)
The first step is to open the Advanced System Settings. There are multiple ways to do it, but the easiest is using the Start menu. So, press the “Windows” key to open the Start menu. Next, search for “View advanced system settings” and click the “Open” option.
Note: Alternatively, on Windows 11, you can also open it from “Settings” > “System” > “About” > “Advanced system settings”.
Once the Advanced System Properties window opens, make sure you are in the “Advanced” tab and click the “Settings” button under the “Performance” section.
Now, go to the “Advanced” tab and click the “Change” button under the “Virtual memory” section. You can also see the current paging size for all drives under this section.
In this window, configure the options as follows:
- Uncheck the “Automatically manage paging file size for all drives” checkbox.
- Select the “C” drive from the list of drives.
- Select the “Custom Size” radio option.
- Enter the minimum size in MBs in the “Initial Size” field (Should be equal to or more than 2 GB).
- Enter the maximum size in MBs in the “Maximum Size” field (Should be equal to or more than 4 GB).
- Click the “Set” button.
Click the “OK” button to save the config changes. Finally, restart your computer, and you are done. From now on, Windows will not exceed the paging file limit you configured. Keep in mind that you need to allocate at least 2 GB for the paging file. Otherwise, your system will not be stable.
If you ever want to revert to the default setting and let Windows manage the paging file size, select the “Automatically manage paging file size for all drives” checkbox, and you are done.
If you have any questions or need help, comment below. I’ll be happy to assist.
Good to know: How to reset paging file (virtual memory) in Windows
