Excessive and Unnecessary Paging File Activity

ID: Q101041

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Windows NT operating system versions 3.1, 3.51, and 4.0
Microsoft Windows NT Advanced Server versions 3.1, 3.51, and 4.0

SYMPTOMS

The paging file is being accessed excessively and unnecessarily. In Performance Monitor it seems as if the paging file is being accessed constantly. Your hard drive is always making noise.

CAUSE

LargeSystemCache is activated (set to 1). Check the following subkey in Registry Editor:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\ Session Manager\Memory Management

LargeSystemCache specifies, for a non-zero value, that the system favor the system-cache working set rather than the processes working set.

RESOLUTION

To work around this issue, configure the server to prevent a large amount of memory to be used in the system cache. To do this, follow these steps:

Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.

Double-click Network.

On the Services tab, double-click Server.

Click either Maximize Throughput For Network Applications or Balance.

Restart your computer.

For more information regarding the effects of this registry change efer to the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Article ID: Q154075
Title : Trimming LAN Manager Server Service to Tune Applications

Additional query words: prodnt


Keywords          : kbenv ntconfig 
Version           : 
Platform          : winnt 
Issue type        :

Last Reviewed: April 28, 1999