how to properly set up swap drive with windows XP

EricB · 04-26-2009, 02:08 PM

How to properly set up a swap drive with Windows XP

Sticky Please

For some strange reason XP won't let you set a swap file partition before the c drive for windows.

Here’s the workaround.

Boot from the XP cd. Go to the partition screen. Delete everything. Now create a 5-6 gig partition. Then make a second partition. You can use all of the space and make one big c drive, but I prefer to make 2 more partitions with one being a windows partition and the other one being a data partition.

Here’s where it get tricky. The first 5-6 gig partition is the c drive. Now delete it. Then hit f3 twice to restart the system. It will automatically boot from cd. Now the second partition is actually the first one and it is the C drive. You can remake the swap partition now, but I don't advise it as windows will automatically put the Boot.ini there. That’s not necessarily a good thing.

Install windows. When windows is finally installed go to disc management and format that unallocated 5-6 gig swap drive. Now go to system properties click on the advance tab, then performance settings, then hit that advance tab, and then hit change virtual memory. Now set it to 4096. I once set it to 8096 but that slow my computer up so set it to 4096 for optimum performance. It doesn't matter how much ram that you have

Now you will notice this speed difference and your swap file is where it is suppose to be at the front of the first drive.

make sure that you disable system restore on this drive too.

PuRpLeSmUrF · 04-27-2009, 02:30 PM

It won't allow me to install windows on the second partition which is actually the C now..without partitioning the unpartioned 6000

EDIT:

Whenever, I go to change the virtual memory it is showing the partition I set for the swap file to be below the C drive...,but whenever, I insert the windows XP disc and go to where I can delete partitions it shows it above the C drive? Is this correct?

PuRpLeSmUrF · 04-27-2009, 05:08 PM

Do you set the initial size and the maximum size at 4096?

EricB · 04-27-2009, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PuRpLeSmUrF

Do you set the initial size and the maximum size at 4096?

yes. You get it work out right?

PuRpLeSmUrF · 04-27-2009, 05:24 PM

I am not sure. When, I went to install windows with it unparitioned...it made me format it and would start to install windows on it for some reason then couldn't and would install it on the C drive. On the Virtual Memory tab..it is showing the swap drive below the C drive in the list though.

EricB · 04-27-2009, 06:28 PM

it should look like this. don't get on me for having my documents hdd on drive 0. I'm special

EricB · 04-27-2009, 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PuRpLeSmUrF

I am not sure. When, I went to install windows with it unparitioned...it made me format it and would start to install windows on it for some reason then couldn't and would install it on the C drive. On the Virtual Memory tab..it is showing the swap drive below the C drive in the list though.

I type a reply earlier but I forgot to send it.

if it makes you format that drive then format it but makes sure that you don't install xp on that little 5 gig partition

Mak213 · 04-27-2009, 10:02 PM

Mine is close to the same setup but i have my "swap" partition after my OS install.

No one said that the "swap" partition had to be before it to work. Mine operates just fine with it right after.

EricB · 04-27-2009, 10:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mak

Mine is close to the same setup but i have my "swap" partition after my OS install.

No one said that the "swap" partition had to be before it to work. Mine operates just fine with it right after.

it will work in that setup, but it's faster if it's at the beginning of the drive. if you set it after the c drive it slow it's access time as it has to find it. they have lot of materials out there that explain it in better detail than I can. it's also why linux put their swap first on an unformatted computer

Mak213 · 04-27-2009, 10:59 PM

I know that it would be faster. My main point is that it is still faster doing it this way than leaving it on the OS Drive itself.

To be honest i dont notice any difference. I mean with it being a 7200 RPM drive with a 32 MB cache and SATA as it is, the access time is quick as it is. Moving some information off the drive gave me what a extra second or so in time.

But for me personally it was fast before and to my eye it is just as fast now. I dont see the difference.

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