Missing Pagingfile challenge

[neve1064]

I challenge any of you to figure out this problem. I have a missing paging file. All folders, system and otherwise, are not hidden. Search function renders nothing called page file. I was told XP can't operate without one but I am writing to you from one right now so where is it?

XP SP1, Vaio laptop, P4 1.59gHz, Intel 845mp chipset, 512 Ram 40 HD (C: and D both partitions are over 50% free.

I have two problems because of this situation but for now let's just try to find the paging file.


Neve1064

P.S. Warning, I have searched the net for 18 days straight for a solution to no avail.

 

[ray_gillespie]

I'm not sure of the answer to your problem, but XP can definitely run without a page file because I regularly run my computer without one when I want to defrag my system. But I would assume you do have one unless you have turned it off.

 

[sean.ferguson]

Yeah, Windows can definetly operate without a pagefile. but one more tip, upgrade to SP2 asap. Its worth the wait in downloading!

 

[neve1064]

OK fine. Let's assume I have one and I can tell you I haven't turned it off. So where do I find it using Windows Explorer?

 

[sean.ferguson]

As far as I was concerned, the pagefile is a partition of your hard drive used in addition to your physical memory and used as such. Thus not being an actual "file" as such, so finding it in Explorer will be hopeless.

I'm not to sure, but Perris is a pagefile expert. So when he becomes available online, he will probably pick up on this thread and offer any help he can. I however am lost... sorry

 

[neve1064]

Thank you. I might as well just tell you the details. I ran really low on HD space 19 days ago and since then I get a missing pagefile error upon startup. I also get a stop 0x0000009F error. I have followed many microsoft KB solutions including Intel application accelerator upgrades to no avail. I have removed data so now my HD is 50 percent free on both partitions. On other XP computers, searching for "pagefile" does show .VB files on mine, nothing. Again, I tried the obvious setting manipulations for changing page file size to no avail. I think something went wrong when the hd space became so low that it even erased my restore points! I have thoroughly inspected my computer for malware and viruses. My system is clean. I read in my search for an answer of many people with the same problem and no one could fix the problem. Any ideas?

 

[sean.ferguson]

It might be worth repairing your install from the Windows Setup Disk, but dont do that just yet Like I said, Perris... hopefully may be able to give you some insight into this.

 

[neve1064]

That is not an option for two reasons. It will erase all my stuff because my computer came with a syste, restore disk and it warns that it will restore to factory conditions and will erase all my programs, data, etc.

Reason number two is because I read several other people tried this to fix the problem and it did not fox the missing paging file problem.

Thank you for your time and help. I'll be eagerly awaiting Ferris' advice.

 

[madmatt]

If your pagefile is located on the C drive it is

C:\pagefile.sys

 

[neve1064]

Search for C:\pagefile.sys renders nothing. Again, all folders have been turned on, nothing is hidden, not even system folders.

 

[tobys]

What are your pagefile settings? Start, right-mouse-click My Computer, Properties, Advanced, (Performance -- there are three settings boxes) Settings, Advanced, in the box at the bottom what is the size of Total Paging File? While there you can click on Change and it will show you the maximum size you can create one. If you have a nearly full hard drive, you may not have much available. If so, clean up everything you can, defrag (the paging file needs contiguous space) and go back to reset it.

 

[neve1064]

I defraged computer twice (both partitions), removed over 8 gigs of data on C drive. It is now 70% free and the D partition os 50 % free. My paging file size is zero and it wants to stay that way. "My Computer, Properties, Advanced, (Performance -- there are three settings boxes) Settings, Advanced,", been there 50 times and manually selected all the different parameters, hit "set" and rebooted. Every time I change a value for the paging file size and press "set" the value remains at zero even after rebooting. And here is the crux of my problem and I respectfully challenge anybody to find a solution to this other than reformating the hard drive.

 

[madmatt]

Disable the pagefile, reboot, and then re-enable the pagefile.

 

[tobys]

Just checking. Did you try resetting it onto the D: drive?

 

[neve1064]

"Disable the pagefile, reboot, and then re-enable the pagefile."

If you mean setting the values of the paging file to zero myself and/or selecting "no paging file", yes I did those both and rebooted. Still the problem exists. Is that what you meant by disabling them?

"Just checking. Did you try resetting it onto the D: drive?"

If you mean telling the C drive there is no paging file and only selecting one for drive D, yes I tried that and that didn't work either.

 

[tobys]

Open up the Registry Editor (regedit.exe) and navigate to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management

What do you show for PagingFiles, ClearPageFileAtShutdown and TempPageFile

 

[neve1064]

ClearPageFileAtShutdown is set to 0x00000001 (1)
PagingFiles is set to D:\pagefile.sys 765 765
TempPageFile is set to 0x00000001 (1)

 

[tobys]

Delete the key TempPageFile and reboot.

Does that do it?

 

[neve1064]

no, it doesn't.

 

[Mainframeguy]

Where's Perris? We need to restore the reputation of the mighty OSNN and resolve this problem.... Time to rise to the challenge! :up: