[darqblue42]

I'm running a laptop with only one hard drive, so I can't have my pagefile on a whole separate hard drive, just a different partition.

Would having my pagefile on the same hard drive but a different partition make my computer run more quickly? Or will it make no difference or even slow it down?


Thanks.

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you will get a lot of debate on that....

one side argues yes, because the pagefile will not become fragmented

other side argues no, because the harddrive head needs to travel back and forth from you program/system partition to the pagefile partition as required. The slowest part of disk access is the head traveling, so there is some merit to that. Also, unless you specifically set up your harddrive in a certain way, the pagefile partition will be on a slower part of the drive (inside) since windows by default installed your system to the outside of the drive, where the speed is quickest.

My own tests show no real world advantage for either if you keep your system defragmented, but if you have a system that is not regularly defragged you gain an tiny, tiny boost in disk access by booting it on a separate partition.

[gerryf]

you will get a lot of debate on that....

one side argues yes, because the pagefile will not become fragmented

other side argues no, because the harddrive head needs to travel back and forth from you program/system partition to the pagefile partition as required. The slowest part of disk access is the head traveling, so there is some merit to that. Also, unless you specifically set up your harddrive in a certain way, the pagefile partition will be on a slower part of the drive (inside) since windows by default installed your system to the outside of the drive, where the speed is quickest.

My own tests show no real world advantage for either if you keep your system defragmented, but if you have a system that is not regularly defragged you gain an tiny, tiny boost in disk access by booting it on a separate partition.

[darqblue42]

Thanks for the reply.

I've decided to defrag often and keep my pagefile on the same partition as my OS.