Setting page file > 4gb on Win2k3

[Guest TJ]

Hi

 

I want to increase the page file to 8gb on my Win2K3 SP2 box, but I

realise there is a 4gb under certain configurations.

 

I checked the following KB article:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;237740

and it states:

 

"to create a larger page file, you must load the Physical Address

Extension (PAE) kernel. In Windows Server 2003, PAE is automatically

enabled when the server is using Hot Add Memory devices.

Alternatively, you can force the PAE kernel by adding the /PAE switch

in the Boot.ini file"

 

I checked my boot.ini file and its contents is:

[boot loader]

timeout=30

default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS

[operating systems]

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows Server 2003,

Standard" /noexecute=optout /fastdetect

 

My question is: Do I need to add the /PAE switch in order to have a

paging file greater than 4gb? If so, where in the boot.ini file do I

add the switch?

 

Also, how do I really know the available amount of Virtual Memory on

my server? Is there a Performance Counter I can watch?

 

thanks,

tj

[Guest John John]

Re: Setting page file > 4gb on Win2k3

 

TJ wrote:

> Hi

>

> I want to increase the page file to 8gb on my Win2K3 SP2 box, but I

> realise there is a 4gb under certain configurations.

>

> I checked the following KB article:

> http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;237740

> and it states:

>

> "to create a larger page file, you must load the Physical Address

> Extension (PAE) kernel. In Windows Server 2003, PAE is automatically

> enabled when the server is using Hot Add Memory devices.

> Alternatively, you can force the PAE kernel by adding the /PAE switch

> in the Boot.ini file"

>

> I checked my boot.ini file and its contents is:

> [boot loader]

> timeout=30

> default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS

> [operating systems]

> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows Server 2003,

> Standard" /noexecute=optout /fastdetect

>

> My question is: Do I need to add the /PAE switch in order to have a

> paging file greater than 4gb? If so, where in the boot.ini file do I

> add the switch?

 

With SP2 and the DEP /noexecute switch I don't think that you need to

add the /PAE switch, PAE should already be enabled by DEP. Try to

create the file and see what happens. If you get a message telling you

that you cannot create a pagefile larger than 4,095MB then add the

switch to the Boot.ini file, just add it after the other switches,

leaving a space between switches:

 

..../noexecute=optout /fastdetect /PAE

 

> Also, how do I really know the available amount of Virtual Memory on

> my server? Is there a Performance Counter I can watch?

 

Well, the available Virtual Memory is the size of the Pagefile+Physical

RAM. What you probably want to look at is the Committed Virtual Memory,

look at the Commit Charge in the Task Manager's Performance Tab.

 

John

[Guest TJ]

Re: Setting page file > 4gb on Win2k3

 

When I bumped it up to 8GB I did not recieve an error message. I have

checked the Commit Charge and it is 12GB, which is 8GB pagefile + 4GB

physical memory.

 

So it looks like it has work.

 

Thanks

[Guest John John]

Re: Setting page file > 4gb on Win2k3

 

You're welcome.

 

John

 

TJ wrote:

> When I bumped it up to 8GB I did not recieve an error message. I have

> checked the Commit Charge and it is 12GB, which is 8GB pagefile + 4GB

> physical memory.

>

> So it looks like it has work.

>

> Thanks