Windows 10: Need to Manually DELETE pagefile.sys - HOW??

Since a week or so, I have noticed that when I use Free File Sync to backup my data, it throws a flag that it cannot copy the file pagefile.sys (located on my 2nd drive) because it is being used. The program never used to say this. So what I tried to do is reassign the virtual memory to my 3rd internal drive, and to indicate no caching on the 2nd drive. Restarted the computer. Now the backup program is throwing 2 flags about this file - one for each of the drives, which leads me to think these files were never removed. I'd like them removed and possibly recreate a fresh one.

Any ideas?

PS> I think this error started happening when my C drive became almost maxed out, however the virtual memory pagefile.sys was never assigned to the C drive so this may just be a coincidence?

:)

 

Deleting Pagefile.sys

This is how I see it. It is set at 6.4GB pagefile. You are using less than 1Gb pagefile and you have plenty of physical memory. So just decrease the pagefile to 1.2GB - 1200MB max and about 64 or 128MB minimum.

This is not going to really help you get more storage space that will make a difference. You can however, move a bunch of your personal files to your other drive to free up space. Do a complete disk clean up and deletion of system restore points which may
give you some decent extra free space and maybe uninstall some programs you do not need or really use.

This is all I can tell you. The rest is up to you.

Good Luck!

 

Deleting Pagefile.sys

You can disable the hiberfile.sys for
hibernation mode this is known to occupy a big space on C

Disable it through this command in CMD as Admin powercfg.exe -h off

turn off the hibernate mode off you will gain some space.

chcek for System Restore point also and delete it then try always to customize it and creat new one
periodically

clean up your system using Diskc Cleanup with retaining previous Windows installtions in case something happened you will be able to fix your system by recovery in Settings.

good luck

 

This link may be useful:

Manage Virtual Memory Pagefile in Windows 10 Virtualization Tutorials

 

thanks but in my case the files shown at the link provided do not appear even when View "Hidden Items" is checked... So therefore I cannot even see the pagefile.sys!

 

You cannot see the image below:





If you can just set where it say 2048 to Zero and reboot, that will delete it. Or set it to No Paging File-(NR)

 

You really don't want to or need to backup the pagefile.sys. It's a protected system file, and is very volatile, meaning it changes constantly as memory usage changes. It is also not recommended to run without a pagefile.sys, although you can. You can delete it it, as Josey just posted, but it will come right back unless set to zero. Free File Sync is just giving you a false feeling it is some kind of serious error, which it is absolutely not. IMO, ignore the message, Free File Sync simply does not know any better. Pagefile.sys is not intended to be backed up. No backup system I know of, including MS Imaging, backs it up. Ignore it, don't mess with, ain't worth it.

 

What you posted is true TC but if he cannot even see that, he does have some kind of problem.

 

I think its in File Explorer it cant be seen

To see it you also need to go in to Options in Explorer and remove the tick from Hide Protected operating system files, in the view menu (not recommended)

 

*Thumbs What the OP isn't seeing is that you cannot backup a protected system file that is in use. Even if you could, you would never be able to restore it. That would be pure chaos. Big bright blue/green screens.

 

Agreed - totally pointless backing up pagefile.sys. No backup programs backup those these days unless you do an old fashioned and slow bit by bit backup.

If one is not there, it is just created.

 

Awesome community here! Thanks alot everyone for your help. I was able to manually delete the pagefile.sys following paulsalter's tip, which was an option I had overlooked. I then recreated the file using the advanced virtual memory settings back to where I want this file to reside. Running Free File Sync again flagged it once more so after reading here that it is not necessary to back this up, I simply added a filter in Free File Sync. Things are now running smooth. The pagefile.sys exists on 2nd drive but getting excluded from backups. Thanks again everyone!

 

Good to hear you got everything sorted out *Smile

 

Excellent! Hope you didn't think we were badgering you or anything. Just hoping to throw more light on the whole concept for you. Glad you're running good now. *Smile