Setting a Swap File on a RAM Drive

Last reviewed: November 21, 1994
Article ID: Q89700

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Windows operating system versions 3.0, 3.0a, 3.1, 3.11

Windows running in 386 enhanced mode does not allow a swap file to be set up on a RAM drive.

Windows uses its swap file to provide demand-paged virtual memory in 386 enhanced mode. Virtual memory allows you to use more memory than is physically installed in your machine. Virtual memory is used when you run out of physical memory.

A RAM drive occupies physical memory, which would take physical memory away from Windows running in 386 enhanced mode. Thus, swapping to a RAM drive is, effectively, taking away physical memory to provide a place to create virtual memory.

KBCategory: kbusage
KBSubcategory: win30 win31
Additional reference words: kbhw 3.10 3.11 3.00 3.00a swapfile vm

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Last reviewed: November 21, 1994
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