Comments on: Clearing the Page File on Shutdown for xp http://www.windowsvistaplace.com/clearing-the-page-file-on-shutdown-for-xp/windows Install all the software and drivers you need for compatible windows vista. Best articles, reviews and videos Fri, 27 Nov 2009 15:05:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.2 By: Larry Miller http://www.windowsvistaplace.com/clearing-the-page-file-on-shutdown-for-xp/windows#comment-9852 Larry Miller Mon, 05 Jan 2009 20:31:12 +0000 http://www.windowsvistaplace.com/clearing-the-page-file-on-shutdown-for-xp/windows#comment-9852 A confused and mostly incorrect article. The pagefile is a part of the virtual memory system. It's purpose is to temporarily store rarely used data, leaving more memory available for more important uses. This generally improves performance. As a security measure Windows has a registry option to clear the pagefile on shutdown. But this really makes no sense except as part of a comprehensive security policy. In itself it will provide little security. Clearing the pagefile means overwriting every byte with zero's. It does not delete the file. Doing this can add substantially to shutdown times, particularly on laptops. There are NO performance advantages of any kind in doing this. Clearing the pagefile has no benefits for most users. Larry Miller Microsoft MCSA A confused and mostly incorrect article.
The pagefile is a part of the virtual memory system. It’s purpose is to temporarily store rarely used data, leaving more memory available for more important uses. This generally improves performance. As a security measure Windows has a registry option to clear the pagefile on shutdown. But this really makes no sense except as part of a comprehensive security policy. In itself it will provide little security.

Clearing the pagefile means overwriting every byte with zero’s. It does not delete the file. Doing this can add substantially to shutdown times, particularly on laptops. There are NO performance advantages of any kind in doing this.

Clearing the pagefile has no benefits for most users.

Larry Miller
Microsoft MCSA

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