Whether it is just a matter of curiosity or a genuine need to know before adjusting the size of the file on your own computer, just how large can a Windows page file actually be? Today’s SuperUser Q&A post has the answer to a curious reader’s question.
Today’s Question & Answer session comes to us courtesy of SuperUser—a subdivision of Stack Exchange, a community-driven grouping of Q&A web sites.
The Question
SuperUser reader Marina Dunst wants to know the maximum size that a Windows Page File can be:
The Answer
SuperUser contributors Steven, Ramhound, and Techie007 have the answer for us. First up, Steven:
Followed by Ramhound:
Source: Learn Best Practices for Optimizing the Virtual Memory Configuration [Microsoft TechNet]
When attempting to set a larger amount, Windows will display the error:
This limit is also the maximum file size for a file on Windows 7 NTFS.
Source: NTFS [Wikipedia]
The maximum file size for NTFS on Windows 8 and 10 is larger, but it is unclear if a larger Page File is allowed.
And our final answer from Techie007:
Have something to add to the explanation? Sound off in the comments. Want to read more answers from other tech-savvy Stack Exchange users? Check out the full discussion thread here.
