EaseUS Partition Master

Can You Move Pagefile to Another Drive [Move Virtual Memory]

Pagefile.sys usually takes up a large amount of disk space, leaving your C drive out of space. Is there any way to move pagefile to another drive? Continue reading and you'll find the solution.

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Updated by

Oliver

Updated on Jun 12, 2024

Can you just move pagefile.sys ?
byu/Commercial_Ice8402 intechsupport

Pagefile.sys is a system file in Windows that serves as a virtual memory allocation to extend the available physical memory (RAM) on your system. However, like the example above, many users are troubled by the pagefile because it usually takes up a large portion of the space on the C drive.

But worry not. This page from EaseUS will show you how to move pagefile to another drive with practical methods. By doing so, you can free up your disk space and improve system performance. Read on to learn the details.

Workable Solutions Difficulty Step-by-step Troubleshooting
Way 1. Move Pagefile to Another Drive Automatically Easy Step 1. Launch EaseUS Partition Master, navigate to...Full steps
Way 2. Move Pagefile to Another Drive Manually Complex

Step 1. Press "Windows" + "I" to open Settings...Full steps

Way 1. Move Pagefile to Another Drive Automatically

If you are not familiar with system configuration modification, the best choice is to move pagefile.sys to another drive via a professional tool. EaseUS Partition Master Professional offers a one-click feature to move pagefile.sys to another drive safely.

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Windows 11/10/8/7100% Secure

Follow the guide below to move the pagefile with ease:

Notice:
Make sure there's sufficient available disk space on the destination drive.

Step 1. Launch EaseUS Partition Master, navigate to "Partition Manager," right click the C drive, and select "Data Migration."

data migration 1

Step 2. Select the data you want to migrate and click "Next" to continue.

data migration 2

Step 3. Select a target partition to migrate and click "Start" to execute the task.

data migration 3

Step 4. After the migration, the available space on the C drive will be increased.

data migration 4

This tool not only moves pagefile.sys from the C drive to a different drive, but it also provides other practical features to help you free up your C drive:

Besides moving pagefile.sys to another drive, there are also other methods to solve the pagefile huge issue. Click the following link to learn more.

pagefile-sys-huge

How to Fix Pagefile.sys Huge Issue on Windows 11/10

Pagefile.sys sometimes takes up a lot of disk space. If you find the pagefile.sys on your C drive is large, check this article to learn how to fix it and free up the storage space. Read more >>

Way 2. Move Pagefile to Another Drive Manually

For those who prefer to modify the system manually, this part will show you how to move pagefile via Windows settings and increase C drive space.

Step 1. Press "Windows" + "I" to open Settings.

Step 2. Go to "System" > "About" and hit "Advanced system settings" beside Related links.

open-advanced-system-settings

Step 3. The System Properties will pop up. Now, go to the "Advanced" tab and hit "Settings" in the Performance section.

open-performance-settings-from-advanced-tab

Step 4. Then, in the Performance Options window, go to the "Advanced" tab and hit "Change" in the Virtual memory section.

click-change-button-under-virtual-memory

Step 5. In the Virtual Memory window, uncheck "Automatically manage paging file size for all drives."

Step 6. Select the C drive in the box and choose "No paging file." Hit "Set" and then "Yes" when prompted.

unselect-automatically-manage-page-filing-size-for-all-drives

Tip
Disable the paging file on the primary drive before storing the virtual memory file on another drive. But, even if the paging file remains on the main drive, you can still set virtual memory on another drive to enhance system performance.

Step 7. Select a destination drive where you want to store the pagefile and then choose "System managed size" > "Set" > "OK."

Step 8. Apply the changes and restart your PC to complete the process.

select-drive-to-use-for-paging-file

Notice:
You need to unlock the bitlocker partition, if any, to allow Windows to set a pagefile on that volume.

cannot-set-pagefile-on-locked-bit-locker

After restarting your computer, Windows will create a new pagefile.sys file in the destination drive automatically. However, it's worth noting that incorrect system configuration can lead to system errors or computer crashes. Therefore, if you are not confident about manual operation, please go back to Way 1 to do it safely.

Conclusion

Moving pagefile.sys to another drive can be helpful in freeing up C drive space. This page covers two detailed methods to help you with the task. EaseUS Partition Master provides more functionality for you to get more available space for the C drive.

Don't forget to share this page with other users who also encounter the pagefile large issue and want to free up the C drive.

 

Move Pagefile to Another Drive FAQs

Q
1. Can a pagefile be moved to another drive?
Yes, you can move the pagefile to another drive via Windows settings. However, it's highly recommended to do it via a professional disk manager tool like EaseUS Partition Master to avoid any risks.
Q
2. Is it okay to delete page file?
It is not recommended to delete the pagefile.sys file, as it plays a crucial role in Windows' virtual memory management. Deleting pagefile.sys can lead to system instability, crashes, and performance issues.
Q
3. Is it OK to turn off Pagefile?
It is not OK to turn off Pagefile because Windows moves infrequently accessed modified pages from RAM to the pagefile.sys on the hard disk drive when the computer runs out of physical RAM to handle active processes and applications.

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About the Author

Updated by Oliver

Oliver is an EaseUS professional writer who dares explore new areas. With a passion for solving tech issues with straightforward guides for common users, Oliver keeps honing his writing craft by developing in-depth solutions for disk and partition management, computer boot-up issues, file transfer, etc.

Read full bio

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  • I love that the changes you make with EaseUS Partition Master Free aren't immediately applied to the disks. It makes it way easier to play out what will happen after you've made all the changes. I also think the overall look and feel of EaseUS Partition Master Free makes whatever you're doing with your computer's partitions easy.

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  • Partition Master Free can Resize, Move, Merge, Migrate, and Copy disks or partitions; convert to local, change label, defragment, check and explore partition; and much more. A premium upgrade adds free tech support and the ability to resize dynamic volumes.

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  • It won't hot image your drives or align them, but since it's coupled with a partition manager, it allows you do perform many tasks at once, instead of just cloning drives. You can move partitions around, resize them, defragment, and more, along with the other tools you'd expect from a cloning tool.

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