What would happen if I deleted my Swap file??

**Sputniktoo** · Jun 1st, 2001, 10:53 PM

Has anybody ever done that? What does it mean if it gets really large?

denniswrenn · Jun 1st, 2001, 10:59 PM

A friend of mine deleted his swap file and had to reformat 'cause his computer wouldn't boot.

**parksie** · Jun 2nd, 2001, 06:34 AM

I use a fixed swap file of 250mb so it doesn't get fragmented. Anyway, it's impossible to delete the swap file while Windows is running, and even if you delete it when Windows isn't there, it'll just recreate it next time round.

ricmitch_uk · Jun 2nd, 2001, 07:28 AM

Chances are 9 times out of 10 your system will go belly-up.

**parksie** · Jun 2nd, 2001, 07:53 AM

Just tried it. Restarted in MS-DOS mode, deleted D:\win386.swp, then restarted. No problems, and the file was silently recreated.

denniswrenn · Jun 2nd, 2001, 08:37 AM

Originally posted by parksie
I use a fixed swap file of 250mb so it doesn't get fragmented. Anyway, it's impossible to delete the swap file while Windows is running, and even if you delete it when Windows isn't there, it'll just recreate it next time round.

How do you use a fixed swap file?

Just tried it. Restarted in MS-DOS mode, deleted D:\win386.swp, then restarted. No problems, and the file was silently recreated.

I'll talk to my friend again and ask what else he did....

**Arbiter** · Jun 2nd, 2001, 09:25 AM

Parksie's right...

**parksie** · Jun 2nd, 2001, 09:47 AM

Dennis -- set the maximum and minimum values to the same thing (uncheck "Let windows sort it all out for me" or whatever it's called

)

However, make sure that this will leave you with enough virtual memory (swapfile size + physical) to run everything you need. Also, if you have more than one drive, defragment one before putting the swap on it so that it's in contiguous space (speed).

**chrisjk** · Jun 2nd, 2001, 10:32 AM

Whoever said your computer goes wrong if you delete it is lying (or at least mis-informed).

**harsoni** · Jun 2nd, 2001, 11:51 AM

Can ur delete a swap file??? i am not able to...

**parksie** · Jun 2nd, 2001, 11:53 AM

You can't delete it while Windows is running because it's constantly in use. You have to exit Windows and go back to DOS.

**SurfDemon** · Jun 2nd, 2001, 03:53 PM

Maybe the person who deleted the swap file and screwed up their system didn't have very much ram (8-16mb) in their system?

SD

**parksie** · Jun 2nd, 2001, 05:20 PM

I've run Win98 on 4mb so I doubt that's the case.

**Bloodeye** · Jun 2nd, 2001, 05:40 PM

Originally posted by parksie
I've run Win98 on 4mb so I doubt that's the case.

That 4mb....Uhhh....That's a typo right?

**parksie** · Jun 2nd, 2001, 05:42 PM

Nope. Runs like *****e, but it runs

**Bloodeye** · Jun 2nd, 2001, 05:43 PM

HaHa....I bet...

**chrisjk** · Jun 2nd, 2001, 06:39 PM

A long time ago when about 32Mb RAM was the norm, I had a mate who had a 4mb machine. I used to joke that my printer had more ram!! (which it did - 16Mb LaserJet).

Of course now I have a printer that's got it's own hard drive!!!

**CiberTHuG** · Jun 4th, 2001, 01:32 PM

If you have a seperate partition with the swap on it (a la Linux) then you can make your system very unhappy by deleting that partition. In Windows, if you simply delete the file, it shouldn't care, it will make it again. That file is used only when Windows is running (when you can't delete it).

**MikeHost** · Jun 4th, 2001, 03:30 PM

Why would you want to delete it???

**CiberTHuG** · Jun 4th, 2001, 03:54 PM

Because you are a virus payload with orders to render a system inoperable in the most grand of manners.

'Course, you are now a very impotent payload.

ricmitch_uk · Jun 7th, 2001, 01:36 PM

Can anyone help my mate?

He's running RAID(1) and he's lost his FAT somehow. It's not Chernobyl virus, cos his BIOS works fine (both chips on the Duel BIOS). Is there a way he can get the data off his disk?

**parksie** · Jun 7th, 2001, 01:49 PM

Is the FAT backup intact? If both copies are gone then you have no chance, and will need some severe trickery to get anything. You might be able to get something by looking at the area on the disk with the FAT.

ricmitch_uk · Jun 8th, 2001, 12:28 PM

I think the whole of partition 0 has gone, or it might be only half of it, seeing as he is running RAID striping over two HDs. Don't cops have machines for retrieving data of HDs, no matter how badly you ***** them up, as long as you don't delete and overwrite the data you want

.

**X-Quest** · Nov 4th, 2001, 12:15 AM

Nothing will happen. Windows will simply create a new swap file on the next boot. However, as has already been mentioned, you can't delete it with windoze running. Boot to DOS, (press <F8> when the pc says Starting Windows), type cd windows (if windows is the OS directory), then del win386.swp. I've done it on numerous occasions, usually after a severe crash.
The swap file will normally zero itself when windows is shut down, but if an error occurs, it can just hang there wasting space.

**nishantp** · Nov 4th, 2001, 12:38 AM

Originally posted by parksie
I've run Win98 on 4mb so I doubt that's the case.

Of course you did that solely for bragging rights

**parksie** · Nov 4th, 2001, 06:34 AM

Originally posted by nishantp
Of course you did that solely for bragging rights

I wanted to see what would happen

The first time I actually tried to use anything was Win95 beta 1 on 4mb, and that actually worked quite well.

ricmitch_uk · Nov 4th, 2001, 07:35 AM

Contradiction in terms there Mr Parks :- Windows running well.

**parksie** · Nov 4th, 2001, 07:41 AM

Originally posted by ricmitch_uk
Contradiction in terms there Mr Parks :- Windows running well.

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