How to stop the NT Executive from paging to disk (184419)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows XP Professional
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
  • Microsoft Windows NT Server 3.51
  • Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0
  • Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.51
  • Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0
This article was previously published under Q184419
Important This article contains information about how to modify the registry. Make sure to back up the registry before you modify it. Make sure that you know how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and modify the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows registry

SUMMARY

This article describes how to prevent pageable drivers and system code in the Windows NT Executive from being paged out to disk. Although this decreases the response time in systems with extremely large amounts of physical memory (RAM), it is critical that there is enough RAM installed, otherwise the server could be rendered unstable.

MORE INFORMATION

Warning Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly by using Registry Editor or by using another method. These problems might require that you reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that these problems can be solved. Modify the registry at your own risk.

User-mode and kernel-mode drivers and kernel-mode system code is usually written to be either pageable or non-pageable. In cases where drivers or system code is pageable, you can use the following registry entry to keep this pageable code in RAM, but this is only advisable on systems with extremely large amounts of RAM.
  1. Start Registry Editor (Regedit.exe or Regedt32.exe), and go to the following subkey:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management

  2. Change the DisablePagingExecutive entry to 1:

    Value Name: DisablePagingExecutive
    Data Type: REG_DWORD
    Data: 0 or 1 Default

    This entry specifies whether user-mode and kernel-mode drivers and kernel-mode system code can be paged to disk when not in use. If the value of this entry is 1, the drivers and kernel must remain in physical memory. If it is set to 0, they can be paged to disk as needed.
For additional information, see the "Memory Management Control Entries" topic in Windows NT Help.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:12/1/2005
Keywords:kbinfo KB184419
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