How to Optimize Your Swap File to Increase Performance

View Tutorial This optimization tweak forces your computer to use as much RAM as it can before it switches to the slower swap file which resides on your hard drive. I only recommend this tweak for computers that have 256MB of RAM or more.

"Swap file: On a hard disk, a file used to store parts of running programs that have been swapped out of memory temporarily to make room for other running programs. It may be permanent, always occupying the same amount of hard disk space even though the application that created it may not be running, or is temporary, and only created as and when needed.*"


1. Go to ‘Start >Run

2. Type "msconfig" then click OK

3. When msconfig loads click on the SYSTEM.INI tab

4. Expand the 386enh menu by clicking the ‘+’ sign

5. Click on ‘New’, when the blank box appears type without quotes ‘ConservativeSwapfileUsage=1’

6. Click ‘OK’ and restart your computer.

*Swap file Definition provided by Angelfire.