PC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Outdated Drivers Are Slowing You Down
One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchYou can move Windows 11’s paging file to a secondary SSD in the classic Virtual Memory settings. Open Advanced system settings, choose Performance: Settings > Advanced > Virtual memory: Change, then assign the pagefile to the secondary drive. Before removing it from the Windows drive, check whether your crash-dump settings require a pagefile there.
Before moving the paging file
The paging file, usually pagefile.sys, supports Windows virtual memory; it is not a way to increase installed RAM. Moving it is a storage-placement choice that may free space on the Windows volume, not a proven way to make the PC faster. Microsoft’s Windows storage guidance covers ways to review storage use if low space is the underlying problem.
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- Confirm the secondary SSD is online and has enough free space for your workload and chosen pagefile settings.
- If you rely on crash dumps for troubleshooting, check the requirement for your selected dump type before removing the pagefile from the boot volume. Microsoft notes that some dump configurations require a paging file on the boot volume; requirements vary by dump type. See Configure system failure and recovery options.
- Choose system-managed sizing unless you have a specific, measured reason to set custom limits.
Open Virtual Memory settings
- Open Advanced system settings. Depending on your Windows 11 build, you may find it at Settings > System > About > Advanced system settings. If that route is unavailable, search Windows for View advanced system settings, or press Win + R, enter
sysdm.cpl, and press Enter. - In System Properties, open the Advanced tab. Under Performance, select Settings.
- In Performance Options, open Advanced. Under Virtual memory, select Change.
These are the classic System Properties controls documented by Microsoft. Some labels or navigation may differ slightly by Windows build.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteMove the pagefile to the secondary SSD
- In the Virtual Memory dialog, clear Automatically manage paging file size for all drives. This enables per-drive settings.
- Select the current Windows volume in the drive list. If you want a full move and have confirmed your dump requirements, choose No paging file, then select Set. If your dump configuration needs a pagefile on the boot volume, do not remove it; choose a suitable retained setting instead.
- Select the secondary SSD. Choose System managed size for Windows-managed sizing, or choose Custom size if you have a measured reason to control the initial and maximum sizes. Select Set.
- Select OK to close the open dialogs and apply the changes. Restart if Windows requests it. Microsoft’s client troubleshooting guidance also instructs users to restart after changing paging-file size.
Do not close the Virtual Memory dialog without clicking Set after changing a drive’s selection; selecting an option alone does not commit that drive’s setting.
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Choose a sizing option
| Configuration | When it makes sense | What to consider |
|---|---|---|
| System-managed size on the secondary SSD | You want Windows to manage the file and do not have a specific sizing requirement. | Available capacity, workload demands, and crash-dump requirements. |
| Custom size on the secondary SSD | You have measured a reason to control the initial and maximum sizes. | Peak memory or commit needs, available disk space, and dump configuration. |
| Pagefile retained on the boot volume | Your selected crash-dump configuration may depend on it. | Dump type and available boot-volume space. |
| Pagefile only on the secondary SSD | You want to reclaim space on the boot volume and your dump needs permit it. | Secondary-drive capacity, workload, and the dump type you use. |
When to use a custom size
There is no universally correct custom size for every Windows 11 PC. It depends on the workload, available disk space, and any dump requirements. Microsoft’s guidance on memory allocation errors caused by slow pagefile growth suggests an initial size of 1.5 times installed RAM as part of a specific workaround for that issue. That figure is not a general sizing rule for all systems; use it only in the context Microsoft describes.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Check the setting after restart
After Windows restarts, you can revisit Virtual memory through the same System Properties path to review the configured sizes for each drive. The dialog shows the settings you selected; do not treat that alone as a performance test or proof that the relocation improved speed.
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For general background, Microsoft’s Windows Server documentation explains that pagefiles hold paged-out virtual-memory pages and that their location and size are configured in System Properties. Its guidance is written for Windows Server, so use it for mechanism context rather than as a Windows 11-specific sizing recommendation: RAM, virtual memory, pagefile management, and memory management in Windows.
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