Message boards : BOINC Manager : Any way to disable BOINC's usage of the page/swap file?
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Author | Message |
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Send message Joined: 10 Dec 15 Posts: 2 |
I have sufficient RAM (16GB) to the point where I have free RAM available while running tasks (not in standby, or cached if you prefer), and I don't want BOINC to be using my page/swap file so that I might reduce the wear on my SSD. Is there any way to disable BOINC's access to the page/swap file? Is reducing the amount, in percentage, the only thing I can do? And does reducing it to 1% access of the page file (new to me, coming from BOINC 7.2.42, which allowed me to lower it to .01%) really do anything other than reduce the size of my page file? The wear on my SSD is the only thing that really gets to me when using BOINC. It's roughly 10GB a day; 2-4x more if I let it run 24/7. |
Send message Joined: 29 Aug 05 Posts: 15561 |
Counter question: do you only have (an) SSD(s) as (a) drive(s), or also at least one HDD? If you do have a HDD, why don't you move BOINC its data directory to the HDD (and then uninstall/reinstall BOINC, clicking Advanced in the third screen of the installer, then changing the path to the data directory to where you moved it to, before continuing the installation)? |
Send message Joined: 10 Dec 15 Posts: 2 |
Think I've tried this in the past (2013, when I only had 8GB of RAM in my system), but it didn't change the daily wear. At the time, I figured it might have been an issue with the lack of sufficient RAM, which would result in BOINC using my page file; but now with 16GB, this shouldn't be an issue. The issue isn't the data from the project(s), it's that BOINC is using the page/swap file; and from what I understand, if you have sufficient RAM, it doesn't have a reason to use it. (Just in case) I'll give it another go and I'll post an update. |
Send message Joined: 29 Aug 05 Posts: 15561 |
The BOINC data directory is what is written to most, so if you're worried about the wear and tear of the SSD and its finite writes, you best move the data directory to a hard drive with platters, that doesn't have that problem. If you don't want BOINC to use the page file, best manner is not to set a page file in Windows. Or again, move the page file to a hard drive, instead of allowing Windows to maintain it on the Solid State Drive. Start->Search... Type 'advanced system settings' (without quotes). Click View advanced system settings. Advanced tab. Performance->Settings. Advanced tab. Change button on Virtual Memory. Make a page file on an HDD, it's imperative you do this before disabling the page file on C: Do so by selecting the drive letter, then click System managed size and click Set. (When you do not click Set, changes won't be used) Next click C: Click No paging file, click Set. You will now get a warning that Windows will be unable to give details on system errors if the page file here isn't at least 400MB large. Ignore that, just click OK. Click OK at the bottom. Click OK on the reboot message, then continue clicking OK until you get the restart message, click Restart Now and reboot. |
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