The pagefile (swapfile) grows as you use apps until it reaches its optimum
size. That size is either the system managed default (about 3.4GB on mine
currently) or some value that you assign manually yourself. I'm assuming
that loading the apps you habitually use into the swap file likely causes
the fast growth. That in itself isn't the big issue to me. What I don't
understand is why pagefile.sys is included in System Restore points in the
first place. Serves no practical use as far as I can see and it puts a huge
hit on how many restore points can be created.

The default location of the paging file is on the system drive but you can
set it to be on any of the existing partitions/drives. There are
instructions for changing the paging file size in Windows Help and support.
Just search Paging file in Help. Moving the file is done in the same place.

Instructions for moving the page file here:

[url]http://maximumpcguides.com/windows-vista/move-and-optimize-windows-vistas-paging-file/[/url]

or

-- If you want to change the size and/or move pagefile.sys:

Open the System applet in Control Panel
Click on the Advanced tab
Click on the Performance -Settings button
Click on the Advanced tab again
Click on the Change button in the Virtual Memory section
Uncheck "Automatically manage paging file size for all drives..."

Click on each drive that is listed in turn and change its page file settings
to your preference, or select No Paging file for a particular drive. Click
Set for each drive that you change.
On your system drive change the setting to No paging file and click Set.
Enable a paging file on the drive of your choice. You can either select
Custom size for for the page file (a range of sizes actually, min to max) or
let the System manage the file size. When finished with the settings,
reboot to initiate the changes.

After you're done and rebooted the paging file will be in the new location
and System Restore will not be including it in any subsequent restore
points. At that point I deleted all of my existing restore points that had
the old stored page files from the system drive. (turn off System Restore to
delete restore points, then re-enable System Restore)


"denmarfl" <denmarfl@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:7E0D4A34-AACD-4BAA-B230-BE41BDCD7A24@microsoft.com...[color=blue]
> Lets see if I understand, you moved the pagefile to another
> partition....so
> it continues to serve its purpose and does not get saved with each restore
> Point.
>
> What causes this file to grew to such a large file, and, in my case,
> almost
> overnight without me doing anything, ie, adding a new program, changes,
> etc?
>
> It just seems to me, whatever has caused this file to grew to such a
> larger
> size happened overnight and whatever it is that is included in the
> pagefile,
> my PC ran fine for 20 months without it. Is there not a way to ID what
> caused the file to grew so large?
>
> Lastly, is there a link to provide step-by-step instructions to do what
> you
> did?
>
> "RalfG" wrote:
>[color=green]
>> I had a similar symptom. System Restore was archiving the pagefile.sys
>> file
>> (which had reached 3.6GB at the time) in every restore point. Moved the
>> page
>> file to a non-monitored partition.
>>
>> "denmarfl" <denmarfl@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:450BFD97-B035-4225-93F4-215F7087C2AE@microsoft.com...[color=darkred]
>> > Thanks; b=as I wrote in my original message, I was able to determine
>> > that
>> > it
>> > was the System restore points that were causing me to lose 3 to 4GB of
>> > HDD
>> > space daily becuase when I turned off System restore, I regained a
>> > whole
>> > lot
>> > of space. However, the new restore points simply start again to be
>> > created
>> > in the same 3 to 4GB Size. I don't want to turn if off permanently, it
>> > a
>> > resource I may need some day. The issue is, and I hope someone has the
>> > answer, the PC is almost 2 yrs old and just about 3 weeks ago it
>> > started
>> > to
>> > save Restore points in this 3 to 4GB size, prior to that I could go a
>> > week
>> > and not lose 1GB. I have not installed\chnaged or altered anything on
>> > my
>> > PC
>> > so that is not the reason for the large restore Files. Hopefully
>> > someone
>> > knows what file ot files overnight grew so large as to cause the
>> > abnormally
>> > large size System Restore points on my PC....possibly that file(s) can
>> > be
>> > altered or deleted...afterall, my PC ran fine for 24 mos.....without
>> > the
>> > large File(s).
>> >
>> > "Peter Foldes" wrote:
>> >
>> >> See the following
>> >> [url]http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org/how_do_i_clear_system_restore_po.htm[/url]
>> >> --
>> >> Peter
>> >>
>> >> Please Reply to Newsgroup for the benefit of others
>> >> Requests for assistance by email can not and will not be acknowledged.
>> >>
>> >> "denmarfl" <denmarfl@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> >> news:79F3044D-23B0-49BA-A0BF-A66F89DCE518@microsoft.com...
>> >> > Vista Home Prem 32bit. Has anyone come up with what is causing
>> >> > System
>> >> > Restore Points on a PC that has been running for almost 2 years
>> >> > where
>> >> > Restore
>> >> > points were Restore Points took 5 to 7 days to equal 1GB, and now
>> >> > suddenly
>> >> > over the past 3 weeks each restore Point is taking up 3 to 4GB of
>> >> > HDD
>> >> > space
>> >> > Daily? I know its System restore using up space, if I turn it off,
>> >> > which
>> >> > deletes all Points, I regain the Space lost....but the process than
>> >> > starts
>> >> > over again. There has to be a file(s) that grew in size in 1 day
>> >> > causing
>> >> > this......
>> >>
>> >>[/color]
>>
>>
>>[/color][/color]