The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft Windows NT operating system version 3.1
- Microsoft Windows NT Advanced Server version 3.1
SUMMARY
The following two methods can be used to save disk space on computers that have both
Windows 3.1 and Windows NT installed:
- Sharing the PAGEFILE.SYS file
-or-
- Creating and sharing a dedicated pagefile partition
MORE INFORMATION
Sharing the PAGEFILE.SYS File
If performance requirements allow running Windows 3.1 with a temporary swap file,
Windows can be configured to use a swap file named PAGEFILE.SYS. This prevents Windows
from creating the default swap file WIN386.SWP.
Because Windows (versions 3.0 and 3.1) and Windows NT both delete and recreate their
virtual memory space each time they are loaded, only one file will ever exist. This method
requires a temporary swap file in Windows 3.1 and that PAGEFILE.SYS be stored on a FAT
partition.
To change the name of Windows 3.1 temporary swap file, do the following:
- Edit the SYSTEM.INI file and find the [386 Enhanced] section.
- Update PagingFile=c:\WIN386.SWP to PagingFile=x:\PAGEFILE.SYS, where x is the drive
letter that contains PAGEFILE.SYS.
- Save the file and restart Windows for the changes to take affect.
Creating and Sharing a Dedicated Paging Partition
This method is used when Windows 3.1 needs a permanent swap file, which consists of the
files 386SPART.PAR and SPART.PAR. It has four requirements:
- A dedicated partition
- A FAT file system
- A batch file (details follow)
- A requirement of exiting Windows 3.1 in the proper manner
The steps to implement this method are the following:
- Back everything up, if required, and repartition the hard disk using the MS-DOS FDISK
command.
- Create a dedicated partition large enough to hold only the Windows swap file,
386SPART.PAR. Because Windows NT can support paging files across multiple drives, limiting
the size of the drive will not limit the size of PAGEFILE.SYS.
- Restore files if necessary.
- Start Windows NT. In the Control Panel window, choose the System icon, choose the
Virtual Memory option button, and then change the drive where PAGEFILE.SYS is located to
the drive of the partition you just created. Enter the size available in both the Initial
Size and Maximum Size fields. Zero out any other drives that may have also been
designated. Choose Set and OK to save changes. Quit Windows NT.
- Start the system into MS-DOS and delete PAGEFILE.SYS from the paging partition.
- Start Windows 3.1. In the Control Panel window, choose the 386 Enhanced icon, choose the
Virtual Memory option button, and then change the drive letter to the drive of the paging
partition you just created. In the Type box, select Permanent. In the New Size box, enter
the number shown in the Space Available field. You will receive a message stating the
number is too large and to change it to a smaller number. Accept this number by choosing
the OK button. Choose Yes when asked if you really want to make this change. Quit Windows
3.1. You must now create a custom batch file to start Windows 3.1.
- Rename WIN.COM to __WIN.COM so that "WIN" no longer starts Windows.
- Create the following batch file using a text editor and call it WIN.BAT. This file
deletes the Windows NT paging file PAGEFILE.SYS and runs the renamed executable file
_WIN.COM to start Windows. When Windows terminates, WIN.BAT normalizes the swap file files
and deletes them so they won't take up space when you run Windows NT.
WIN.BAT
@ECHO OFF
IF EXIST x:\PAGEFILE.SYS DEL x:\PAGEFILE.SYS
__WIN
ATTRIB -r C:\windows\spart.par
ATTRIB -r -h -s x:\386SPART.PAR
DEL C:\windows\SPART.PAR
DEL x:\386SPART.PAR
Where x:\ is the dedicated paging partition drive.