How to Disable Paging Executive in Windows Regedit

By default, the Windows memory manager pages kernel-mode drivers and system components out of physical memory and onto the storage drive when RAM is needed. This guide explains how to disable executive worker thread and driver paging using the Windows Registry Editor (regedit), forcing the operating system to keep core kernel processes resident in physical RAM for reduced latency and faster response times.

Step-by-Step Guide to Disabling Executive Paging

To modify this behavior, you will adjust the DisablePagingExecutive value in the Windows Registry.

1. Open the Registry Editor

  1. Press Win + R on your keyboard to open the Run dialog.
  2. Type regedit and press Enter or click OK.
  3. If prompted by User Account Control (UAC), click Yes to grant administrative privileges.

In the Registry Editor address bar or left-hand navigation pane, navigate to the following path:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management

3. Modify the DisablePagingExecutive Value

  1. In the right-hand pane, locate the DisablePagingExecutive entry. (If it does not exist, right-click an empty area in the right pane, select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value, and name it DisablePagingExecutive.)
  2. Double-click DisablePagingExecutive to open its properties.
  3. Under Base, select Hexadecimal.
  4. Change the Value data from 0 to 1.
    • 0 (Default): Allows kernel-mode drivers and executive system code to be paged out to the pagefile on the disk.
    • 1 (Enabled): Forces the system to keep drivers and kernel code in physical RAM at all times.
  5. Click OK to save the changes.

4. Restart Your System

Close the Registry Editor and restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

System Considerations