How to Move Windows 11 Pagefile to Another Drive

Moving the Windows 11 paging file (virtual memory) from your primary drive to a secondary drive helps free up critical storage space on your C: drive and can balance drive wear and data workloads. This guide outlines the straightforward process of accessing Windows 11 virtual memory settings, removing the paging file from your system drive, and configuring it on an alternate internal drive.

Step 1: Open Advanced System Settings

  1. Press Windows Key + R on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box.
  2. Type sysdm.cpl into the text box and press Enter (or click OK) to open the System Properties window.
  3. In the System Properties window, select the Advanced tab.
  4. Under the Performance section, click the Settings button.

Step 2: Access Virtual Memory Options

  1. In the Performance Options window, switch to the Advanced tab.
  2. Under the Virtual memory section, click the Change… button.

Step 3: Remove the Paging File from the C: Drive

  1. Uncheck the box at the top labeled Automatically manage paging file size for all drives.
  2. Under the drive list, select your primary drive (usually C:).
  3. Select the No paging file radio button.
  4. Click the Set button.
  5. If Windows displays a prompt warning that disabling the paging file may prevent error reporting, click Yes to proceed.

Step 4: Enable the Paging File on the Secondary Drive

  1. In the same drive list, click on your secondary drive (such as D: or E:).
  2. Choose one of the following options:
    • System managed size: Windows automatically handles the paging file size based on system demand (recommended for most users).
    • Custom size: Set a specific Initial size (MB) and Maximum size (MB) manually if you prefer a static size.
  3. Click the Set button to apply the choice to the secondary drive.
  4. Click OK at the bottom of the Virtual Memory window.

Step 5: Apply Changes and Restart

  1. Click Apply, then OK in the Performance Options window.
  2. Click OK in the System Properties window.
  3. Restart your computer when prompted to allow Windows 11 to create the new pagefile.sys file on your secondary drive and remove it from the primary drive.