Myth: turning off the page file makes a PC with lots of RAM faster

Myth: turning off the page file makes a PC with lots of RAM faster — via Microsoft Learn

MythNeeds adminWindows 11Windows 10

Removing the page file doesn't make RAM faster. It lowers the commit limit (RAM plus page file), so programs can fail or freeze when memory runs out, and Windows may be unable to write a crash dump when something goes wrong.

What to do instead

Leave the page file on System managed size: Win + R → sysdm.cpl → Advanced → Performance Settings → Advanced → Virtual memory → Change → tick Automatically manage paging file size for all drives.
To see whether you are actually short on memory, open Task Manager → Performance → Memory and compare Committed with the limit shown next to it.

Microsoft explains that the commit limit is the sum of physical memory and all page files, and that hitting it can cause freezing, crashes and other faults. Even with lots of RAM, a page file (or a dedicated dump file) may still be needed to capture a system crash dump. Some server roles require a page file outright.

Sources

Introduction to the page file — by Microsoft Learn

Source reviewed: 2026-11-02
Link checked: 2026-11-02
Tested hands-on: Not by Oddbyte.Me

Oddbyte.Me hasn't tried this on every Windows build, so keep the undo handy.

page filepagefilevirtual memoryramperformancemyth

Myth: your Mac needs a 'cleaner' or 'optimizer' app — via The Safe Mac

Myth

Cleaner suites promise a faster Mac by deleting caches, logs and 'junk'. Caches exist to speed things up, so deleting them usually makes things slower until they're rebuilt, and deleting logs makes problems harder to diagnose. A Mac doesn't need routine cleaning.

Myth: turning off Spotlight makes your Mac faster — via Howard Oakley, The Eclectic Light Company

Myth

Old tips say to switch off Spotlight indexing to speed up a Mac. It's a blunt fix that breaks search, and it doesn't work the way people think: switching off the categories in Spotlight settings doesn't actually stop indexing, and Howard Oakley found it can even slow some Finder operations.

Myth: you should run the daily/weekly/monthly maintenance scripts — via Ben Schwan, heise online

MythAdmin

For years, Mac 'maintenance' advice was to run sudo periodic daily weekly monthly, or let a utility app do it. Apple stopped relying on these scripts and removed the periodic command entirely in macOS Sequoia. Housekeeping like log cleanup is handled automatically by other parts of macOS.

Myth: turning off the page file makes a PC with lots of RAM faster — via Microsoft Learn

What to do instead

Sources

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