How to Clear Virtual Memory Page File at Shutdown in Windows

By Timothy Tibbetts

on 06/15/2023

Windows uses virtual memory when your computer's RAM fills up, storing it in a file called pagefile.sys. Because you never know what was stored there, it's a good idea to clear the page file at shutdown in Windows 10, 8, and 7.

We don't recommend you do this with a computer that is shut down every day, but it's perfect for those who occasionally reboot or shut down.

You can do this with the Registry Editor, Group Policy Editor, or the easiest way, using our Registry files.

Video tutorial:

1: How to Clear Virtual Memory Page File at Shutdown in Windows - Registry Files

Download Clear Virtual Memory Page File at Shutdown from MajorGeeks.

Double-click Clear Virtual Memory Page File - Enable.reg or Clear Virtual Memory Page File - Disable.reg (Default).

Click Yes when prompted by User Account Control.
Click Yes when prompted by Registry Editor.

Click OK when prompted by the Registry Editor.

This tweak is included as part of MajorGeeks Registry Tweaks.

2: How to Clear Virtual Memory Page File at Shutdown in Windows - Registry

Open the Registry Editor and go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SYSTEM > CurrentControlSet > Control > Session Manager > Memory Management.

Double-click ClearPageFileAtShutdown. Change the Value_data to 1.

Reboot.

3: How to Clear Virtual Memory Page File at Shutdown in Windows - Group Policy Editor

Open Group Policy Editor. Windows 10 Home users will need to enable Group Policy Editor or use the registry methods above.

Go to Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Local Policies > Security Options

Double-click Shutdown: Clear virtual memory pagefile.

Click on Enabled. Click on OK.

Reboot.

Similar:

How to Disable or Enable SysMain (Superfetch)

How to Use the Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool in Windows

How to Check Your Memory (RAM) Speed, Available Slots and More

How to Manage Virtual Memory (Pagefile) in Windows 10