Pagefile help

[30mikemike]

Hi guys,

I’ve got two SSD’s, one with Windows on and the other with DCS on and that’s it. I have 32gb of RAM and I have no pagefile set, it’s set to manage by Windows I think. 
 

I’m currently trying to eliminate some annoying freezes and slight pauses and the only thing left for me to try is setting a manual pagefile. 
 

Can someone tell me if A, I need one and B, what I should be setting it to for both drives please...

 

Thanks...

[Rudel_chw]

11 minutes ago, 30mikemike said:

...

I’m currently trying to eliminate some annoying freezes and slight pauses and the only thing left for me to try is setting a manual pagefile. 
 

Can someone tell me if A, I need one and B, what I should be setting it to for both drives please......

yes, dcs really dislikes not having a pagefile .. but you have one now, just that its size is dynamic and managed by Windows.

 

I would set a fixed size pagefile on the ssd that does NOT have DCS, a good size for 32 GB of ram would be between 16 to 32 GB, depending on the amount of free space that you have. A fixed size will avoid Windows meddling with its size during a DCS session. The DCS drive should be with no pagefile.

 

another item that reduces pauses is to place the DCS folders on the whitelist of your antivirus, so that the antivirus does not meddle either.

 

edit: you can also debloat windows with this tool:

 

https://christitus.com/debloat-windows-10-2020/

 

on mine I disabled Cortana, which I didnt use. If you dont use OneDrive, disable it also.

 

 

Edited April 3, 2021 by Rudel_chw

[30mikemike]

Thanks for your reply, appreciate it....

 

My Windows drive is 500gb with only windows on it so there’s no end of space left so I’ll set it to 32gb.

 

I’ve not got any antivirus at all installed on my PC so that’s not an issue. I’ve disabled a heck of a lot of Windows things so I’ll make sure Cortana and Onedrive are also disabled.

 

The pagefile is the only thing left to try. If it doesn’t sort it it’s either DCS or my GPU (1080Ti) is at fault. 
 

I’ve tried all this:-

 

Hotplug fix in config 

Total removal of GPU OC (MSI A/B)

Removal of GPU driver using DDU

Latest drivers installed

G-Sync off/G-Sync on

Nvidia Inspector, changed and tested most settings including Fast Sync etc etc

V-sync in game on and off

FPS capped to 60 as I use TrackIR instead of VR.

Pauses/freezes/GPU lag happens when not using TrackIR also

Checked Task Manager for any sign of another programme causing the issues but there’s nothing. 
All RGB software is also off

Tried DCS repair several times

I always delete FXO & Shaders2 folders

Even set my GPU to run in MSI mode with a negative IRQ number

 

Christ knows what’s causing it! If anyone has any other suggestions then I’m all ears! 
 

 

My PC is:-

8700k @ 4.8ghz

Strix 1080Ti

32gb RAM @ 3600mhz

Asus PG278-QR 1440p monitor

TrackIR

 

Apart from these sporadic freezes/lags it runs spot on, locked at 60fps all day long with high settings.

Also lowering settings doesn’t help the lags & freezes.

Edited April 3, 2021 by 30mikemike

[Rudel_chw]

58 minutes ago, 30mikemike said:

... I’ve not got any antivirus at all installed on my PC so that’s not an issue.

 

 

Maybe you don't have a third party Antivirus, but windows comes with a built-in Antivirus called "Windows security", looks like this:

 

 

You dont need to disable it, just add the DCS folders to its exclusion list, like this:

 

[30mikemike]

I’m pretty sure I’ve disabled it...but I’ll check. Maybe even if it’s ‘disabled’ it may still be running somewhere in the background still? Probably clutching at straws with that one but anything’s worth a shot. Thanks....

which folders exactly do I add to the exclusion list?

[Rudel_chw]

21 minutes ago, 30mikemike said:

I’m pretty sure I’ve disabled it...but I’ll check. Maybe even if it’s ‘disabled’ it may still be running somewhere in the background still? Probably clutching at straws with that one but anything’s worth a shot. Thanks....

which folders exactly do I add to the exclusion list?

 

DCS has two main folders (each with a lot of subfolders, but on the exclusion list only place the parent one):

 

/Program Files/Eagle Dynamics/

 

/Saved Games/DCS/ or /DCS.openbeta  (depending on your version)

[30mikemike]

That’s great, thanks...

I’ve checked and I have disabled the Windows 10 antivirus altogether...however, it seems to actually disable it properly it’s quite lengthy to do. So I’m beginning to wonder if it’s not completely disabled. I’ll reactivate it and add the DCS folders to the exclusion list and see if it sorts it....

Edited April 3, 2021 by 30mikemike

[Rudel_chw]

1 minute ago, 30mikemike said:

That’s great, thanks...

I’ve checked and I have disabled the Windows 10 antivirus altogether...however, it seems to actually disable it properly it’s quite lengthy to do. So I’m beginning to wonder if it’s not completely disabled. I’ll reactivate it and add the DCS folders to the exclusion list and see if it sorts it....

 

 

I don't think its a good idea to disable the AV completely .. just having it not scanning the DCS files should be enough. 

[Lange_666]

You can leave Windows Defender on, no need to go through the entire hassle to turn it off. Just put the DCS folders Rudel mentioned in the exclusion list (and other stuff you don't to to be scanned).

 

About the pagefile on which drive: you should test that on both drives, one by one and see what gives you the best result. Some say to leave it on the OS drive, some say to leave it on the DCS drive, some say to put it on a drive with no relationship to both (if you have one) so your milage may vary.

 

Edited April 4, 2021 by Lange_666