Secure your PC by clearing your Page file on shutdown

Gili | Jul 12, 2007 | Comments 8



Here’s a nifty tweak that can help you to secure your PC and protect your privacy by clearing your Windows Page file on shutdown.

The risk we face as PC users, is that non-Microsoft applications will write data (and even passwords) into the Page file in a non-encrypted format. In case that our PC is stolen, lost, or accessed by hackers, spyware or other intruders, that information stored in the page file is easily available for them to exploit.

The solution is relatively straightforward and consists of a simple modification that needs to be done to your PC registry.

Remember! If you use the registry editor incorrectly, you might cause serious problems that might require you to reinstall your operating system. Use the registry editor at your own risk.

Here’s how you implement the tweak (tested in Vista and Windows XP ):

  • Backup the registry file. Use instructions provided in section 2 here.
  • Click Start , In the Start Search type Regedit to open your Registry Editor.
  • Browse to My Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management.
  • Right Click the ClearPageFileAtShutdown subkey and click Modify.
  • Set the value to 1

  • Exit the Registry editor
  • Restart your PC

    •   [tags] Windows Vista, Vista, Windows tips, Windows Tricks, Windows XP, Registry [/tags]



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    Filed Under: Windows Tweaks




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    RSSComments (8)

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    1. Madhur Kapoor says:
      May 23, 2007 at 6:35 am

      I noticed my PC startup was getting slower day by day . After doing this it improved a lot .

    2. Web 2.0, PC Tweaks @ AVirtualExit.com » Blog Archive » How to run multiple Yahoo Messenger concurrent sessions on one PC ? says:
      June 17, 2007 at 2:59 pm

      [...] how you implement the tweak (tested in Vista and Windows XP and Yahoo Messenger [...]

    3. Vijay says:
      July 15, 2007 at 4:50 am

      Isn’t there a way to do empty the page file without the registry tweak. I seem to have read about it, but now I don’t remember it.

    4. mv3gp says:
      July 17, 2007 at 10:05 am

      It is quite easy. you nicely explained it.

    5. Speed Linking #4 says:
      July 22, 2007 at 4:31 am

      [...] tells us how to secure your PC by clearing Page file on Shutdown. Here’s a nifty tweak that can help you to secure your PC and protect your privacy by clearing [...]

    6. Link Bombs! says:
      July 30, 2007 at 2:44 pm

      [...] Clear Page file during Shut Down – Gili [...]

    7. TipsoSaurus says:
      July 30, 2007 at 9:21 pm

      I think that’s a nice tip and deserves a link back.

    8. Larry Miller says:
      March 25, 2009 at 4:17 pm

      Clearing the pagefile may be useful in a highly secure environment but is really only useful as part of a comprehensive security policy. For most systems this will do virtually nothing for security. Most systems have security risks that are far more serious than an uncleared pagefile.

      Note: Clearing the pagefile has NO performance advantages whatsoever. It will lengthen shutdown times considerably on some systems.

      Larry Miller
      Microsoft MCSA

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