pagingfile

noun

UK /ˈpeɪdʒɪŋ faɪl/

US /ˈpeɪdʒɪŋ faɪl/

A special file on a computer that helps it remember things when its memory is full.

When the computer ran out of memory, it used the paging file to keep working.

SYNONYMS

swap file page file virtual memory file swap space

RELATED WORDS

memory RAM hard drive operating system virtual memory

OTHER MEANINGS

2. A hidden system file used by Windows to store data moved out of RAM.

The technician increased the size of the paging file to improve performance.

3. A disk area that acts like extra memory for a computer.

The paging file on the old laptop was slow because the disk was full.

4. A file that holds pages of data temporarily when main memory is busy.

The system wrote inactive pages to the paging file to free up RAM.