Where Is swapfile.sys Located?
swapfile.sys is the modern app swap file beside pagefile.sys, managed through virtual memory settings.
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swapfile.sys sits at the root of the system drive next to pagefile.sys, handling swap for suspended modern apps while pagefile.sys covers classic virtual memory. It appeared with Windows 8 and persists through Windows 11, usually a few hundred megabytes.
Like its siblings it is locked, hidden and pointless to delete by hand. Size and placement come from the Virtual memory dialog, where no paging file is a valid but inadvisable choice on low RAM machines. The file recreates itself on boot whenever paging is enabled.
Where Windows stores this, by platform
C:\swapfile.sys
Requires show hidden files plus unhide protected operating system files to appear in Explorer. Manage it from System Properties and then Performance Options, never by deleting the file.
Frequently asked questions
how do i change or disable swapfile.sys
Open Performance Options, go to Advanced and then Virtual memory, and set paging to system managed or a custom size. Reboot to apply. Manual deletion fails because the kernel holds the file open.
what is the difference between swapfile.sys and pagefile.sys
They split duties. pagefile.sys backs classic virtual memory for desktop apps, while swapfile.sys handles suspended Store and UWP app pages. Both live at the drive root and both are managed from the same dialog.
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