A processor including a large register file utilizes a dirty bit storage coupled to the register file and a dirty bit logic that controls resetting of the dirty bit storage. The dirty bit logic determines whether a register or group of registers in the register file has been written since the process was loaded or the context was last restored and, if written generates a value in the dirty bit storage that designates the written condition of the register or group of registers. When the context is next saved, the dirty bit logic saves a particular register or group of registers when the dirty bit storage indicates that a register or group of registers was written. If the register or group of registers was not written, the context is switched without saving the register or group of registers. The dirty bit storage is initialized when a process is loaded or the context changes.