To increase the speed of Windows 7 using a USB flash drive, you must use the built-in technology ReadyBoost. This technology is only available in Windows 7 and Vista. ReadyBoost does not work on any USB flash drive, but this is rather an exception, especially for older devices. can be used on one computer up to 8 flash drives. The positive thing is that to use the technology you do not need to delete all data from the flash drive, you just need to leave as much space as you want to use as RAM.

ReadyBoost allows you to increase system performance by freeing less-used data from RAM to a flash drive. To achieve a significant result, the device on which ReadyBoost is supposed to be used must have a relatively high operating speed.

Using this technology, Windows creates ReadyBoost.sfcache file on a drive that is encrypted with the AES-128 algorithm, so if your flash drive is stolen, they still won’t get access to the data that was there.

Minimum storage requirements

• Read speed 2.5 Mb/s, 4 kB blocks
• Write speed 1.75 MB/s in 512 KB blocks
• The minimum size, or the amount of free space on a flash drive, is 256 megabytes.
• The minimum ReadyBoost buffer size is 256 MB, and the maximum is up to 4 GB on x86 architecture and 32 GB on x64 architecture

Recommended buffer size relative to real RAM

• for weak computers 1:1
• for productive 2.5:1

Download Ready Boost for Windows

How to enable ReadyBoost via Autorun

1. When connecting a removable drive, in the AutoPlay dialog box, select Speed ​​up the system using Windows ReadyBoost
2. in the Properties window: Removable disk, open the ReadyBoost tab
3. the system will determine how much space can be reserved on this device; if there is less free space than the system requires, ReadyBoost will not be able to be used until you free up space

How to enable ReadyBoost manually

1. Click on the “Start” button and select “Computer” from the menu that opens.
2. Then in the “Computer” window that opens, right-click on the FLASH drive that you plan to use for the technology ReadyBoost and in the menu that opens, select “Properties”.
3. Next, in the “Properties: Removable Disk” window, on the “ReadyBoost” tab, select the “Use this device” option (if the parameters of this FLASH drive allow it to be used for these purposes) and set the amount of disk space on the removable drive, which is reserved to speed up operation systems using technology. When finished, click on the “OK” button.
4. After this, the system configures the cache on the selected USB drive. This process lasts 10-15 seconds. After its completion, ReadyBoost technology begins to work.
5. In the “Computer” window you can see that the free space on the selected FLASH drive has decreased by the amount specified in step 3. A cache file named “ReadyBoost.sfcache” also appears on this disk.

Disabling ReadyBoost

1. Attach the USB flash drive that you use for ReadyBoost to your computer.
2. Open the Computer folder, right-click the flash drive and select Properties.
3. Open the ReadyBoost tab.
4. Select Don't use this device.
5. Click OK.

On some flash drives, the ReadyBoost feature intermittently displays an error message even though the drive has previously been successfully used to speed up the system. In such cases, just click the button Test the device. Typically, the drive will then be available for ReadyBoost again.

Windows considers the flash drive not suitable for Ready Boost

This may be due to insufficient performance, then try using this recipe:

There are keys in the Windows Vista registry that are responsible for Memory Management for ReadyBoost.

And you can manually, bypassing the automatic test, connect a flash drive for use with ReadyBoost.

Connect the flash drive and find the branch:

In it, each storage device has its own key with parameters that determine the use of this device with ReadyBoost. These are the parameters:

• CacheSizeInMB— indicates how many MB of flash drive to use for cache, for example, if you have a 4 GB flash drive, enter 2048 MB.
• CacheStatus- you need to put 1.
• DeviceStatus- you need to put 2.
• DoRetestDevice— you need to set 0 to disable repeated automatic testing of the flash drive for speed parameters upon subsequent connections.
• PhysicalDeviceSizeMB— the physical size of the flash drive capacity is indicated here. Nothing changes here, since Vista sets this size itself when you first connect the flash drive.
• RecommendedCacheSizeMB— here you need to enter the same Mb value as in the CacheSizeInMB parameter. This value may be greater than the current CacheSizeInMB, but, naturally, not greater than the size of the PhysicalDeviceSizeMB flash drive itself.
• ReadSpeedKBs And WriteSpeedKBs— these values ​​are recorded during automatic testing of the flash drive; here you can set values ​​slightly higher than the minimum recommended by developers for flash drives under ReadyBoost (2.5 MB/sec for 4K random read and 1.75 MB/sec for 512K random write). For example, 3600 for ReadSpeedKBs and 2500 for WriteSpeedKBs.
• Leave other parameters in the new flash drive key unchanged.
• All numeric parameter values ​​must be specified as Decimal.

Close regedit.

Then go to the ReadyBoost tab of the flash drive; after tweaking the register, all control parameters should appear in it.

On the selected size slider, there will be a value of 2048 MB, which you entered in the register (in the future, this size can be changed using this slider within the physical volume of the flash drive).

All that remains is to select “Use this device” and close the properties window by clicking “OK”.

After this, Vista will create a 2048 MB $emd.sfcache file on the flash drive and begin using the previously rejected flash drive as a ReadyBoost device.

Thus, you can connect any working flash drive rejected by the ReadyBoost autotest.

You just need to remember that the slower the flash drive is (especially according to the developers, access speed is important), the less benefit there will be from using it with ReadyBoost technology.

Is it possible to use an external hard drive connected via USB or IEEE 1394?

You need to right-click on the device icon and open a window with its properties.

If there is a ReadyBoost tab there, then you can try using it.

But in practice, such a device will not pass the automatic speed test for use with ReadyBoost technology.

You can, of course, connect such a device in the manner described above, but there will be no practical benefit precisely because of the speed of access to such devices.

After all, the point of this technology is partly to reduce the number of calls to the computer’s hard drive, which is slower than a flash drive, due to the resulting cache. That is, reduce data swapping.

Therefore, replacing a flash drive with a disk, and even an external one, will not give any gain, and in practice it should even slow down the system.

Notes

• When a removable device is used for ReadyBoost, the reserved space (ReadyBoost cache file - ReadyBoost.sfcache) cannot be used to store other files.
• The recommended amount of memory for ReadyBoost acceleration is one to three times the amount of random access memory (RAM) installed on the PC. For example, if your PC has 1GB of memory and a 4GB USB flash drive is connected, allocating 1GB to 1.5GB of the device's capacity will provide the best performance acceleration.
• If you want to disable the use of a removable device for ReadyBoost, in the Properties: Removable Disk window, open the ReadyBoost tab -> select the Don't use this device -> OK switch.
• In fact, ReadyBoost is the same paging file, only faster (that is, RAM is faster than ReadyBoost, ReadyBoost is superior to the paging file).
• You should not expect any noticeable increase in PC performance when using ReadyBoost. Performance increases, but not as significantly as we would like.
• If you have a choice between increasing the amount of RAM and using ReadyBoost, then it is better to increase the amount of RAM.
• Using ReadyBoost allows you to quickly - in camping conditions, on a trip, on a business trip, literally - on your knee - increase the performance of a laptop when increasing the amount of RAM is not possible.
• When you connect a removable device, the operating system checks it for “professional suitability”. If it does not meet the ReadyBoost requirements, the message "This device cannot be used for ReadyBoost" will appear.
• It is very convenient to use ReadyBoost on laptops with SD card slots. You can also use regular flash drives for ReadyBoost, but it is not as convenient as using SD cards.

Conclusions based on ReadyBoost testing?

It must be said that we did not have everything necessary to conduct a full test, so to write this article we used the knowledge we had already accumulated on the Internet. Thus, according to Tom's Hardware Guide, performance improvements vary depending on the system. The greatest benefit from ReadyBoost is seen on low-performance systems with 512MB of memory, while on systems with 1GB or more, the performance gain is negligible.

Moreover, the results we obtained on two systems with a 2GB USB flash drive are similar. On a system with 2GB of memory, ReadyBoost did not provide any noticeable improvement, while on a laptop with 756MB of memory and a slow hard drive, applications began to run a little faster.

ReadyBoost is a technology that is created at the software level and allows you to speed up the hard drive on computers and laptops. If your “storage” is an SSD or you use a HDD with high performance, then you do not need this technology.

This option (technology) speeds up HDD performance using a flash drive. Before “overclocking” the drive, familiarize yourself with the features of this method of accelerating hard drives.

Operating principle and purpose

ReadyBoost can use high-speed flash memory to store a "disk cache" that is created when content is copied, moved, and otherwise manipulated. For “physical acceleration” you need to use a regular flash drive.

Set up the configuration inside the flash drive, because the ReadyBoost.sfcache file will appear there, which will save the cache. This file is not encrypted, and its size can be configured.

As practice shows, there is no need to set the size of the “sfcache” file to less than 1 GB, because with this setting the performance gain is not noticeable. For these operations you need to buy a large flash drive.

In addition, together with the cache, which is stored on a flash drive, you can save information. Let’s say if your flash drive has 8 GB of space, and half of the space is reserved for “software,” then you can write any information to the remaining space.

Compatibility

This program (technology) is built into OS Windows 7 and higher. This utility does not need to be downloaded from the website or searched for on special resources. "ReadyBoost" is located in the "My Computer" properties for OS Windows 7 and 8.
On OS Windows 10, you need to click on “This PC”, and then call up the context menu on the “special” flash drive and enter the “Properties” window.

In the corresponding section you select “caching volumes”. Efficient operation of the hard drive through the use of “ReadyBoost” technology is available after formatting the flash drive in NTFS, but provided that the cluster size is at least 2048 bytes.
On OS Windows XP and Vista, you speed up your hard drive using the eBoostr tool.

Key Features

• increased hard drive performance;
• the technology works if the flash drive has a capacity of at least 1 GB;
• to use “ReadyBoost”, format the drive with the NTFS file system;
• setting up the software (technology) is not complicated and is suitable for beginners;
• There is a choice of the maximum size of ReadyBoost.sfcache.

Connect a USB drive to a Windows computer - even Windows 8 - and the system will ask you if you want to speed up the system using ReadyBoost. But what is ReadyBoost, and can it actually speed up your computer?

The ReadyBoost feature was introduced with the release of Windows Vista, and it has sometimes contributed significantly to the performance of the OS.

Unfortunately, ReadyBoost is not a bullet that will make your computer faster, although it may be useful in some limited circumstances.

How ReadyBoost works

ReadyBoost works in conjunction with SuperFetch, and previously introduced in Windows Vista, monitors the programs you use on your computer and automatically loads their files and libraries into the computer's memory (RAM) ahead of time. When you run the application, it will start loading faster; the computer will read files from memory, which is faster, rather than from the HDD, which is slower when processing files. A full random access memory (RAM) doesn't do any good, so using a USB drive as a cache for frequently used applications can make your computer run faster.

SuperFetch typically uses your computer's memory - it caches these files in your memory. However, SuperFetch can also work with USB - that's ReadyBoost in action. When you connect a USB drive to your computer and enable ReadyBoost, Windows SuperFetch will store data on the USB drive, freeing up system memory. And it will begin to read various small files from a flash drive faster than reading them from a hard drive, so in theory it can improve the performance of your system.

Why ReadyBoost Probably Isn't Good for You

So far so good - but there's one catch: USB storage is slower to process data than RAM. It is better to store SuperFetch data in the computer's RAM than on a USB drive. Thus, ReadyBoost only helps if your computer does not have enough RAM. If you have more than enough RAM, then you won’t feel any real help from the ReadyBoost function, and I don’t think there’s any reason for it.

ReadyBoost is ideal for computers with little RAM. When Windows Vista was released, the ReadyBoost feature was tested, and the results of these tests were informative. Combined with 512 MB of RAM (a very small amount of RAM - new modern computers typically contain several gigabytes), ReadyBoost showed some performance improvements.

However, adding more RAM is always better than using ReadyBoost.

When should you use ReadyBoost?

With that said, ReadyBoost can still be useful if your computer has a small amount of RAM (512 MB or even 1 GB) but you don't want to add additional RAM for some reason or there is no such option, so it might be possible to just use a free USB and preferably USB 3.0.

So ReadyBoost probably won't improve your computer's performance by much. If you have a very small amount of RAM (512MB or so) and if you have a fast USB drive then you may see some performance improvement - but it's not guaranteed even in this situation.

Of the minuses, it should be noted: rather slow operation of the system, additional load on the hard drive. Technology copes precisely with these shortcomings. Readyboost Windows 7, which we will consider in this article.

Readyboost first appeared in the Windows Vista operating system and was significantly improved in Windows 7. This technology is the link between the computer's RAM and the page file. Moreover, it does not replace the swap file. Currently, the memory used in flash drives and memory cards is an order of magnitude slower than RAM. It is also slower than a hard drive, but it eliminates the delays associated with searching for information present in a HDD. Due to this, access to a flash drive is faster than to a hard drive and due to this, system performance increases.

Here are the minimum drive system requirements for Readyboost in Windows 7

• USB 2.0 connection interface
• data read speed 2.5 MB/s in 4 kB blocks
• data writing speed 1.7 MB/s in 512 kB blocks

It follows from this that for this technology, the faster the flash drive, the higher the performance of the system as a whole.

This feature will be especially useful for low-power systems with USB 2.0 on board, which work creakingly with Windows 7. The type of memory in such systems is most likely DDR2 and it is much more expensive than the higher-speed DDR3. Therefore, it is more advisable to buy a high-speed flash drive of 8, 16 or even 32 GB than to overpay for memory in a system that will have to be replaced in 1-2 years.

Also, this function will be relevant for computers that are still under warranty, so as not to open the case and break the seals. The warranty is sometimes 36 months).

Readyboost in Windows 7 will be indispensable in laptops or netbooks, the hard drives of which differ in performance from their 3.5″ counterparts. You can read about the differences between a laptop and a netbook. It will be especially interesting if computers allow you to “swallow” memory cards completely. Purchasing a high-speed Class 10 memory card should have a significant effect.

Enabling Readyboost in Windows 7

To enable this function, insert a high-speed flash drive or memory card into the computer.

If the autorun window appears, then immediately select Speed ​​up the system using Windows ReadyBoost.

If autorun is disabled, as in my case, then go to My computer, we find the connected drive. Call the context menu by right-clicking on it and select the item Properties. Go to the ReadyBoost tab. The first time this tab may not be there, just as it wasn’t for me. In this case, find the connected drive in the “My Computer” window, call up the context menu and select Open autorun...

Next, select “Provide this device for ReadyBoost technology"and use the slider to determine the reserved space to speed up the system. Click Apply and after a few seconds the device is ready.

The Windows operating system creates a file on the drive ReadyBoost.sfcache taking up all the space allocated by the slider. This file is not hidden or system, unlike the swap file. The data on the drive is encrypted using the AES-128 algorithm. So you don’t have to worry if suddenly a flash drive falls into the wrong hands.

As can be seen from the figure, with 4 GB of RAM, the system recommends using the entire 16 GB flash drive. Microsoft recommends using a RAM to USB drive ratio of 1:1 for weak systems, and 1:2.5 for powerful systems. From the following we conclude that the larger the capacity of the USB drive, the faster the system will be. You can read how else to speed up your computer.

Immediately after ReadyBoost in Windows 7 configures the drive, active cache formation processes begin. What does the picture below show?

The function is enabled.

Sometimes this situation happens

In this case, you must enable the Superfetch service.

To do this in the main menu Start at the point Computer press the right mouse button and select the item Control. On the left side select Services and Applications > Services

Finding a service Superfetch and double-click on it or call up the context menu with the right mouse button and select the item Properties

In field Startup type select from the drop-down menu Automatically

Press the button Launch And OK at the bottom of the window

The Superfetch service is running, you can enable ReadyBoost technology.

Disabling Readyboost

Opening My computer, call context menu on the USB drive, select the item Properties and go to the tab Readyboost. Choose Do not use this device and press OK

We wait a few seconds and the ReadyBoost function is disabled on this drive.

If you have 4 GB of RAM or more and Windows 7 32-bit is installed, you can reinstall the system or use all available memory

If you want to add something or have experience using ReadyBoost technology, be sure to write a comment.

Probably many people have asked the question of how to speed up a Windows 10 computer. One way is to use the page file in Windows 10; we discussed how to increase it in. Now we’ll talk about ReadyBoost technology and how to actually enable ReadyBoost Windows 10. And we’ll understand all the nuances of the technology itself. And also you may have heard many questions similar to this one: how to increase RAM using a flash drive. ReadyBoost technology will help us do this, since using a page file means using a hard drive, the speed of which is inferior to external drives.

The ReadyBoost technology itself has been around since Windows Vista. Thanks to the technology of which in Windows 10 you can achieve not only faster launch of programs, but also faster launch of the Windows 10 operating system itself. If we talk about who should use this function, then we can say that it is recommended to use it on weak computers and for those in whom there are good flash drives. Therefore, if you have 32 GB of RAM and an SSD drive, you simply do not need this technology.

ReadyBoost technology works on the principle of using flash memory as a place for the swap file. Instead of the hard drive, the system will use the space on the external drive for caching.

If you start setting up and preparing the flash drive itself, then you must make sure that you have the function enabled. Many people disable it because it loads the hard drive, and for users who have an SSD drive installed, it is recommended to disable it. Well, strangely enough, this is the first time I needed this function.

Remember, when the device is used to speed up the system, the reserved space cannot be used to store files. But still, if you are using a large storage drive and have not used all of its working area, then you can save the necessary files on it and use it for its intended purpose.

As for how much memory is available for reservation, I only have 4 GB due to file system limitations. If you format the drive in the NTFS file system, then you can set the size to be larger than 4 GB.

As the developers assured us, ReadyBoost technology allows you to speed up the process of loading programs or other data by 10 times. Which sounds amazing, but in practice everything is not so smooth. It works slowly with large files, but with small files there is real progress. It also depends a lot on the speed of your external drive; the more your flash drive can output, the faster everything will work, which is not surprising.

conclusions

In this article, we looked at how to enable ReadyBoost in Windows 10, and in general we figured out what kind of technology ReadyBoost is, which you may not have even heard of. Now you know how to increase RAM using a flash drive. All instructions that you can find on the Internet for expanding RAM using a flash drive describe ReadyBoost technology.

Although the article was not long, I think it will be useful to many, especially for those with weak hardware. This is a really good way to speed up your computer.