Microsoft first introduced the functionality to use a USB drive or SD card as a memory cache in Windows Vista in the form of a feature known as ReadyBoost. The feature was also inherited to Windows 7 and later versions, but with the ability to configure more than one USB drive for ReadyBoost.

what is ReadyBoost in Windows?

ReadyBoost is a feature that speeds up Windows by storing application files and data as cache in a USB drive. This disk caching is beneficial in case the system is running a slow hard drive. ReadyBoost works with USB drives, SD cards, and CF cards.

However, it may not be able to deliver considerable performance in the case of newer hardware. So, if you’re stuck with an older hardware, you can speed up Windows using ReadyBoost and USB drive.

ReadyBoost as it appears in Windows 10. … ReadyBoost enables NAND memory mass storage devices, including CompactFlash, SD cards, and USB flash drives, to be used as a cache between a hard drive and random access memory in an effort to increase computing performance.

How does ReadyBoost help my computer?

ReadyBoost is a feature that speeds up Windows by storing application files and data as cache in a USB drive. This disk caching is beneficial in case the system is running a slow hard drive. ReadyBoost works with USB drives, SD cards, and CF cards.

How ReadyBoost works?

Now, ReadyBoost is a feature that allows the system to store required data in an external media for some time. The real driving force behind it is SuperFetch – a disk cache management system in Windows that speeds up your system. It is another goodie which came with Windows Vista. However, a precursor called PreFetcher existed on Windows

SuperFetch runs some algorithms to analyze your habits and automatically loads the relevant data to the main memory (RAM). For instance, if Chrome is the first application you use when you start your PC, SuperFetch will load Chrome files on the RAM and reduce the launch time.

Mostly, SuperFetch creates a temporary cache on the main memory itself. Thus, using ReadyBoost can be an advantage if your system is low on RAM. Also, the drive’s mechanical arm does contribute to degraded performance.

Supertech works with ReadyBoost to speed up Windows and decides what things should go into ReadyBoost cache on your USB drive and eventually into the RAM. It copies data to the cache file stored in the USB drive’s root folder.

Now, there is catch, the cache so created is used only in the case of non-sequential operations. When it comes to sequential operations, SuperFetch uses the files on the hard drive instead. So, ReadyBoost only comes into action when a performance improvement is possible. This also means you can pull off the USB stick anytime you want, as original files are present on the hard drive.

How to speed up Windows 10 using ReadyBoost?

As mentioned earlier, you can use a USB drive, SD card or a CF card to enhance the performance of your Windows 10 operating system.

In the case of SD cards, please keep in mind that you use the internal SD card reader present on your machine. The external card reader may not be as effective as the internal one. Also, it would be better if you format your USB drive or SD card before setting up ReadyBoost. However, it’s completely optional.

Now, here are the steps to set up ReadyBoost on your USB drive and speed up Windows 10 (for previous versions the options may slightly differ):

1. Connect the USB drive to your Windows 10 PC.
2. Go to My Computer or This PC.
3. Now, right-click your USB drive to open the context menu and select Properties.
4. Under the ReadyBoost tab, you can allocate space for the ReadyBoost feature or use the complete USB drive.
   
5. Select Dedicate this device to ReadyBoost if you won’t be using the USB drive for any other purpose. Otherwise, select Use this device radio button and use the slider to reserve space for the feature.
6. Click OK to finish. Windows will take some time to configure the USB drive.

So, this way you can speed up Windows using ReadyBoost if you’re low on resources. You might observe some benefits of the feature but they largely depend on people’s usage habits and may differ from machine to machine.

How do I stop ReadyBoost?

There are a lot of benefits offered by ReadyBoost, but there could be many reasons you might want to disable it. For instance, you’ve have upgraded your new PC and don’t need ReadyBoost anymore.

Go to your ReadyBoost drive’s properties and click on Do not use this device radio button. Click Ok to save the changes. Next, you have to manually delete the ReadyBoost file stored on the US drive.

How do I get ReadyBoost on Windows 10?

1. Plug the flash drive into a USB port on your computer.
2. In the AutoPlay dialog box, choose Speed Up My System.
3. The flash drive’s Properties dialog box appears with the ReadyBoost tab upfront.
4. Click on ReadyBoost tab.
5. Choose the Use This Device option.
6. Click OK.

To be ReadyBoost-compatible, the device must:

• Be at least 256 MB in size, with at least 64 KB of free space.
• Have an access time of 1 ms or less.
• Have at least a 2.5 MB/sec throughput for 4 KB random reads.
• Have at least a 1.75 MB/sec throughput for 1 MB random writes.

If the device isn’t compatible, you’ll see a message informing you that the device doesn’t have the required performance characteristics for ReadyBoost,

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