Upon inserting many flash drives and selecting 'ReadyBoost' under Properties, I am greeted by the message, "This device cannot be used for ReadyBoost. ReadyBoost is not enabled because this computer is fast enough that ReadyBoost is unlikely to provide additional benefit."
I understand that as memory requirements exceed installed RAM, the SSD is used. However, I have a vague notion that I would prefer to have the extra operations take place on a cheap flash drive rather than on the system drive, even if performance will be a bit slower. I only intend to use this when doing memory-intensive tasks. Installed RAM is 16GB.
33 Answers
I understand that as memory requirements exceed installed RAM, the SSD is used. However, I have a vague notion that I would prefer to have the extra operations take place on a cheap flash drive rather than on the system drive, even if performance will be a bit slower.
ReadyBoost can only be enabled in specific cases, if you have enough system memory, then it cannot be enabled. Your ability to enable or disable ReadyBoost is entirely dependent on the storage device you intend to enable it on and how much system memory you have. You cannot use enable ReadyBoost on a SSD.
I only intend to use this when doing memory-intensive tasks. Installed RAM is 16GB.
You would gain no benefit from enabling ReadyBoost since you already have 16 GB installed. ReadyBoost comes with a significant performance hit, which is worth it, when you don't already have enough system memory installed (less than 4 GB).
The specific reason you were unable to enable ReadyBoost was stated in your question
This device cannot be used for ReadyBoost. ReadyBoost is not enabled because this computer is fast enough that ReadyBoost is unlikely to provide additional benefit
ReadyBoost can only be enabled on removal storage devices that meet specific performance metrics.
The removable media's capacity must be at least 256 MB.
The device must have an access time of 1 ms or less.
The device must be capable of 2.5 Mbit/s read speeds for 4 kB random reads spread uniformly across the entire device, and 1.75 Mbit/s write speeds for 512 kB random writes spread uniformly across the device.
Source: ReadyBoost
The benefit I was seeking was to prolong my SSD's life.
Even if you were able to enable ReadyBoost your applications would not have been able to use more than 16 GB of memory.
ReadyBoost works in conjunction with SuperFetch. SuperFetch, also introduced in Windows Vista, monitors the programs you use on your computer and automatically loads their application files and libraries into your computer’s memory (RAM) ahead of time.
SuperFetch normally uses your computer’s memory – it caches these files in your RAM. However, SuperFetch can also work with a USB stick – that’s ReadyBoost in action. When you connect a USB drive to your computer and enable ReadyBoost, Windows will store SuperFetch data on your USB drive, freeing up system memory.
It’s better to store SuperFetch data in your computer’s RAM than on a USB stick. Therefore, ReadyBoost only helps if your computer doesn’t have enough RAM. If you have more than enough RAM, ReadyBoost won’t really help.
Since you have enough memory, any data that would be stored by ReadyBoost, is already being stored in memory. ReadyBoost would prevent a page file from being created on your SSD, which I assume, is what your trying to avoid being created.
Source: Is Windows ReadyBoost Worth Using?
I understand that as memory requirements exceed installed RAM, the SSD is used.
This isn't actually the case, or to be more specific, the statement itself is way to general to actually be true.
4Upon inserting many flash drives and selecting 'ReadyBoost' under Properties, I am greeted by the message, "This device cannot be used for ReadyBoost. ReadyBoost is not enabled because this computer is fast enough that ReadyBoost is unlikely to provide additional benefit."
i dont know why you need readyboost when you have SSD, but the easiest way to enable readyboost even you have SSD is using eboostr.
I understand that as memory requirements exceed installed RAM, the SSD is used. However, I have a vague notion that I would prefer to have the extra operations take place on a cheap flash drive rather than on the system drive, even if performance will be a bit slower. I only intend to use this when doing memory-intensive tasks. Installed RAM is 16GB.
afaik, windows 10 already have superfetch, and adopted ZRAM ala linux .
it will store swapfile at memory in a compressed zip. so it will not touch SSD/HDD too often.
also readyboost is part of superfetch, it will prefetch/preload certain app files .
ready boost store dll, dat, js , etc... at usbflashdrive, ramdisk , or even GPU ramdisk .
anykind of storage you use as readyboost.
readyboost only make apps load faster.
there is no operation in readyboost, it just store preloaded cache
Up to what i know ReadyBoost is a Read Cache for files, so files can be readed at the same time from two devices, the HDD and the USB, that reduces the amount of time to load a file.
But for that to be true, the HDD must be slow and the USB must be fast (in terms of random 4K read).
So if you have a SSD for system, ReadyBoost can not gain anything from using a slow (compared to the SSD) USB device.
ReadyBoost is just a read cache, it haas nothing to do with Virtual RAM (pagefile).
ReadyBoost is to load executables faster by reading them form USB when the HDD is working on other read/write tasks; but only on that (read time), to do so ReadyBoost copies files to the USB, files that think will be readed in the future when applications starts.
ReadyBoost does not cache individual 4k blocks, only full files.
At least that is what i know.
So trying to use ReadyBoost with a fast HDD or also with a SSD taht is much faster than the HDD is no gain (that is what M$ thinks), in my opinion it could be a little gain in cases where the SSD i saturated with reads/writes and one application is run and its files reside on a different drive.
One thing equivalent to ReadyBoost would be to have six small & fast SSD and install only one application onto each one, that way when running more than one application at the same time, the load times (and also write times) improves a lot... that concept is what ReadyBoost does, but with USB flash drives... make read be able to be in paralel... nothing more, nothing less.
If you really want to move away the pagefile to another drive there is a very easy way to do it, but it must be to an internal drive seen at the very first stage of the boot (not in a controller that needs drivers, etc).
Let me explain how, with two parts (delete pagefile and symlink it to another drive), first part (delete pagefile.sys):
- Configure Virtual ram to not be used (needed to delete pagefile.sys)
- Reboot to make changes take effect
- ATTRIB -S -H C:\pagefile.sys
- DEL C:\pagefile.sys
Second part (symlink pagefile.sys onto another drive):
- NOTEPAD D:\pagefiles.sys and tell it to create it
- MKLINK C:\pagefile.sys D:\pagefile.sys
- ATTRIB +S +H C:\pagefile.sys
- Configure Virtual RAM as you wish (dynamic size or fixed size) but on C:
That way Windows will see pagefile.sys is on C:\pagefile.sys but its data is on D:\pagefile.sys, so all Virtual RAM writes and reads go to D: drive not C: drive.
Note: Replace C: with the letter of where you installed Windows System files and replace D:\pagefile.sys to whatever path you wish, like E:\MyVirtualRamHolder\pagefile.sys
This works for almost all Windows that has SYMLINK implemented and i use it on all my machines, including virtual machines to improve speed and endurance; i use two NVME, one for system and one for applications, a SSD for pagefile and another SSD for some data, another for otehr data, etc., up to 14 SSD + 2 NVMEs.
See screen shots:
Command line showing pagefile.sys SymLinked to another drive
Virtual RAM configured normally, in Fixed size and with Min=Max
