using-readyboost-in-windows-8

ReadyBoost was introduced with Windows Vista years ago but not really taken seriously until Windows 7 was released. ReadyBoost works by allowing a Windows user to utilize a USB, drive, SD card or CompactFlash card to filter a PC’s cache. This can have a significant impact on the functionality of Windows, since a removable device can react quickly when caching than your computer can.

What types of devices are compatible with ReadyBoost?

You can use a SD card, CompactFlash card or USB flash drive to take advantage of ReadyBoost with the following conditions:

  • At least 256 MB of free space, 1 GB of space is desirable for optimal performance
  • An access time of 1 MS for a 1MB write
  • Capable of read speeds at 2.5 MB/s for a 4KB random read

Your PC must also be utilizing a non-SSD. Solid-state drives are capable of performing the same way ReadyBoost performs, so it’s not necessary on PCs with this type of hardware.

Depending on the amount of space on your removable device, you may need to format it as either FAT32 or NTFS. For a removable device with 4GB or less space, you’ll want to use a FAT32 partition format. For anything above that, you’ll want to use the NTFS format.

In Windows 7 and Windows 8, you can also utilize up to eight removable devices with ReadyBoost enabled for maximum performance. While this may not be necessary for all PC users, it all depends on how large your removable device is to begin with.

ReadyBoost is available for Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8. Our guide will show you how to take advantage of ReadyBoost in Windows 8, but the steps are similar in Windows 7.

How to use ReadyBoost in Windows 8

Once you insert your removable device, click on “My Computer.”

open-my-computer

Right-click on your removable device. In this case, we’re using a USB drive.

right-click-removable-device

Click on “Properties.”

Then, click on the “ReadyBoost” tab.

(4) readyboost properties tab

If available, your removable device can be used as a ReadyBoost device. If not, you’ll need to find a compatible device to continue the process.

Windows will always recommend the best settings for your device.

You can change the space to reserve for system speed to this.

You can opt to dedicate the drive for ReadyBoost usage, but that doesn’t mean you’ll necessarily get the best performance. For the most part, follow Windows’ suggestion on how to use ReadyBoost.

When set, click “Apply.”

configuring-readyboost-on-your-device

A pop-up will let you know the status of the ReadyBoost conversion.

The larger the device, the longer it’ll take. When finished, ReadyBoost will automatically begin working. As long as the removable device is in place, ReadyBoost will be running.

As you’ll see in My Computer, your device will be “full” and in use as a ReadyBoost device.

readyboost-in-action

It’s key that when you don’t want to use ReadyBoost, you eject the removable device properly or else you can cause system stability issues within Windows.

At any time you can disable ReadyBoost by following the same steps and turning it off for your removable device.

Do you really need ReadyBoost in Windows 8?

If your PC meets or exceeds the minimum RAM specifications, you’ll notice no performance difference when using ReadyBoost. ReadyBoost can have its advantages, and if you have the removable device to do it, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t see what it can do for you. ReadyBoost can easily be enabled or disabled on a removable devices, so there’s no harm in trying.