Speed up Windows Vista With Readyboost

Welcome to mintywhite.com! If you're new here, you should subscribe to the RSS feed.

Take a tour of Mintywhite.com | Follow me on Twitter @mintywhite

Thanks for visiting!

Using Windows Readyboost is a great way to improve the performance of your computer when doing your day-to-day tasks.

In this guide, we will learn what Readyboost is, what its requirements are, and how to get it working for you.

What is Readyboost?

Readyboost uses a USB thumb drive to create an extra cache of the most commonly used data.

How Does it Work?

Solid state memory (what your USB drive uses) has excellent transfer speeds; therefore, it can be used to store and access data that is needed quickly.

Windows Vista Readyboost uses the USB thumb drive as an extra cache between the processor and the hard disk. Unlike RAM, the data is stored on your thumb drive and can be used next time you use your computer — a great time saver.

What are the Requirements?

For a USB thumb drive to be compatible, it needs to have a minimum of 256 MB free space. Most modern USB thumb drives will meet the space and speed requirements of Readyboost.

How Can I get it Working for Me?

First, put your USB thumb drive into a USB port on your computer. The following menu will appear.

Select Speed up my System with Windows Readyboost. The next screen will come up. Select Use this device and select how much of the drive you want to use for Readyboost. I recommend using a full USB drive. I would match the size of your drive to the amount of RAM you have in your laptop.

Press OK, your drive will be configured and you are good to go. Don’t expect miracles - but stick with it and your computer will begin to perform more efficiently.

What Next?

• 10 Ways To Improve Performance in Windows XP
• Disable and Delete the Hibernation File in Windows
• Vista’s Live File System Turns CDs and DVDs into Flash Drives
• Speed up Your External Hard Drives with Vista
• Slim down your Vista install. 15GB? More like 1.5GB!
• Save Time - Enhance SATA Disk Performance
• Make your Computer Boot Faster with Startup Delayer
• Make Windows XP Look Like Vista