Buffalo Technology

What is Microsoft® Vista™ ReadyBoost™ and how can I use it with Buffalo′s Ultra High Speed USB Flash Drive

Thanks to ever-emerging technology, Buffalo's Ultra High Speed USB flash drives can be used to improve the speed and performance of your computer using Vista™ ReadyBoost™. If your computer has minimal memory upgrade capacity or you do not want to invest in additional RAM, this is a simple, cost-effective way to quickly upgrade your computer.

What is Microsoft® Vista™ ReadyBoost™?

ReadyBoost™ is a function of Microsoft′s latest operating system (OS), Windows Vista™, which enables users to transfer storage space on the USB to the OS. This process gives Vista™ the option to use the USB for caching, in addition to the memory (RAM) that is already installed in the computer. You will notice the difference most with small amounts of data (everyday processes) because the USB is able to send this type of data to the Central Processing Unit (CPU) much quicker than the hard drive can. (Hard drives, on the other hand, are faster with large amounts of sequential data.)

It is important to note that only one ReadyBoost™ device can be used (per computer), at any given time, and the USB used must be able to transport at least 2.5 MB per second for 4KB of random reads and 1.75 MB/sec. for 512KB of random writes. Also, the maximum amount of supplemental memory that ReadyBoost™ will support is 4GB. Therefore, on an 8GB ReadyBoost™-capable USB flash drive, only 4GB of storage is useable.

How to install Microsoft® Vista™ ReadyBoost™?

Installation is a quick and easy task. Follow the following directions:

1.      Insert your Buffalo Ultra High Speed USB flash drive into your USB port.

2.      An AutoPlay pop-up window will appear, select the "Speed up my system" option. In the background, Vista™ will test the USB to qualify it for ReadyBoost™.

3.      The Drive Properties window will pop-up, select the "Use this Device" option. (The maximum "Space to reserve for system speed" is, by default, the capacity of the USB and/or the maximum cache size for ReadyBoost™: 4GB.)

4.      Click "OK" (or "Apply") for Vista™ to create the ReadyBoost™ .sfcache file on the USB.

In order to continue to use ReadyBoost™ with the USB, on any Windows™ Operating System, simply pull the USB out of the USB port when you are finished.

If you do not want to USB ReadyBoost™ with the USB anymore and/or you want to delete the ReadyBoost™ file from the USB, use the "Remove Hardware Safely" or "Explorer Eject" features available on the taskbar.