Lifehacker: The Guide to Working Smarter, Faster, and Better, Third Edition

Hack 110: Speed Up Windows with a Thumb Drive

Level Easy

Platform Windows

Cost Free

One of the best ways to make a computer run faster is to add more system memory, or RAM. But not all computers have expansion slots available for additional memory, and installing internal memory sticks can be an intimidating undertaking for those who’ve never opened their computer and faced its silicon innards. That’s why Microsoft introduced a feature into Windows called ReadyBoost (available in Vista and Windows 7), which enables you to add memory to your PC with a regular USB flash drive. If you have a spare USB drive with unused space on it and you’d like your Vista PC to be more responsive, ReadyBoost is for you. Here’s how to set it up.

Enable ReadyBoost for a Flash Drive

When you plug a USB drive into your Windows PC, the AutoPlay dialog box comes up by default, asking what you’d like to do with the drive. This dialog box contains a Speed Up My System option.

Click Speed Up My System to enable ReadyBoost for the flash drive. ReadyBoost isn’t compatible with all flash drives, but only with drives that meet a certain speed requirement. If it’s a relatively new and roomy flash drive, ReadyBoost should work.

Allocate How Much Space ReadyBoost Uses

You can use the same flash drive for both ReadyBoost and file storage. To allocate a certain amount of space on your flash drive for ReadyBoost, follow these steps:

1. In My Computer, right-click the USB drive and select Properties.

2. In its Properties ...