How to enable Readyboost that is disabled in error

Anonymous
2014-01-01T15:02:17+00:00

My laptop came pre-installed with Windows 8.1 on a 500GB 5400RPM HDD. It has 4GB memory.

Over the holidays someone gave me a 64GB m-SATA SSD, which I put into the laptop's m-SATA slot.

On the BIOS, the info shows that the SSD occupies the SATA 0 slot. I had to re-adjust the boot order to boot normally into my system disk, which is on the SATA 1 slot.

I wanted to use the m-SATA SSD as a Readyboost cache. When I carried out the steps to enable Readyboost on the SSD, it wouldn't let me. The error message is:

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.

There must be some mistake because the SSD is not the system disk. It only occupies SATA slot 0 (which I cannot change). The system disk is a typical HDD.

How do I go about enabling Readyboost on the SSD? Any tweaks or commands? I have tweaked the registry many times before so if need be I could do that.

[Note: Those who want to suggest other things like sell the SSD, leave it alone, or whatever, please just heckle some other thread.]

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Performance and system failures

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Anonymous
2015-05-06T22:06:26+00:00

Insert the flash drive or card, then right-click on it in This PC and select properties.  Open the ReadyBoost tab.

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  1. Anonymous
    2014-11-20T11:05:38+00:00

    ...

    You have 2 options to improve your Laptop's performance using "alternatives" to ReadyBoost that work just the same or even better than a usb stick which has limited I/O speeds

    Note1: on old systems with less than 2Gb ram everything helps!

    Ok,

    Option 1: (with the permisse that your Laptop SSD has enough space to install and run an OS plus your applications/personnal programs)

    • Define your laptop's SSD drive as system disk and reinstall your OS on SSD (backup all your personnal data on a external drive before changing/formating laptop disks)
    • Use your SATA drive as storage with non operating system files in it.

    Note2: Attention! Formating/Instaling new OS/Changing disk definitions. Will delete your disks data!!! That data must be backed up before trying any of the above steps!

    Option 2: (if your laptop's internal SSD drive is small in GB)

    • Go to Control Panel,

         Advanced system settings,

         System Properties,

         Advanced "tab",

         Performance "settings" button

         Performance Options "Advanced" Tab

         Virtual Memory "change" button.

         Set the paging file size to manual on SSD drive

         On the SSD drive , set custom size to min:2Gb and max:4Gb

    Note3: you might have better results if you define all your Paging file on the SSD disk and leave the SATA disk without Paging.. but if doing so, on the SSD set the Paging file size to system managed... and put your finghers crossed that your SSD doesn't stop working leaving your system in error without access to the paging files (much like a raid0 system. if one disk falls.. all is lost)

    And there you go... readyboost on your internal SSD

    Note4: Please verify and search for more info before attempting any of the steps written above!

    Note5: I'm not an IT Guru.. just giving my humble opinion.. hope it helps!

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  2. Anonymous
    2014-03-07T19:37:05+00:00

    The first link is dumbed down and inaccurate. The second, from MS, states:

    ReadyBoost provides the most significant performance improvement under the following circumstances:

    • The computer has a slow hard disk drive. Computers with a primary hard disk Windows Experience Index (WEI) subscore lower than 4.0 will see the most significant improvements.
    • The flash storage provides fast, random, non-sequential reads. Sequential read speed is less important.

    Nowhere does it state anything like "Readyboost will NOT give you any improvement in performance. At ALL."

    More RAM is better, but regardless of how much RAM you have, if you have a mechanical HD, Readyboost can help. RAM + Readyboost > RAM

    In addition to the scenarios often listed, Readyboost helps when there is a lot of disk activity. If your disk is bogged down with IO, Readyboost can help keep Windows interactive. An SSD master is better, but I use Readyboost regularly on machines where I can't justify an SSD, or don't have access to the internals but need to use the machine anyway.

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  3. Anonymous
    2014-03-07T19:13:01+00:00

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  4. Anonymous
    2014-03-07T17:02:40+00:00

    I continue to look for an answer to this bug:

    Why?

    You have 4GB RAM - Readyboost will NOT give you any improvement in performance. At ALL.

    Do you have any evidence to support that? Readyboost is useful whenever disk IO is limiting, and if you have a mechanical drive then IO is limiting, regardless of how much RAM you have.

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