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
    2015-09-14T22:11:02+00:00

    HatsoffSec,

    Brilliant. Worked for me, thanks!

    I found it at: Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\rdyboost\AttachState

    The key was to notice which item had a (2) value (mine was +4~4~~) and to change that to a zero.  

    For those still arguing that ReadyBoost doesn't do much they should try a bit of testing first.  With the systems I work on (Win 7, Win 8, 2-8GB memory, etc.) I see at least a 50% and regularly 200% increase in random read speed (using for example Defragglers Benchmark).  This just makes the system more responsive and quicker to do system maintenance (updates, defragging, backups, installs/uninstalls, etc.).  It is not huge, but it is noticeable when working on a typical system.

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  2. Anonymous
    2015-09-15T09:11:11+00:00

    You must have measuring software then because I saw NO improvement whatsoever - and my machine had 4GB RAM - the Readyboost access is usually SLOWER than internal RAM or an SSD....

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  3. Anonymous
    2015-10-02T00:54:01+00:00

    I am still upset that Microsoft will not allow ReadyBoost for any system.  Some people have slower disk drives and could put a small SSD to help offload the immediate reads and writes.  

    I did however try something else.  

    My OS was on a PCIe raid controller (non-Intel).

    My on board chipset is Intel that was only hosting a DVD drive.  

    I degraded the Raid 1 Mirror on the "PCIe" controller

    Moved one drive to the Intel on board controller.

    Wiped the "Intel" drive and cloned the "PCIe" to it.

    Booted to Windows on "Intel" drive and enabled "Safe Boot" from msconfig then shut down.

    Entered BIOS and changed AHCI to RAID on the Intel Controller

    Booted Safe Mode Windows to desktop and restored "Original Boot Config" and shut down.

    Normal boot to windows with 1 drive and Intel RAID enabled.

    Installed Intel Rapid Storage Technology.

    Moved 2nd "PCIe" drive to "Intel" and created a Mirror.

    Enabled Performance Disk Cache for my new Intel RAID.

    This is having to use an alternative to Microsoft's idea since they remain dormant.  

    This seems to be skewed probably because the file is smaller than the SSD cache drive.  

    I tried a real-world scenario.  This is a 10gb file moved from my production SSD raid.  

    The first 5gb moved at almost 600 MB/s then slowed to the normal HDD speeds from my previous post. 

    TL;DR - Microsoft has retired ReadyBoost but has not removed it from the OS.  Intel Rapid Storage with SSD Cache was my solution.

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  4. Anonymous
    2015-10-02T06:36:32+00:00

    You misunderstand the use of Readyboost - Readyboost is not designed to enhance slow HDD performance, but to compensate for lack of RAM.

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