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RamDisk


KotaXor

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Hi Everyone,

Does anyone know how to configure/use RamDisk for system files?

So that it will boot up faster.

Windows 7 Ultimate 32bits.

Much appreciated.

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Okay, before you go all getting 400 dollar software.. If I am wrong someone please correct me.. BUT, Bad News..

The way a RamDisk works is that it can emulate a Virtual HD, by using the RAM in your computer.. however, to do this; it MUST create an image of the files which it has on it. ( Meaning it still has to operate from a mechanical device - HD ) Now even though you can load the driver at startup ( depending on what you have ), it will take longer to load this image on Boot for your system, ( and for it to save on Shutdown ).. that it would if you booted and shutdown normally.

Now with some systems who have.. ( this a list of factors ) huge file repositories, running servers, ( usually dual chip quad core machines with 16 GB of RAM or more which are upgradable ) or older systems who have slow/full drives.. ( and if they are that slow now .. get a new computer.. your MOBO.. and all of it obsolete trash.. seriously - yes REALLY, and/or get a larger drive )... will benefit by loading either the pagefile or installing servers and resources on these RAMDrive/Disks.. The reason behind this is much like the theory behind the SSD.. There are no Read/Write Cycles to the drive once the image is loaded unless you configure it to save itself when changes occur.. The access time for the files is lower and with these files in RAM and ready to go there is less pull on the CPU as well I believe.. and then you have the benefits of non-fragmentation as well.. Your RAM will outlast your HD.. by far.. However if your system is crashed for some reason.. ( which is good to have U.P.S. for these systems ) you loose any and all data not written to the image at that point... However you can encrypt the data/again at more of a timely expense.. to keep it safe.. but you can still loose and/or corrupt the data..

I did at one time run my pagefile on a RAM Disk.. and there were benefits.. but the access time on Boot was very slow.. and same for Shutdown...

For a basic system or something not listed above, where the benefits out-way the side-effects then I would say yes, also SuperCache/SuperVolume by SuperSpeed LLC; could possibly be of help as well.. but for the average user.. a scratch disk/drive... possibly EBoostr/ReadyBoost could help in this area.. or simply upgrade your RAM...

Windows 7, and Windows XP SP3 both have very good cache handling.. if there are slow downs... there should actually be looking at other areas of your system for aid in helping it there..

Other than that I would say that you would have to do something in the BIOS to load a Virtual HD/RAM Disk before Windows Booted and have that as the Boot medium.. which is going to require a LARGE amount of RAM and a Server Board..

BUT, Like I said.. somebody correct me if I am wrong.. I could be mistaken..

EDIT: I forgot to add that you should look to the most up to date information you can find.. You probably are reading the same documentation all over the Internet that I was on Windows XP SP2, which was still 2 years old even then and on systems which were being used for other things..

If you find confer with other documentation make sure your reading it for your system version and DO NOT go with documentation for a previous OS.. There have been many changes in the way things are done..Can cause you many problems.. and wasted hours..

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SuperCache by Superspeed only support XP and not Windows 7, as such I was thinking of RamDisk 11 by superspeed.

If, from what you describe, there is no/less boot-up benefit, then there is no point moving the system files to virtual disk.

I was thinking it could benefit an old Pentium 4 desktop with 2GB RAM by boosting it thru RamDisk, but now........

Presently using O&O CleverCache.

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CleverCache is a good program.. but more than likely the areas you would want to address with the old desktop would be the MOBO, ( SRAM and so on )the Video Card.. can actually slow down the system a little, and the RAM...

ON older systems you run into issues with the hardware, as basic hardware that is used numbers increase so does the usage of that available average hardware usage in newer things like Windows 7... so depending on what you have in the way of the MOBO, even upgrading the hardware may not help too much... I would look and get your MOBO number, look its spec up and compare to the average newer system and see what you have to work with.. You may actually be able to make a purchase of a few items and greatly increase the performance of what you have to something that comparable to a newer package.. Usually HD size and RPM's smaller size and higher RPM's.. ( though most are getting larger in size.. not always good for performance, use something larger for external storage ), Your processor could ( maybe depending on what socket.. ) be upgraded and even your RAM which is an easy one. Finding a good PCI Video Card may also benefit.. hopefully one that will work without your on-board, if its a smaller number like 64 MB.. ( 32 MB.. I hate those )... Then you have other areas to consider like your USB ports ( 1.0, 2.0.. so on )...

Like I said though it can depend on what your have.. you may take a look and find that you can get something better for a few hundred and in a laptop/portable..

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I believe heath28m is right, it won't make any speed difference. (It'll be slower even, I think)

RAM is not meant for storage and everything on it is wiped after the system is shut down.

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@heath28m

Ok, the mobo is a biostar 865GV Micro 775 (www.biostar.com.tw). Its support only AGP VGA cards.

How can we rev it?

Anyway to tweak it?

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Looking at board overall I would say it has become quite obsolete.... it will only support 2 GB RAM, Pentium D or 4 Chip, has on board 64 MB Shared Memory Video ( same as the one I am using right now - except I have a Celeron and its a laptop.. ).. Things is I get better performance out of 7 than I did out of a heavily maintained XP system.. Depending on what issue you are having then I would say that you may need to take a look at your system maintenance..

I would say its would be time to replace it. It will not support the expansion available in the Windows 7 OS for hardware at all... You could spend money on a video, try to find some larger RAM ... but it really isn't going to turn out well. Especially if you are looking for the smoothness and quickness of the new machines...

I would stay with this until you can afford something new all the way across the board..

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Never mind about the hardware, just thinking of ways to boost the in-built graphic without replacing the hardware.

I did use the Nvidia Geforce 6200 on it once and it was working beautifully, but the Nvidia graphic card die on me.

Unable to find a replacement as most VGA cards is becoming obsolete.

This is an old machine which has already been bios-modded and now using Win 7, but without Aero, as in-built graphic does not support it.

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