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Can a USB Flashdrive/Memorystick be used as RAM?

By Brian Bobinski ·
I read on a few websites that a USB Flashdrive/Memorystick could be used as RAM to speed up a computers performance. Right clicking my computer, selecting properties, advanced, performance settings, advanced again, then Change under Virtual memory. Here select USB drive and set paging file to desired MB. I have tried different sizes to no noticable change. I am running Windows XP Professional and have limited built in RAM, like 704 MB of RAM.
The data transfer rate may be a problem even if it is possible.
What am Imissing here?
Thanx
BJ

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The problem here is the OS

by OH Smeg In reply to Can a USB Flashdrive/Memo ...

Vista & 7 support the option to use a USB Flash Drive as Extra RAM but XP doesn't.

Even then USB connections are slow and will limit any performance increases if any and even with a massive amount of RAM Fitted will more likely slow the system down when you use XP.

Col

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Reponse To Answer

by Brian Bobinski In reply to The problem here is the O ...

Thats what I finally discovered and just have to except. My computer actually runs fine, its when I am running multiple programs that slows things down. Thanx for your help.

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Ready Boost

by TheChas In reply to Can a USB Flashdrive/Memo ...

As Oh Smeg stated, your issue is that Windows XP does not have native support for using a USB drive for extended virtual memory.

Microsoft introduced "ReadyBoost" with Windows Vista as a potential way to improve the performance of Windows Virtual Memory.

Even with Vista or Windows 7, Ready Boost only improves performance when your USB drive has faster access times then your hard drive does. For most systems, setting a fixed minimum size and no maximum size for virtual memory will provide the best performance.

Chas

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Reponse To Answer

by Brian Bobinski In reply to Ready Boost

I read about Ready Boost and thats what made me think there has to be a way to supe up my XP. I will try the fixed minimum size and no max size. But I am curious if I can leave that box empty or set to zero? Hmm... Thanx for the insight.

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Ideally as M$ States

by OH Smeg In reply to Can a USB Flashdrive/Memo ...

The Minimum Size should be 1.5 times the Physical Memory Installed and the Max Size should be 2 Times the Physical Memory Installed.

Now the drawback if you have more than 3 GIG as the Recommended Minimum Size that is 1.5 times the Physical Memory in the computer you are not going to get much/any improvement.

Setting the Minimum Sizes to 0 will kill performance.

Col

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RAM defrag

by NZJester In reply to Can a USB Flashdrive/Memo ...

RAM defraging such as WinRam Turbo is the best thing I have found to fix low memory problems in XP.

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