How to use the ram def program. Creating a RAM disk: putting “extra” RAM to good use

How to optimize Windows performance by using RAM -disk – a virtual disk created by third-party software that functions due to excess RAM? Below we will talk about carrying out basic operations for the purpose of such optimization. Let's take a closer look at how to create RAM-disk and transfer the contents of system folders to it "Temp" .

1. Creating a RAM disk

For creating RAM-disk in our case the program will be used. It was chosen because of its ease of use, support for the Russian language, but most importantly - due to the ability to save data RAM-disk on hard drive. Let us remind you that RAM can work with data within one session of working with a computer. After the system is rebooted, stored on RAM-disk data disappears. To solve this problem, the developers of some programs to implement RAM-disk equip their products with mechanisms for saving data to a special file on the hard drive. When the system is restarted, the saved data is accordingly retrieved and takes its place on RAM-disk. The ability to save data is an optional condition for a program that implements on a Windows system RAM-disk, if the latter will be used only for storing temporary files (contents of “Temp” folders, browser cache and temporary data of other programs) . But if on RAM The disk will store portable programs, profiles and working directories of browsers, other programs and games; the presence of a function for saving data on the hard drive will be of fundamental importance.

– a paid product, at the time of writing the article the cost is $29 . But the developers of this program offer to test the fully functional trial version for free for a whole month. This period is more than enough to understand the effectiveness of such optimization and, accordingly, make a choice - RAM-disc or SSD .

So, let's download and launch the program. Add a new one RAM -disk.

Fill out the creation form RAM-disk. First of all, we indicate the disk size. Important: this size should not exceed the unused remainder of RAM at the time of maximum computer load . It is advisable not to leave the system with less than 6 GB . Next, select any of the free letters for the disk and set the file system format NTFS. Click "OK".

Returning to the main window , click menu "Image" and choose "Create an image". Creating and connecting a format image IMG - this is the very mechanism for ensuring data safety RAM -disk mentioned above. It is in this image will periodically record data so that it is available after Windows restarts, and not just during the current session. What, as mentioned, will happen when implementing RAM-disk programs without support for a data saving mechanism.

In the column you need to write the path to image file – specify the disk partition, folder and come up with a name for the file. If it is planned that RAM- the disk will be used to store some important data, respectively, image file must be created on a non-system disk partition. In the column "Size" indicate the same size that was set for the RAM -disk. For graph "Format", again, select the value "NTFS". Click "OK".

We will receive a notification that the image has been created.

If in the future RAM - the disk will be destroyed for some reason and will take away valuable information; it can be retrieved by mounting the newly created one IMG -image – either with the help of the , or through any other program that works with this format.

So, RAM -disk is created, IMG -the image has been created, now they need to be tied to each other and configured. We return to the main program window. Here in the context menu on RAM-disk select .

A setup window will open. In the column we write, accordingly, the path to the newly created image IMG . Next is an important point - you must check the box "Save content" . Click the button below "Additional".

Below in the column we set the time period through which the data RAM-disc must be written to IMG-image. In our case, the optimal option was chosen - every half hour. If on RAM- the disk is not supposed to store particularly important data; you can set a longer interval. In any case, before turning off or restarting the computer, all data will be saved in IMG-image. Click "OK".

Next, let's return to the previous settings window. Click here below "OK", then in the window that appears, confirm the application of the parameters and the launch of the associated remount operation RAM-disk.

That's all. will automatically boot with Windows and run in the background RAM-disk. At any time, the program can be found in the system tray to change settings RAM-disk or not at all delete it. It can be removed very easily– using the option, respectively, in the context menu.

Intentional deletion RAM-disk does not result in the destruction of the associated IMG-image. It will still be in its place until it is removed manually. From periodic automatic saving of data to IMG-we can refuse the image and save data manually only if necessary. For these purposes in the window there is a special button.

Created RAM -the drive will now appear in Windows Explorer as a regular drive. The possibilities for its use, in principle, can be anything, as long as everything happens within the framework of the allocated volume. On RAM-disks with small volumes usually redirect storage cache (or entire profiles) browsers, save paths and other game data, working directories of bulky programs. But first of all RAM-disk send folders storing temporary Windows files - "Temp". On the performance of the disk on which system folders are stored "Temp", the performance of both third-party programs and Windows as a whole partly depends.

2. Transferring the “Temp” system folders to the RAM disk

Folders "Temp" located on the system disk along the path:

- C:\Windows\Temp,

- C:\Users\User\AppData\Local\Temp.

Their transfer to RAM-disk is done by editing the values ​​of Windows environment variables. For some system processes the company Microsoft provided a standard mechanism for changing values ​​- in particular, changing the storage location of folder contents "Temp".

First, create a folder "Temp" on the destination disk - to RAM -disk. Next, press the keys Win + Pause. In the system settings window on the left, select additional parameters. In the window that opens, go down and press the button "Environment Variables…".

The upper half of the window is responsible for the user profile environment variables. Editing values "TEMP" And "TMP" we will change the folder path "Temp" as part of the catalog "AppData". Select a value "TEMP" and press the button "Change".

We carry out the same operation with the value "TMP", specify the same folder path "Temp" on RAM -disk.

Next, we move to the lower half of the variable environment window - to system variables. Here we also select "TEMP" And "TMP", these are the values ​​corresponding to the folder "Temp" in the catalog "Windows". Select the values ​​one by one "TEMP" And "TMP" and for each of them press the button "Change". Instead of the current path, write a folder "Temp" on RAM -disk. In the end it should work 4 changed values.

After editing the environment variable values reboot Windows.

Moving folder contents "Temp" on RAM The disk also makes access to them convenient. Which will come in handy for cases of allocation under RAM-small volume disk random access memory. Folders "Temp" It is necessary to periodically clean them, because they often grow to incredible volumes. You can also clear folders "Temp" according to their previous path on disk WITH to free up extra space on it.

Let's try to create a RAM disk linked to an image file.

1. We create the image file itself. To do this, go to the menu Image – Create image
   

   

2. Here the parameters are similar to those we chose when creating the RAM disk. Set the image file name, type, size, format and volume label. As an example, I will create an image with the same parameters as the RAM disk from the first example. Accordingly, you need to create an image file with exactly the same parameters as you want the RAM disk to have. It is important!

   

   After this, you will receive a message about the successfully created image.

   

3. Now we create the RAM disk itself. To do this, click on the already familiar big green plus. And in the window that opens, in the paragraph Path to the image file (optional) Click on the folder icon and select the image file created earlier.

   

   By the way, the image file itself can be created right there by clicking on the blank leaf icon. But we are not looking for easy ways!

   It could have been like that :)

4. Set the drive letter and be sure to check the box Save content. In this case, data from the RAM disk will be saved to the image file during system shutdown. And check the box Like a removable disk, if we don’t want unnecessary folders to be created on it.

   

   Main settings

5. Let's go to additional settings. Here we are interested in the point Save data to image every, min. If you store important information and there is a possibility of a sudden computer failure, set the frequency to 30 minutes, for example. But keep in mind that saving data to an image slows down the work. And if the created RAM disk occupies a large volume, the storage time increases significantly accordingly.

   

   Autosave to image

6. That's it, click OK and the created disk will be automatically mounted. You can start working with him.

   

   Result

Basic settings of the SoftPerfect RAM Disk program

To be a real guru in this program, let’s understand its basic settings. Fortunately there are few of them.

In order to get into them, go to the menu Tools – Settings.

Settings

basic settings

Launch withWindows– the SoftPerfect RAM Disk program will be added to . A necessary setting so that RAM disks are created automatically, without your participation.

Allow configuration to unprivileged users– makes it possible for users who do not have administrator rights in Windows to work with the program and change the settings of created RAM disks.

Allow unmounting drives from File Explorer– thanks to it you can quickly disconnect the disk without going into the SoftPerfect RAM Disk program.

Global drive letters– use of global identification of disks created in the program. It is not recommended to disable it, according to the developer, if you are a regular user and do not use .

Show tray icon– when turned on, the program icon in the form of a lamb is displayed in the line next to the clock. It is better to leave it turned on for quick access to the program.

Results

So we have broken down the work with the SoftPerfect RAM Disk program and the process of creating RAM disks in it.

But why do I need a RAM disk? What will I record on it? How to best use it? This is what we will talk about in.

If you liked this article, don't forget to like, share with your friends and eat more vitamins!

An awesome free computer program from a reliable and trusted manufacturer... of processors and video cards (AMD), called Radeon RAMDisk, will allow you to make an ultra-fast RAM disk in any computer that will work many, many times faster than your hard drive (HDD) and even SSD disk.

RAMDisk - fast disk in RAM

The scope of application of such a high-speed virtual disk is so wide that it makes your hair stand on end when you start to think about it. For example, I installed a portable browser on it and, as a result, my jaw hit the table painfully from the results of the experiment - it really began to fly like crazy.

But you can also “throw” system temporary files, programs or their profiles into it...

In fact, there are quite a few programs that can mount such disks in RAM, but I especially liked the one described in this article for its simplicity and clarity.

Operating speed

You will now understand everything without further ado - just by looking at the screenshots. So, here is the sad speed of my decrepit HDD drive...

...and this is the system SSD drive (more fun indicators)...

...but the speed of a drive created in RAM (hold on to your pants)...

I described the program for measuring the speed of disks and the methodology in the article at this link.

How?

Everything is very simple and understandable. Any RAM works on its own much faster than any disks, but add a multi-threaded high-speed data transfer bus with a pair of channels - and we get the results shown above.

Nuances and warnings

• I strongly advise owners of at least 4GB of RAM to start thinking about speeding up their computer using RAMDisk. Otherwise, you will get the opposite effect. The program will cut off a noticeable piece of RAM needed for stable operation of the system.
• Before transferring anything important and system-related to this virtual disk, make sure that you correctly and completely understand the transfer technology. Before experimenting, be sure to make system restore points and backups.
• When you turn off the computer, our virtual disk also turns off, or rather, completely evaporates. Don't worry - if you configure the program correctly, all data from the disk is written to a real physical disk. When the system starts, they are again written to the automatically remounted RAMDisk.
• In the event of a sudden power outage, the data will not have time to be written to the physical disk and will be completely lost somewhere among your loud curses at the electricians. That is why this method can be used completely painlessly only in laptops or computers with a UPS (uninterruptible power supply).
• When using this computer acceleration technology, you will literally lose a couple of seconds when turning off the computer and the same amount when starting it up.
• Simply “throwing” system or profile folders into this magic disk will not be correct. You also need to indicate to the system the correct new path to them.
• Storing simple files (photos, videos, music...) in RAMDisk is extremely stupid, sorry. There are others for this dimensionless places.

As you can see, there are not only advantages, but also some disadvantages of using a RAM drive.

Why operating system manufacturers don’t use this feature and don’t give us convenient built-in tools for this remains a mystery. They may give birth in a few years, as with the adjustment monitor color temperature.

I dragged on a bit with the preface - You’re already afraid of impatience, and I’m here blah blah blah...

Radeon RAMDisk

You can download this free miracle program from the link at the end of the article, but for now...

Program installation

For a couple of days I “tested” 2GB of RAM as an additional disk - I deleted it and made it 3GB with screenshots. I don’t play games, I practically don’t use programs that require computer resources, billion tabs I don’t keep them open at the same time - I think that the free (remaining) 5GB is quite enough for me for comfortable everyday work on a laptop.

Go…

If you leave a checkmark here, the disk creation program in RAM will start immediately. Perhaps when you first start, such an extortion window will appear - shoot it like a mad dog...

...and go to settings...

This is the first settings tab - here we set the size of the future disk (in the free version, this size is limited to 4GB for third-party memory and 6GB for proprietary AMD Radeon™ Memory.

“Create TEMP Directory” - check the box if you plan to store system temporary files here (I don’t recommend doing this yet, because additional steps are required, which I will describe in another article).

“Set Disk Label” is a required checkbox (we name our disk and assign an unallocated letter to it).

In the column “Image File to use For new Disk or to Load exiting image” we indicate the storage location of the drive image that is created when the computer is turned off (left as default).

If you check “Create a new disk” in the “Load Options” section, a new disk will always start when the computer starts. “Load the specified saved image” - will resurrect the image saved when the machine was turned off. And for it to be saved, you need to check the box “Save Disk Image at Shutdown” in the “Save Options” section.

Confused yet? It’s better to re-read it a couple of times, but do everything correctly - any mistake or inattention can cost you dearly. For those who don’t want to delve into it, just do everything as in my screenshots - I’ve tested this setting on a couple of computers several times already and everything works great.

The last settings tab remains...

“Manualy set RAMDisk timeout value” - delayed start when the system starts.

“Do not create backup file when saving disk image” - disables the creation of a disk backup if saving the disk to a file is enabled.

“Do not compress image file on NTFS filesystem”—do not compress the disk file if it is saved to a disk with the NTFS file system.

“Clear RAMDisk memory on exit” - clears the contents of the disk when shutting down.

“Do not start RAMDisk when Windows starts” - do not start when the system starts (manual start by clicking on the shortcut).

“Allow Image file to be saved in non System Drivers” - saving the image using third-party drivers.

Drum roll - click on the “Start RAMDisk” button and... agree to install the drivers...

...format the newly created virtual disk...

Not all personal computer users know that you can create a virtual partition in RAM and store temporary files in it. This unusual storage medium is called RAM Disk and allows you not only to increase overall system performance, but also to speed up the operation of individual applications. Moreover, the virtual disk has other advantages that allow it to stand out even against the background of SSDs.

From this article you will learn what results can be achieved by allocating just a small part of RAM for RAM Disk. In addition, programs that allow you to create virtual partitions in just a few clicks will be discussed here. But first, a short excursion into the past.

A little history

Surprisingly, RAM Disk is far from a new technology. They were used back in the days of MS-DOS and allowed you to use a computer without a hard drive. It was enough to create a small virtual partition in RAM, throw files into it from external media and work with them calmly. Then, when it was time to turn off the computer, the information was copied to a floppy disk and stored there.

Thanks to such a simple manipulation, it was possible to increase the speed of operations several times. In addition, floppy disks, when using a virtual partition, were needed only as temporary storage of information, which made it possible to significantly extend their service life. In principle, all these advantages are still relevant today, but with some changes.

Performance boost

Of course, now no one will use RAM Disk as a replacement for a regular hard drive or SSD. And the point here is solely that modern programs, and even more so games stored on your hard drive, simply will not fit entirely into RAM. However, no one is stopping you from transferring individual files to virtual media by selecting those that are accessed most often by a particular application.

In this case, several nuances should be taken into account, otherwise, by making a RAM disk on your computer, you will not increase performance, but, on the contrary, will worsen it. Here's what we're talking about:

• Allocate part of your RAM to the RAM Disk only if you have at least 6 GB of RAM left (for gaming PCs, it is recommended to leave at least 8 GB of RAM).
• Transfer to the virtual partition only those files that the application accesses very often.
• Do not try to put important system files or drivers on the RAM Disk. This can disrupt the operation of the operating system.

Also, do not forget that when you turn off or restart your computer, all information stored in the virtual partition will be moved to the hard drive. If your power goes out unexpectedly, you may lose important data.

SSD durability

Another reason why people are increasingly starting to use RAM disks is the desire to extend the life of SSDs. The fact is that the less often files are read from a solid-state drive, the less likely it is that it will fail. But RAM has a much larger safety margin, so it is logical to transfer the most active programs that constantly process any data to it.

As an example, consider Internet browsers. These applications constantly move various files into the cache and then retrieve them from there as needed. Because of this, the disk, be it an SSD or HDD, is constantly under load and its service life is reduced. If you transfer the browser cache to a RAM disk, the entire load will fall on the RAM, which is not so dangerous.

Softperfect RAM Disk

Virtual media has also become widespread because of its ease of use. Almost any user, even without any special skills, can download a special application and use it to create a RAM Disk. Therefore, below we will consider the most popular programs that allow you to do just this. And the first of them is Softperfect RAM Disk.

The application allows you to create several virtual disks at the same time, and also displays the current value of free RAM. In addition, the program has a function for automatically saving files from RAM Disk to the hard drive after turning off the computer. Unfortunately, you can only use the application for free for 30 days. After this, you will have to buy a key for Softperfect RAM disk from the developers. Using it, you activate the utility and can use it without restrictions.

Dataram RAM Disk

Perhaps one of the best programs for modern operating systems. It allows you to create a RAM Disk for Win 10, but is nevertheless suitable for older versions of Windows. The application has a simple and intuitive interface, as well as the ability to set automatic saving of information stored on virtual media. For example, you can set the program to flush data to your hard drive every 30 minutes, so you don't have to worry about losing it.

Unfortunately, the free version of the utility only allows you to create virtual media up to 4 GB. To remove this limitation, you will have to purchase a key from the Dataram RAM Disk developers. Another disadvantage of the free version of the program is the advertising banner that periodically appears on the screen. However, no one is stopping you from downloading a “cracked” RAM Disk from Dataram and getting rid of the above problems.

ImDisk

The main difference between ImDisk and its closest competitors is that this program allows you to create not only disks in RAM, but also virtual CD drives for reading images. This allows you to use one utility instead of several.

There is, however, a negative point that emerged due to the versatility of the program. ImDisk's interface is quite confusing, so it will take you some time to figure it out. However, once you get the hang of it, you will find that the application allows you to create an unlimited number of virtual media.

It's also worth mentioning that ImDisk is a free program. Simply put, you don’t have to shell out a large sum of money to use it or rummage through specialized forums looking for a “crack”.

Creating a RAM disk

And now it’s time to move from theory to practice and figure out how to create virtual partitions using the example of the “cracked” Softperfect RAM Disk. This operation looks like this:

• Launch the program and click on the big green plus in its main menu.
• Indicate in the appropriate field the size that you are going to allocate for RAM Disk.
• Check the "Like a removable disk" option. In this case, Windows will not create unnecessary system files such as the Recycle Bin on the virtual disk.
• Select the file system format of your RAM Disk. It is recommended to specify NTFS.
• Click "OK".

After this, the virtual disk will be created and you can safely use it. By the way, in other programs this operation is performed almost similarly, so, as you can see, there is nothing complicated about it.

What should be transferred to the RAM disk

And finally, let’s consider which files and folders should be transferred to a virtual partition to speed up the operation of the operating system and individual applications:

• Browser cache. This is especially true for the Google Chrome Internet browser and other utilities based on the Chromium engine.
• Folders "TEMP" and "TMP". Windows stores various temporary files in them, so the faster they are loaded from disk, the faster your operating system will start to work.
• All kinds of files of textures, models and other objects in those games where this is supported. Thanks to this, you will significantly reduce the time required, for example, to load levels or transition between locations.

You can also place individual programs that you use very often on virtual media. Try this and you'll be surprised how much faster they start working.