Convert a USB Pen Drive as a RAM Module

Do you feel your Windows 11 laptop lags after a software update?

Maybe your laptop tells you to add extra RAM modules to improve the system's performance.

If you feel an extra RAM module can speed up your Windows 11 computer, try the tip I share in this tutorial.

Windows 11 and 10 devices can convert a USB Flash memory unit into Virtual RAM.

So, without investing in a new RAM Unit, you can fix the lagging issues with a simple USB Pen Drive.

Let us check how to transform an ordinary USB Pen Drive into a RAM Unit.

We can fix a low RAM issue on Windows 11 laptops by turning an SD card or USB stick into a Virtual RAM module.

Microsoft ReadyBoost technology helps us to do it.

Let us check the steps.

1. Connect a USB Pen Drive to your Windows 11 Laptop.

2. Right-click the USB Drive.

   
   

3. Click Properties from the Righ-click menu.

   
   

4. Click on ReadyBoost from the top tabs.

   
   

5. You can use two options.

   
   

   If you wish to convert this USB stick as a permanent RAM module, select the "Dedicate this device to ReadyBoost" option.

   If you wish to keep the data in the USB drive, select the "Use this Device" option.

6. I chose the Use this Device option and clicked the Apply button.

Your Windows 11 device recognizes the USB drive as an extra RAM module. So, do not remove this USB drive from your PC.

If you want to remove the SD card or Pen Drive (acting as RAM with ReadyBoost), follow the steps below.

• Go to the USB Drive Properties (as explained ago), and select the "Do not use this device" option.

  
  

• Click the Apply button and OK.

• Now, you can remove the pen drive from your Windows 11 notebook.

If you have an old laptop running on Windows 10 or 7, you can boost the performance by adding virtual RAM modules.

Did you know an ordinary USB pen drive can speed up old Windows laptops? You can also use SSDs as RAM modules on Windows devices.

If you feel your computer lacks enough RAM, you can increase it by using USB memory as virtual Random Access Memory.

When you connect a flash memory card, Windows will ask if you want to use the unused portion to speed up your PC.

If you click OK, Windows converts the unused portion to virtual RAM.

We cannot use all kinds of USB memories to speed up our computers.

It should meet some minimum requirements to enable ReadyBoost technology.

You will not lose the content on the USB flash drive if you select the option Use this Device while activating ReadyBoost.

1. It should be at least 256 MB.

2. It should have an access time of 1 ms or less.

3. It should have at least 2.5 MB/s read speed. It must have a minimum of 1.75 MB/s write speed.

It is not very hard to convert a USB flash drive to virtual RAM using ReadyBoost technology.

You cannot use this technology on Windows XP computers.

1. Connect the USB Drive to your Windows PC.

2. Right-click on the USB drive and click properties.

   
   
   

3. Click on the tab ReadyBoost and apply.

Now, if your Flash memory meets all the requirements mentioned, it will turn to virtual RAM, and you can see a considerable improvement in system performance.

Windows Vista is limited to 4 GB, but Windows 7 can support up to 256 GB of additional memory by connecting a maximum of 8 different flash drives. Windows OS older than Vista doesn't support ReadyBoost technology.

You can use ReadyBoost to convert USB Flash drives into Extra RAM modules in Windows 11 and 10.