Windows Vista FAQ 5. What specs must a USB flash drive possess in order to work with ReadyBoost?
. The drive must support USB 2.0 and must be able to access data at 3.5 megabits per second for 4-kilobit random reads uniformly across the entire device, and at 2.5 mbps for 512-kilobit random writes uniformly across the device. As a practical matter, it’s tough to find these specs for a flash drive before you buy it, so make sure that your vendor is reasonable about returns. Microsoft has said that it plans to work with manufacturers to develop a ReadyBoost certification program so that consumers can determine, before buying a flash drive, whether they can use ReadyBoost with it. Windows Vista FAQ 6. I bought a USB flash drive that (according to its packaging) can access data at 12 mbps. But Windows says the drive still isn’t fast enough to work with ReadyBoost. What’s going on? A. There are several reasons why you may be running into the problem. The Vista specs are for random performance, whereas the specs you see listed may measure sequential performance. (Some devices do great on
