The Useless Windows App That Just Won’t Go Away

Several once-handy features in Windows have become outdated due to hardware advancements. One such feature is ReadyBoost, which was useful in the past but is now practically unnecessary. If you’re still trying to use this useless Windows app in 2025, you might be doing more harm than good.

Storage and Memory Are Faster Than Ever: Why ReadyBoost Is a Useless Windows App in 2025

ReadyBoost is a Windows feature that first appeared in Vista, allowing users to use a flash drive or SD card as a cache to act as extra RAM. This was beneficial when most computers had slow, mechanical hard drives and limited RAM, as USB flash storage could offer a slight performance boost.

However, modern technology has made ReadyBoost obsolete. SSDs, which are now standard in almost all computers, are significantly faster than any USB flash drive. In fact, if your system has an SSD, Windows won’t even show the ReadyBoost option. When this feature was introduced, SSDs were expensive and uncommon, but today, they are a necessity for any high-performance PC.

RAM speeds have also improved dramatically. For example, newer laptops feature ultra-fast LPDDR5X or LPCAMM2 memory, which is much faster than even an M.2 SSD, let alone a USB flash drive. Additionally, modern computers come with at least 8GB of RAM, making ReadyBoost unnecessary. Windows already optimizes memory usage through features like SuperFetch, eliminating the need for an external cache.

If you’re still trying to use this useless Windows app in 2025, you might be slowing your system down instead of improving it. With fast SSDs and high-speed memory now standard, ReadyBoost is a relic of the past.

ReadyBoost Offers Little to No Performance Improvement

Even if you manage to set up and run ReadyBoost on your system, its benefits are minimal. If your computer has a traditional HDD and low RAM, you might see a slight performance boost. However, compared to the massive improvements you’d get from upgrading to an SSD or adding more memory, the difference is hardly noticeable.

I’ve personally used ReadyBoost a few times—once to speed up my old Netbook and later to try and revive an aging computer that I couldn’t find replacement parts for. In both cases, a simple $10 SATA SSD upgrade made a far greater impact on performance and system responsiveness than ReadyBoost ever could. While ReadyBoost helped slightly, it was barely enough to keep the system running smoothly.

On modern hardware, ReadyBoost can actually slow things down. Unless you’re using a decade-old machine that you don’t want to spend money upgrading, ReadyBoost won’t be of much use. At best, it can prevent an older system from crashing due to low memory, but it won’t make your computer significantly faster.

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ReadyBoost Can Wear Out Your Flash Drives Faster

Using ReadyBoost can actually damage the USB drives or SD cards that enable it. When you use a flash drive for ReadyBoost, Windows continuously writes and updates cached data, putting excessive strain on the drive. Flash storage has a limited number of read/write cycles, meaning frequent use of ReadyBoost will accelerate wear and shorten the lifespan of your device.

Unlike system RAM, which is designed for constant data swapping, flash drives are not built for continuous read and write operations. In some cases, a USB drive used for ReadyBoost could wear out in just a few months. While Microsoft claims that ReadyBoost-enabled devices can last up to 10 years, this depends heavily on usage, and the reality is that repeated writes will degrade a flash drive much faster.

In addition, Microsoft has been gradually discontinuing ReadyBoost in its more recent iterations of Windows. The feature is completely gone in the latest versions of Windows 11. Although ReadyBoost has not been formally confirmed to be permanently ended, all indications suggest that it will eventually vanish.

During the initial release of Windows Vista, ReadyBoost was a fascinating invention, especially for users with low-end hardware. Nevertheless, the feature is now totally out of date due to the development of ultra-fast SSDs and high-speed system memory. In 2025, if you’re still attempting to use ReadyBoost, it’s time to switch to more effective options.

FAQ

What is ReadyBoost, and how does it work?
ReadyBoost is a Windows feature introduced in Vista that allows a USB flash drive or SD card to act as extra cache memory, improving performance on older computers with slow hard drives and limited RAM.

Why is ReadyBoost considered obsolete in 2025?
With modern SSDs and high-speed RAM, ReadyBoost is no longer useful. SSDs are much faster than USB drives, and most computers now have at least 8GB of RAM, making external caching unnecessary.

Does ReadyBoost work with SSDs?
No, Windows disables ReadyBoost if your system has an SSD, as SSDs are significantly faster than USB flash storage. The feature is only available on devices with traditional hard drives.

Can using ReadyBoost damage my USB drive?
Yes, ReadyBoost continuously writes data to the USB drive, accelerating wear and reducing its lifespan. Flash storage has a limited number of write cycles, and excessive use can cause failure within months.

Is ReadyBoost still available in Windows 11?
Microsoft has been phasing out ReadyBoost, and the feature has been removed from the latest versions of Windows 11. It is no longer a viable performance-enhancing tool.