Another ReadyBoost query-is this normal?

[Guest]

On booting up Vista, when it gets to the desktop, after the items in my
notification area have loaded, I then get a period of prolonged hard
drive/usb drive activity(well over a minute).

Now as I understand it, this is due to Superfetch caching files to my flash
drive. What I don't understand is that when I boot into XP and have a look at
the contents of my flash drive, there's nothing there. Is this normal?

As the Superfetch cache is encrypted and the data contained in it is secure,
I would've thought that the items cached to my flash drive would remain on
there and not have to be re-written to it every time I boot into Vista.

Any input would be appreciated, dagwoood.

 

[Zapper]

Just to make sure we are all on the same page.
1) You have a USB flash or hard disk connected to your Computer.
2) You have "enabled" it to be used by ReadyBoost(SuperFetch) to speed up
your system and it was fast enough.(If you right click it in the Computer
pane, and choose properties, the Tab for ReadyBoost shows up and says "Use
this device" is checked.
3) You then double click on the drive in Computer and see a file called.
$emd.sfcache on this drive.

4) Once you have seen all these, you then re-boot into Xp with the drive
attached and the hard drive is totally empty, and all the space is available
for use?

Nutty... I thought ReadyBoost was supposed to help decrease boot
times..maybe for the betas it is only being used for your swap file while
running Windows.

 

[Guest]

Hi Zapper, thanks for replying

Yes, we're on the same page and everything is a you set out in points 1
though 4.

As I understand it, Readyboost/Superfetch caches the applications/dll's you
use while in Vista. To improve boot times you would need a Hybrid Hard Drive.

I doesn't seem to make sense that the $emd.sfcache has to be re-written
everytime I boot back into Vista; it's taking a couple of minutes now to do
this.

 

[John Barnes]

FWIW Indexing is what causes most of the I/O activity when I boot up to
Vista.