Want a simple way to speed up your PC?

Just plug in a USB flash drive or card and let ReadyBoost borrow it. ReadyBoost is designed to help when your PC’s memory is running low. Low memory can make your computer sluggish because Windows, which needs a place to stash data, turns to the hard drive. Flash memory offers a speedier alternative.

To enable ReadyBoost :

1. Put your USB thumb drive into a USB port on your computer.
2. When the AutoPlay menu appears, click Speed up my System with Windows ReadyBoost.

3. Select your device and specify how much of the drive you want to use for ReadyBoost. I recommend using a full USB drive. (TIP: match the size of your drive to the amount of RAM you have in your computer. i.e., With 4GB RAM, use a 4GB thumb drive.)

4. Click OK. Don’t expect miracles—but stick with it and your computer will begin to perform more efficiently.