Speed Up USB Hard Drives - Windows 7 & Vista

Boosting External Hard Drive Performance with Write Caching

Significant performance gains when writing data to an external hard drive can be achieved by activating write caching, particularly if the drive remains consistently connected to your computer.

Write caching is not automatically enabled for external drives due to the potential for data loss if a removable device is disconnected prematurely. Therefore, exercise caution when implementing this configuration.

How to Enable Write Caching

Initiate the process by typing "Device Manager" into the search field within the Start menu and pressing Enter.

Within Device Manager, locate the specific external hard drive you intend to modify. Double-click the drive to access its Properties window.

A change to the drive’s settings is all that is required. Select "Optimize for performance" and then click OK to save the changes.

A system reboot is necessary for the new settings to be fully applied and become operational.

Important Note: While optimizing for performance can enhance speed, always safely eject your external drive to prevent potential data corruption.