We recommend disabling the Windows Hybrid Startup as it directly impacts the normal operation of RAM disks.
The Hybrid Startup feature in Windows is designed to speed up the boot process. It does this by saving the entire kernel memory space, including all active drivers and system files, to the hard drive upon shutdown. When you start your computer again, Windows restores this memory space, somewhat reducing startup time.
However, this feature interferes with how RAM disks function. As our RAM disk driver allocates memory within the kernel space, the data on the RAM disk gets saved along with the kernel memory during shutdown. This leads to a couple of notable side effects:
- Increased write operations to SSD: With Hybrid Startup enabled, every time you shut down your computer, the data on the RAM disk, which could be several gigabytes, is written to the SSD. These additional write operations may potentially reduce the lifespan of your SSD.
- Non-volatile RAM disks: Traditionally, RAM disks are volatile, meaning that the data stored on them is lost when the system is powered off. However, with Hybrid Startup enabled, any files or folders on the RAM disk are preserved and reappear in the next user session because the kernel memory space, including the RAM disk contents, is restored.
Other than that, Hybrid Startup shouldn't lead to errors or instability when used with a RAM disk.
In summary, to ensure that RAM disks operate as intended - truly volatile and without unnecessarily wearing down your SSD - it is best to disable the Hybrid Startup feature. This adjustment will help maintain both the performance and longevity of your system components.