Introduction

SoftPerfect RAM File System (RAM FS) is a native Windows file system driver that keeps its volumes entirely in RAM. Unlike a RAM disk, which exposes a block device that Windows formats with NTFS or exFAT, RAM FS is the file system itself. There is no virtual block device and no file system layered on top, so I/O reaches memory without those intervening layers. This removes overhead and enables capabilities a block-based RAM disk cannot provide, such as block-level clones and per-region compression.

Volumes are thin, appear as ordinary local drives, and carry full NTFS-style security. Contents are volatile and cleared on dismount or shutdown unless saved to an image file.

Feature summary

• In-memory file system driver, with no block device and no NTFS or exFAT layer.
• Reflink copies: O(1) block clones that share storage until modified. See Reflink copies.
• Transparent compression, per region and standing, to cut the memory footprint. See Compression.
• Persistence via sparse image files with differential save, auto-mount and auto-save. See Image files.
• Live resize of a mounted volume, no dismount.
• Full Windows security: per-file ACLs, hard links and symbolic links.

Begin with Getting started.