Copy Windows XP to RAM

[Linux711]

Is there a way to have windows xp copy itself off the hard drive and onto the ram when booting and then copy back from the ram to the hard drive on shutdown? I know something similar to this exists with Bart PE except it's a CD not a hard drive and it also doesn't copy back. Can anyone tell me if this is possible without writing my own driver?

[Quantos]

Why would you want to do that?

[BC_Programmer]

I subscribe that the question doesn't really make a whole lot of sense. Windows, as well as most modern OS's, don't ever copy their entire operational base into RAM at any time- in fact the core architecture is designed to do the opposite, keeping only code that is run in RAM via the use of DLLs and so forth.

You could try to create a RAM drive, and extract a disk image to that RAM drive, but since booting to it would require rebooting and rebooting would destroy the contents of RAM as well as the RAM drive driver you'd need to find some other way of booting to it after creating the drive.

[Linux711]

Why would you want to do that?

Speed.

I subscribe that the question doesn't really make a whole lot of sense. Windows, as well as most modern OS's, don't ever copy their entire operational base into RAM at any time- in fact the core architecture is designed to do the opposite, keeping only code that is run in RAM via the use of DLLs and so forth.

So, if it's possible, why not copy the whole thing to ram?

You could try to create a RAM drive, and extract a disk image to that RAM drive, but since booting to it would require rebooting and rebooting would destroy the contents of RAM as well as the RAM drive driver you'd need to find some other way of booting to it after creating the drive.

This would probably have to be done with the boot loader. Am I correct?

[BC_Programmer]

So, if it's possible, why not copy the whole thing to ram?

Because there isn't enough room.

[Linux711]

Because there isn't enough room.

That may be the case for most people, but my windows xp install is only 500MB and I have 4GB of ram. This is completely possible.

[BC_Programmer]

That may be the case for most people, but my windows xp install is only 500MB and I have 4GB of ram. This is completely possible.

No. it isn't. you really don't understand the mechanics of the windows kernel if you think otherwise.

EDIT: what I mean is, you can use a ram-drive install of some sort, but you aren't going to be able to somehow create a "driver" that does this.

[Linux711]

you can use a ram-drive install of some sort, but you aren't going to be able to somehow create a "driver" that does this.

Well, then how does Bart PE do it?

[BC_Programmer]

Well, then how does Bart PE do it?

It doesn't.

[Linux711]

  I always thought that Bart PE copied itself from CD to ram, but I guess I was wrong.

So do you think the increase in speed would make this worth figuring out?

EDIT: by this, I mean the ram drive install.

[rthompson80819]

You could use a solid state drive as your primary drive, but that seems like an expensive upgrade that wouldn't really accomplish all that much.

Even if your original question could be done it's got to increase your boot time.

If you bought a SSD you would probably notice more of an increase in other programs more than windows.

[Linux711]

You could use a solid state drive as your primary drive

Have one. It's small (only 64GB), but it's 220MB/s I think.

increase your boot time.

Right, but only by 2.3 seconds with the solid state drive.

[rthompson80819]

If you already have a SSD, why would you want to copy windows from your hard drive to RAM?  And not just put windows on the SSD?

[Linux711]

I already have windows on the SSD. When I say hard drive, I am referring to the SSD.

Why would I want to copy windows from the SSD to ram? Because ram is still much faster than a SSD.

[rthompson80819]

I thought there might have been some kind of communication issue there.  When most people use the term hard drive they usually mean the old spinney platter type thingy.