| Developer(s) | Microsoft |
|---|---|
| Initial release | November 1988; 36 years ago (1988-11) |
| Operating system | MS-DOS,Windows |
| License | Proprietarycommercial software |
SmartDrive (orSMARTDRV) is adisk caching program shipped withMS-DOS versions 4.01 through 6.22 andWindows 3.0 throughWindows 3.11.[1] It improvesdata transfer rates by storing frequently accessed data inrandom-access memory (RAM).[2]
Early versions of SmartDrive were loaded through aCONFIG.SYSdevice driver namedSMARTDRV.SYS.[1] Versions 4.0 and later were loaded through anexecutable file namedSMARTDRV.EXE, which could be run at user's discretion or at boot time viaAUTOEXEC.BAT.[1] However,SMARTDRV.EXE also includes adouble-buffering driver that should be loaded throughCONFIG.SYS.[2] Version 4.0 also introduced32-bit disk access and could reduce its footprint inconventional memory (the first 640 kilobytes of memory which was critical toDOS) by running inupper memory area (the 384 kilobytes of memory located beyond the conventional memory).[2]
A cloaked variant of SmartDrive utilizing theHelix CloakingAPI was available fromHelix Software. OnIntel 80386 processors, it could run inprotected mode to reduce its footprint in conventional memory.
Microsoft suggests SmartDrive to be used when installingWindows 2000 orWindows XP from MS-DOS to reduce installation time.[3]
SmartDrive has been superseded by VCache, which was introduced inWindows for Workgroups 3.11 and carried over toWindows 95,Windows 98/Windows 98 SE andWindows Me. The main advantage of VCache over SmartDrive is its ability to adjust cache size dynamically. However, it tended to take too much RAM in Windows 95; this aspect was improved in Windows 98.