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A far too long yet quick but NOT comprehensive walkthrough (If you can't get started with this, it may be a bit beyond your reach - not an insult, just a street sign).

This is for windows.

I use this:

https://sourceforge.net/projects/imdisk-toolkit/

To create the ramdisk. There's an updated version. I haven't used it yet.

Once installed, you click configure ramdisk. Basic tab - You set the size of the ramdisk (make sure you leave enough for your programs and operating system and whatever the game takes plus some headroom).  Pick NTFS file system for current windows, tick "launch at windows startup" if you don't want to always have to manually remake the ramdisk.

Advanced tab - cluster size 4kb is fine. Tick to use Quick format, do not use ntfs compression, do tick for "use awe physical memory."  Hit ok. WAIT. It will pop up the windows hard drive thing when it's done. I always disable indexing on the ramdisk drive, it's a volatile disk. Close the windows popup and then hit exit on IM disk.  You now, if you click "this pc" will see your new ramdisk, operating just like a fresh new hard drive.

Next, you'll go here, read the mass wall of info, already know most or all of it, or be somewhat confused, and download it:

https://schinagl.priv.at/nt/hardlinkshellext/linkshellextension.html#download

What this does is makes it VERY easy to make a junction in windows.

A junction in windows is a special kind of shortcut that sends whatever programs or the OS want to do the thing you made the shortcut for off to where the actual file or folder is elsewhere.

You choose where the actual file or folder is.

So what you do is you copy (not cut) your game directory or file (that is small enough to fit in your ramdisk and is something the game or OS has to read or write constantly) and paste a copy into the ramdisk drive. Go back to the folder you copied - the one on the hard drive. Rename it with something on the end like "foldername bak" - something you won't miss or forget.

Link shell extension makes the next couple of parts EASY.   Go to the copy of the folder or files you put in the ramdisk. Right click them, and on the context menu select "pick  link source."

Next you go BACK to the hard drive where the renamed backup original files are, and right click in the folder that "foldername BAK" is in ...

(MAKE BLOODY SURE YOU HAVE RENAMED THE FILES/FOLDER ON THE HARD DRIVE TO "FILENAME BAK" OR "FOLDERNAME BAK" BEFORE YOU DO THE NEXT STEP!!!!!!)

... and select "drop link as" and choose "junction" and a funny shortcut arrowed version drops (this should have the original name of the file or folder).

That's it. you're ready to go!

You can technically use it this way, BUT as soon as you : lose power ... or ... log out or shut the computer off ... everything in the ramdisk is lost.

SO, you have two ways to make it so you don't lose the ramdisk data with whatever changes your game might have registered as you played.

You can:  Go to the location with the "foldername bak" on the hard drive, delete the JUNCTION/shortcut version first, then - rename the folder you changed the name of  back to the original "foldername" ...  then go to your ramdisk, copy the folder there, and paste it into the directory, and over-write any and all changed files (you will get a popup asking if you want to overwrite).

If you do not do the file renaming and you launch your game or try to with the original files or foldernames still renamed with "* bak" there's a chance you may screw up modloaders or other things and have to redo your entire MO2 modloader load order list.

That's the manual and simple way to do it.



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If you are worried about using up your solid state hard drive's use-life by doing more writes, there IS a trick to minimize that problem.

AFTER you get done with your game, instead of manually copying files back (and BEFORE you rename the original "foldername bak")  you'll have this setup:

https://freefilesync.org/

This program can check the files in your ramdisk and the files on your hard drive and then only copy back ("mirror") the ones that have changed, minimizing SSD drive usage.

Once you've got the manual renaming and junction and all that done, then install FFSync.  On the left column by the green plus button, this is where you put the links for the RAMDISK files.   On the right side is where you put the links for the HARD DRIVE FILES.

Ok, now: click the "new" button to make a new task. On the left, click browse, navigate to your ramdisk copy of the files, select the folder. On the right, click browse, go to the RENAMED folder (foldername BAK) and select it.  If you moved more folders, click the big green plus on the left column, it will make another empty slot for you to browse to and select another set of folders.  

You have just told FFSynch where the files are it's comparing and copying.

NOW... click the gear icon next to the "compare" button, it should open a popup box titled "synchronization settings,  with three tabs.

For the comparison tab, you should select the button "file content" - do NOT use file time and size, do not use file size. "File content" hashes the file (checks it VERY closely) so that it will ONLY move back actually changed files, and not miss ANY changed files.

You do not have to mess with the filter tab.

On the synchronization tab, you will select the button "mirror." This make FFSynch only copy what's changed from your ramdisk folders/files back to your hard drive.
You will select "permanent" with the fire icon. This just means instead of moving files to the recycle bin or moving files off to a different folder, it copies back to the actual folder and removes the older versions and puts in the new ones.

Hit "OK" (not cancel) to close the synchronization settings popup box. Click the "save" button to save the job you just created. Put the script (the job you created) wherever. If you want, make a central folder on the C: Drive named "scripts" and save it there. You *should* see your new task in the left column of FFSynch.

when you get done playing and your video game and ANYTHING that is attached to it (for instance, MO2 for skyrim) are closed and fully finished writing, launch FFSynch, then double click in the leftmost panel on your job  you saved. It will automatically start *checking* the files. LET IT FINISH.

Once it has finished (progress bars all the way over and you can click other stuff again), you look to the right and click "synchronize (mirror)"

It will pop up a window that asks "start synchronization now? (mirror) and you'll hit "start"

Again, let it finish COMPLETELY. It will say "completed successfully."

If you want to see what files changed and that it copied back, click on the logs tab, and you can see them. Then hit close, close out FFSynch.

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Now you have some options: you can just leave the files copied in the ramdisk right now if you're using them again this session, everything names as it is, junctions still undeleted.


If you are not going to use them again, you delete the files ON THE RAM DISK that you copied to it from the hard drive.

Next, manually navigate to  your not-yet renamed "file bak" or "folder bak" file directory ON THE HARD DRIVE. when you get there, DELETE THE JUNCTION (remember, the one with the shortcut arrow!!!! CHECK IT AGAIN)  and only AFTER that you rename the "foldername bak" back to it's original name. This way you don't get the errors I mentioned above if you try and launch the game with the renamed file or folders.


Necesary warning: Don't do this with a six pack in you or 3 shots. Don't do this when you're tired. DO NOT DO THIS with any games you no longer have any copy of outside of your hard drive.

When you are going to delete the junction, CHECK IT AGAIN to make sure it's the  junction, with the shortcut arrow, this can screw you up EASILY because it looks almost exactly the same and has the original folder or file name! CHECK IT AGAIN.

Again: if you lose power, bye-bye to everything in the ramdisk.  If you logoff because you're late for work and rushing, same. If the kid comes in and turns off the power, same.  

If you super-duper don't want to lose anything, make a backup copy of your entire game directory AND SAVE FILES in some other hard drive in a zip file or something with the date and revisions on it and a .txt note from yourself where it all goes!


Yes, this will make you cry and wish you had bought system ram in the ram price dip of '22. Don't despair, look around on the net and see what files can fit in your smaller ram disk that get used a lot by the game, sometimes just copying the save files can help.


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DRM sucks:   I use GOG offline installers  and such, and from the nothing I know, Galaxy won't give a rip if you use junctions.


I cannot speak for others. I hear rumors epic games might give you crap if you use junctions and it tries to do stuff with the files like validation or patching. EA/Origin (do they even exist now?) might give you friggin grief, tell you to repair game, etc.


So ... just run your game launcher first, make sure everything is  validated and updated, then TURN OFF your launcher, completely, make sure the little punk is off, maybe even services too, before you copy up to ramdisk and put in your junctions and after that relaunch steam/epic/services/whatnot.

I have no idea, this could cause them to hate you, delete all your games, and send the pinkertons to give you a midnight blanket soap in a sock party.  You have been warned.