The file extension SFCACHE is related to ReadyBoost technology which was first used with the Windows Vista operating system by Microsoft. The technology was also applied to certain flash drives to assist with boosting the performance of Windows Vista using a caching technology. ReadyBoost is still used with later versions of Windows to add instant Random Access Memory (RAM) to your computer.
ReadyBoost allows you to connect a USB flash memory device which is ReadyBoost compatible into the USB port on your PC. Once you have connected the flash drive, it can serve as a cache or virtual memory which helps to boost operating system performance. ReadyBoost is not quite as fast as when you add Random Access Memory (RAM) to your PC, but it still helps to speed up performance since you are caching files to your flash drive as opposed to the hard disk.
The file extension SFCACHE is a system file type that acts as a cache file for the Windows operating system. A cache is a location where data is stored, so it can be accessed faster than it can be from your PC’s hard drive. The purpose of the cache is to allow your PC to access frequent data without having to constantly refer back to your hard drive; a process which takes longer to retrieve the data.
The SFCACHE file is a temporary cache file which is created on the flash drive. This is accomplished by right clicking on the flash drive icon once it is connected to your PC and then choosing Properties from the drop-down menu. In the Properties window, click on ReadyBoost and then place a check mark in the box next to Use This Device.
How to Open SFCACHE Files
If you use Windows, you can open SFCACHE files with the ReadyBoost technology built into the operating system and on the compatible flash drive. Ready Boost can use a USB 2.0 flash device, SD card, or CompactFlash as long as the device is ReadyBoost compatible. When you activate ReadyBoost using Properties as described above, it creates a file on the flash drive which is named ReadyBoost.SFCACHE. The file is then used to boost the performance of the operating system by being used as a memory cache.
Since the file extension SFCACHE is a system file type, you can open and view the contents of the file using any text editing program. If you use Windows, you can open an SFCACHE file with WordPad or Notepad. For Mac OS X, you can open SFCACHE files using Apple TextEdit, TextMate, or MacVim. For the Linux operating system, you can use AbiWord, gEdit, Nano Editor, or Vim to open the SFCACHE file extension.
