Extract text from ReadyBoost cache files (SFCACHE)
To convert SFCACHE cache files to another format, you need Microsoft Windows or other System software.
To convert other file formats to the "Windows Cache File" file type, you need software like Microsoft Windows or a similar tool.
.sfcache files are system cache files created by Microsoft Windows for the ReadyBoost and SuperFetch (now SysMain) features. They store frequently accessed application data on external flash drives to improve system boot times and app loading speed.
This format is notoriously frustrating for regular users. It is a highly proprietary, system-level block cache. The data inside is typically encrypted (using AES-128) and compressed to prevent unauthorized access if the USB drive is lost. It frequently consumes gigabytes of space on USB drives (up to 32GB on Windows 7+), rendering the drive virtually unusable for standard file storage. Because it locks the drive, many users seek a way to open or extract the files they believe are trapped inside.
Standard online converters fail to process this format because an .sfcache is not a standard document, image, or media file. It does not contain easily extractable individual files like a ZIP archive. Attempting to blindly convert it to PDF, DOCX, or TXT will result in useless garbage data.
Despite these limitations, convert.guru is your pragmatic solution. Just drag and drop your file to identify the format, view it, and convert it when possible. Because this is a closed, proprietary format, complete extraction is extremely difficult. However, convert.guru can inspect the file, extract raw readable strings, and show internal hex content. If our analysis detects any supported underlying or embedded unencrypted data, viewing or partial conversion may still be possible.
Convert.Guru analyzes your SFCACHE file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted HDMP, EXE and PNG files.
If you want to convert SFCACHE file to CSV, JSON, XML, YAML, YML, TOML, INI, CFG, CONF, DAT, DB or SQL, you can use Microsoft Windows or similar software from the "System Performance Caching" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert DBF, XML, SQLITE, XLSX, SQL, TSV, ACCDB, YAML, MDB, CSV, ODS or JSON files to SFCACHE, try Microsoft Windows or another comparable tool in the "System Performance Caching" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our SFCACHE converter.