Warning for Users of WD Kitfox + SoftPerfect RAM Disk

[BluePT]

If you use Western Digital KitfoxService together with SoftPerfect RAM Disk, be aware of a critical compatibility issue that can completely prevent the Kitfox service from starting.

Symptom

WD KitfoxService gets stuck in START_PENDING and never finishes starting.
No error message is shown, and the service appears to “hang” indefinitely.

Cause

If SoftPerfect RAM Disk is configured with Hard Disk Emulation enabled, the RAM disk is exposed to Windows as a physical drive (PhysicalDriveX).

The KitfoxService performs RAW access on all detected physical drives during startup.
When it reaches the SoftPerfect virtual disk:

• the virtual disk does not respond correctly to low‑level SCSI/RAW commands

• KitfoxService enters an internal wait loop

• the service never reaches the real WD drive

• the service remains stuck forever

This issue is reproducible and affects all systems where:

• SoftPerfect RAM Disk = Hard Disk Emulation ON

• WD KitfoxService is installed

• The RAM disk is enumerated before or between real drives

Solution

Disable Hard Disk Emulation in SoftPerfect RAM Disk:

1. Open SoftPerfect RAM Disk

2. Edit your RAM disk

3. Uncheck “Hard Disk Emulation”

4. Save and reboot

After disabling this option:

• the RAM disk is mounted as a logical volume, not a physical disk

• KitfoxService no longer attempts RAW access on it

• the service starts normally

• no performance loss occurs

• full RAM disk functionality is preserved

Summary

SoftPerfect RAM Disk works perfectly with WD Kitfox as long as Hard Disk Emulation is disabled.
Leaving it enabled will cause KitfoxService to hang indefinitely during startup.