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View Full Version : Windows XP Tweak - Prefetch



Alakazam
03-25-2002, 09:24 PM
Not really a tweak, more of a hint I would say.

XP creates a system directory called the Prefetch folder and populates it with precached data that's used when you start the system or applications. This is part of the reason boot times in XP are faster than Win2K -- it's getting data intelligently for the boot cycle based on previous boot cycles.

The Prefetch folder can also get cluttered with irrelevant data, especially if you add and remove a lot of programs. If you have never cleared this cache, take a look at the properties value for this folder and see how much is in there, you'll be in for a surprise. To Remove the old data:

Go to x:/windows/prefetch directory and delete all the contents - Reboot (X is the drive that Win XP is installed on}

Courtesy of xp-erience.org (http://www.xp-erience.org/)

whipat
03-31-2002, 05:51 AM
Thanks for the reminder, Zammy, it has been a couple of months since I emptied it. I was leery about messing with it in the beginning, since it was something I had never heard of. it really can get cluttered.;)

Pat