The 'Prefetch' folder in \Windows

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ivo Kristensjö
  • Start date Start date
I

Ivo Kristensjö

Ever since I started to run Windows XP Pro (or Home ed.) I was wondering
what useful thing the content in the Prefetch folder is providing. The
contents (file-stamps) are increasing each time I start up my computer
principally by creating a stamp of which processes were started up after
'login'. Is this some kind of a sensitive information to Microsoft so they
can spy on us common users, which programs we are using? Or provide the
file-stamps just an information to myself so I can supervise my own
computer, having the opportunity to track that no suspicous processes were
going on? I usually erase those files periodically and automatically using
the Task scheduler, mainly for freeing the diskspace usually by 5 MB or
more.
 
Hi,

They are there so that frequently or recently used items/files can be
reloaded into memory faster. It is part of the memory design of the XP
system. Dumping them hurts nothing, though it may slow performance
marginally, but the system will begin creating new ones as you run new
processes afterwards. This behavior is by design, and no one at Microsoft is
spying on your personal information using them.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
 
Thank's for the info. Now I will reconcider not to erase those items, at
least not very often.

/Ivo
 
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