Prefetch question

[ezdriver]

A couple of questions concerning XP Prefetch:

1) What exactly does it do? What is its purpose?

2) I've read that I should periodically clean obsolete items from prefetch, since it can get cluttered rather quickly. What is safe to delete? Could I conceivably clean out the entire folder and let it rebuild from scratch?

Thanks for your input from a WinXP Home Edition newbie!

ez😕

 

[pc_tek]

ya know... i read the same tip and I think it is a load of crap. The prefetch files are to help you boot faster. I know when you look in the prefetch folder that it looks like it will be taking alot of space, but in general it is ussually only 2-3 mb which is not much space at all. I would leave it!

 

[ghayes]

Windows XP "monitors" which applications are frequently launched and what files they access when launching and writes information about this to the prefetch folder. Approx every 3 days, Windows XP will attempt to "optimze" these apps so that they launch faster.

- Greg/Raxco Software

 

[Perris Calderon]

pre fetch refreshes itself, it speeds your computors search for commonly used apps, it doesn't need cleansing or maintanance

 

[gothic]

I did read on the M$ knowledgebase that it does help a little to clean it out occasionally. I just delete the bl**dy lot about once a fortnight.