Can't turn off "prefetch"?

[***** charles]

Hi all,

I have done the following:

1. edited the registry and made prefetch = 0
2. deleted the prefetch directory under Windows

yet when I go to SystemInfo and go to startup programs
it says that all these programs/files are loading at startup
just like prefetch was still active. The locations of the
files are listed as "startup" and the users are listed as
".DEFAULT" and "NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM".

I have done a hard drive search for prefetch and find
nothing. In the run locations in the registry, there is
nothing. How do I get back to a "normal" boot?

thanks,
charles.....

 

[Malke]

Hi all,

I have done the following:

1. edited the registry and made prefetch = 0
2. deleted the prefetch directory under Windows

yet when I go to SystemInfo and go to startup programs
it says that all these programs/files are loading at startup
just like prefetch was still active. The locations of the
files are listed as "startup" and the users are listed as
".DEFAULT" and "NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM".

I have done a hard drive search for prefetch and find
nothing. In the run locations in the registry, there is
nothing. How do I get back to a "normal" boot?

Prefetch does not do what you think it does. In order to control startup
programs, first look in each program's preferences. If the program
doesn't allow you to set the option not to start with Windows, then use
the System Configuration Utility.

What Prefetch does:

The files in the Prefetch folder are data files related to enhancing the
speed at which applications start. Windows XP Professional monitors the
files that are used when the computer starts and when you start
applications. By monitoring these files, Windows XP Professional can
prefetch them. Prefetching data is the process whereby data that is
expected to be requested is read ahead into the cache. Prefetching boot
files and applications decreases the time needed to start Windows XP
Professional and start applications.

Running the System Configuration Utility:

Start>Run>msconfig [enter]

This brings up the System Configuration Utility. Look on the Startup tab
and find the probable culprit. Uncheck the box next to its name, Apply
and OK out. You don't need to restart immediately, but the next time you
do you'll get a dialog saying you've used the Utility. Just tick the box
that says in effect, "don't bother me about this again".

Important - Do not use the System Configuration Utility to stop
processes. Instead, use Start>Run>services.msc [enter]

How to Troubleshoot By Using the Msconfig Utility in Windows XP -
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=310560

Malke

 

[***** charles]

Hi all,

I have done the following:

1. edited the registry and made prefetch = 0
2. deleted the prefetch directory under Windows

yet when I go to SystemInfo and go to startup programs
it says that all these programs/files are loading at startup
just like prefetch was still active. The locations of the
files are listed as "startup" and the users are listed as
".DEFAULT" and "NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM".

I have done a hard drive search for prefetch and find
nothing. In the run locations in the registry, there is
nothing. How do I get back to a "normal" boot?

Prefetch does not do what you think it does. In order to control startup
programs, first look in each program's preferences. If the program
doesn't allow you to set the option not to start with Windows, then use
the System Configuration Utility.

What Prefetch does:

The files in the Prefetch folder are data files related to enhancing the
speed at which applications start. Windows XP Professional monitors the
files that are used when the computer starts and when you start
applications. By monitoring these files, Windows XP Professional can
prefetch them. Prefetching data is the process whereby data that is
expected to be requested is read ahead into the cache. Prefetching boot
files and applications decreases the time needed to start Windows XP
Professional and start applications.

Running the System Configuration Utility:

Start>Run>msconfig [enter]

This brings up the System Configuration Utility. Look on the Startup tab
and find the probable culprit. Uncheck the box next to its name, Apply
and OK out. You don't need to restart immediately, but the next time you
do you'll get a dialog saying you've used the Utility. Just tick the box
that says in effect, "don't bother me about this again".

Important - Do not use the System Configuration Utility to stop
processes. Instead, use Start>Run>services.msc [enter]

How to Troubleshoot By Using the Msconfig Utility in Windows XP -
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=310560

Malke
--
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic!"
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User

There are 84 screens of the following in the System Info >
Startup Programs for a total of about 3948 entries:

Program Command User Name Location
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
$ncsp$ $ncsp$.inf NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM Startup
$ncsp$ $ncsp$.inf .DEFAULT
Startup
$winnt$ $winnt$.inf NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM Startup
$winnt$ $winnt$.inf ,DEFAULT
Startup

Where is the above coming from and how do I get it to NOT show
up in the Startup Programs list?

thanks,c
charles....

 

[Malke]

There are 84 screens of the following in the System Info >
Startup Programs for a total of about 3948 entries:

Program Command User Name Location
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
$ncsp$ $ncsp$.inf NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM Startup
$ncsp$ $ncsp$.inf .DEFAULT
Startup
$winnt$ $winnt$.inf NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM Startup
$winnt$ $winnt$.inf ,DEFAULT
Startup

Where is the above coming from and how do I get it to NOT show
up in the Startup Programs list?

Where are you seeing this? Are you using msinfo32 to see this instead of
msconfig? What "Startup Programs list"? What problems are you having
with your computer?

How to Post:
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Usenet
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375 - How to Ask a Question
http://users.tpg.com.au/bzyhjr/liszt.htm - How Not to Get Technical Help
on Usenet



Malke

 

[***** charles]

Where are you seeing this? Are you using msinfo32 to see this instead of
msconfig? What "Startup Programs list"? What problems are you having
with your computer?

How to Post:
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Usenet
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375 - How to Ask a Question
http://users.tpg.com.au/bzyhjr/liszt.htm - How Not to Get Technical Help
on Usenet



Malke
--
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic!"
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User

Several points:

This response is not meant to piss you off but to explain the rest
of the story.

If my prior postings seem 'unfamiliar" you may not have nearly enough
experience with Windows as you think no matter how many years it has
been.

Clearly we are not communicating effectively and I don't have the time to
tinker or give long explainations.

I wiped the computer and did a clean install which took care of the problem.

The theoretical idea of prefetch is ok unless one is on a computer that
doesn't
have much ram, then it can be a killer. It added about 30M to the size of
the kernel and that slowed the computer down way to much. I have seen
this phenomenon before and have been able to fix it with registry changes.
This time, that didn't work. I did do-diligence in research with google and
microsoft knowledge base and nothing came up. That is when I thought
that someone may have come across this scenrio before and had a quick
fix. Telling people they don't know how to post may have unintended
consequences. It looks like the people trying to help are on their high
horse
and looking down their noses at "mere mortals". Another is that the person
seeking help never comes back thinking that all people trying to help are
_ssholes. In the earlier days of windows when calling "tech support" the
first question they asked you was "is the hardware on the hcl" and the
second question was "have you done a clean install"? In seeking a surgical
fix to a problem sometimes the effort and time is way to high as in this
case.
Brute force can be just as effective and takes a lot less time. I wish you
well and I have no misconceptions that this post will have any affect but I
did want you to know how it turned out.

cordially......

 

[Sam Hobbs]

Clearly we are not communicating effectively and I don't have the time to
tinker or give long explainations.

As someone that has posted more than 10 thousand messages helping others (or
at least trying to) in programming forums I really, very much know how
frustrating it is when someone is requesting help yet they don't provide
important information.

Perhaps it was unnecessary for Malke to post the links that help explain how
to ask questions, but the questions requesting clarification were good
questions. Try to provide information such as that without requiring that
someone trying to help you take the time to be specific about what
additional information is needed to help you.