prefetch folder

[Tony Luxton]

After installing and uninstalling a lot of shareware, I thought I'd be
clever and empty my prefetch folder. I now realise that I shouldn't have
deleted everything, but too late-I'd run cleanup and my recycle bin is
empty. The prefetch folder stays empty all the time now.

What file(s) should I have in there, and can I get them back? I'd rather not
use system restore if I can help it as I've made some other changes. I've
not noticed any ill effects-all apps seem to load quickly enough.

Tony.

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

The Prefetch folder contains information regarding the optimal disk layout
of program files so they launch quicker. You may delete all those files,
but XP will rebuild that folder so that your computer runs as efficiently
as possible. After deleting the prefetch files, your computer's performance
will suffer slightly until the prefetch folder is rebuilt. It takes approximately
three computer reboots to properly rebuild the prefetch folder contents.

Windows XP's Built-In Optimization
http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,3973,1149277,00.asp

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User

Be Smart! Protect Your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/default.aspx

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

:

| After installing and uninstalling a lot of shareware, I thought I'd be
| clever and empty my prefetch folder. I now realise that I shouldn't have
| deleted everything, but too late-I'd run cleanup and my recycle bin is
| empty. The prefetch folder stays empty all the time now.
|
| What file(s) should I have in there, and can I get them back? I'd rather not
| use system restore if I can help it as I've made some other changes. I've
| not noticed any ill effects-all apps seem to load quickly enough.
|
| Tony.

 

[Wesley Vogel]

If for some reason layout.ini {C:\WINDOWS\Prefetch\layout.ini} does not get
recreated after three boots, try this:

Start | Run | Type: cmd | OK

Copy and paste this in the command prompt window >>

rundll32.exe advapi32.dll,ProcessIdleTasks

Hit Enter

[[It can take 10 to 15 minutes for idle tasks to complete. Task Manager will
report processes running, and the disk will likely be active during this
time.]]

This should recreate the layout.ini file.

 

[Tony Luxton]

Nope. Still nothing.........

Tony.

If for some reason layout.ini {C:\WINDOWS\Prefetch\layout.ini} does not
get
recreated after three boots, try this:

Start | Run | Type: cmd | OK

Copy and paste this in the command prompt window >>

rundll32.exe advapi32.dll,ProcessIdleTasks

Hit Enter

[[It can take 10 to 15 minutes for idle tasks to complete. Task Manager
will
report processes running, and the disk will likely be active during this
time.]]

This should recreate the layout.ini file.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.
Wes

In

After installing and uninstalling a lot of shareware, I thought I'd be
clever and empty my prefetch folder. I now realise that I shouldn't
have deleted everything, but too late-I'd run cleanup and my recycle
bin is empty. The prefetch folder stays empty all the time now.

What file(s) should I have in there, and can I get them back? I'd
rather not use system restore if I can help it as I've made some
other changes. I've not noticed any ill effects-all apps seem to load
quickly enough.

Tony.

 

[mikey]

do a GOOGLE search for the followingprogram.

windows-xp-prefetch-clean-and-control.exe

it allows you to control the amount of data prefetch keeps, and to turn prefetch on or off.

or there is a registry patch if you are comefortable with editing the registry.

ALWAYS use CAUTION when editing the registry.


Modifying and disabling Prefetch settings
As with most Windows XP-related things, you can change the way that Prefetch behaves by making a change in the registry. For low-memory systems, you can even completely disable the feature, which ensures that every last byte of RAM goes toward running current programs, not the ones XP guesses you'll need next.

To change the registry settings for prefetching, start the Registry Editor by selecting Run from the Start menu, typing regedit in the Open text box, and clicking OK. When the Registry Editor window opens, navigate through the left pane until you get to this hive:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management\PrefetchParameters

In the right pane, look for the key named EnablePrefetcher. The value of this key represents how prefetch works on your system. Values you can choose from include:

0-Disable
1-Application Launch Prefetch
2-Boot Prefetch
3-Prefetch everything

To change the value, double-click it. You'll then see the Edit DWORD Value screen. Enter the value representing the level of prefetching you want in the Value Data field.

As a general rule, if you're on a low-memory workstation, 128 MB or so, set the value to 0. If your workstation has 512 MB of RAM or more, set it to 3. Otherwise, you can choose the value as best suits your needs and observations.




(e-mail address removed)



Nope. Still nothing.........

Tony.

If for some reason layout.ini {C:\WINDOWS\Prefetch\layout.ini} does not
get
recreated after three boots, try this:

Start | Run | Type: cmd | OK

Copy and paste this in the command prompt window >>

rundll32.exe advapi32.dll,ProcessIdleTasks

Hit Enter

[[It can take 10 to 15 minutes for idle tasks to complete. Task Manager
will
report processes running, and the disk will likely be active during this
time.]]

This should recreate the layout.ini file.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.
Wes

In

After installing and uninstalling a lot of shareware, I thought I'd be
clever and empty my prefetch folder. I now realise that I shouldn't
have deleted everything, but too late-I'd run cleanup and my recycle
bin is empty. The prefetch folder stays empty all the time now.

What file(s) should I have in there, and can I get them back? I'd
rather not use system restore if I can help it as I've made some
other changes. I've not noticed any ill effects-all apps seem to load
quickly enough.

Tony.

 

[Wesley Vogel]

Tony,

Make sure Task Scheduler is set to Automatic...

Start | Run | Type: services.msc | OK
Scroll down to and double click Task Scheduler | Startup type: Automatic |
Apply | OK |
Close Services.

Check this registry entry...

Start | Run | Type: regedit | OK
Navigate to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\
Session Manager\Memory Management\PrefetchParameters

Look for EnablePrefetcher in the right pane, if the value is not 3,
Double click EnablePrefetcher and change the value to 3.
Values are (0 = disabled, 1 = Application launch prefetching, 2 = Boot
prefetching, 3 = Both prefetching). 3 seems to be the preferred option.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.
Wes

In

Nope. Still nothing.........

Tony.

If for some reason layout.ini {C:\WINDOWS\Prefetch\layout.ini} does
not get
recreated after three boots, try this:

Start | Run | Type: cmd | OK

Copy and paste this in the command prompt window >>

rundll32.exe advapi32.dll,ProcessIdleTasks

Hit Enter

[[It can take 10 to 15 minutes for idle tasks to complete. Task
Manager will
report processes running, and the disk will likely be active during
this time.]]

This should recreate the layout.ini file.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.
Wes

In

After installing and uninstalling a lot of shareware, I thought I'd
be clever and empty my prefetch folder. I now realise that I
shouldn't have deleted everything, but too late-I'd run cleanup and
my recycle bin is empty. The prefetch folder stays empty all the
time now.

What file(s) should I have in there, and can I get them back? I'd
rather not use system restore if I can help it as I've made some
other changes. I've not noticed any ill effects-all apps seem to
load quickly enough.

Tony.

 

[Tony Luxton]

Wesley,

You get the cigar! I had task scheduler on manual. I put it on automatic,
went straight to the prefetch folder and there were the missing files. I
started an app, closed it and the .pf file had been created. At no time did
I reboot. (I'd already checked prefetcher was enabled in the registry).

Does this mean I wasn't wrong to delete *all* the files?

regards Tony.

Tony,

Make sure Task Scheduler is set to Automatic...

Start | Run | Type: services.msc | OK
Scroll down to and double click Task Scheduler | Startup type: Automatic |
Apply | OK |
Close Services.

Check this registry entry...

Start | Run | Type: regedit | OK
Navigate to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\
Session Manager\Memory Management\PrefetchParameters

Look for EnablePrefetcher in the right pane, if the value is not 3,
Double click EnablePrefetcher and change the value to 3.
Values are (0 = disabled, 1 = Application launch prefetching, 2 = Boot
prefetching, 3 = Both prefetching). 3 seems to be the preferred option.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.
Wes

In

Nope. Still nothing.........

Tony.

If for some reason layout.ini {C:\WINDOWS\Prefetch\layout.ini} does
not get
recreated after three boots, try this:

Start | Run | Type: cmd | OK

Copy and paste this in the command prompt window >>

rundll32.exe advapi32.dll,ProcessIdleTasks

Hit Enter

[[It can take 10 to 15 minutes for idle tasks to complete. Task
Manager will
report processes running, and the disk will likely be active during
this time.]]

This should recreate the layout.ini file.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.
Wes

In Tony Luxton <[email protected]> hunted and pecked:
After installing and uninstalling a lot of shareware, I thought I'd
be clever and empty my prefetch folder. I now realise that I
shouldn't have deleted everything, but too late-I'd run cleanup and
my recycle bin is empty. The prefetch folder stays empty all the
time now.

What file(s) should I have in there, and can I get them back? I'd
rather not use system restore if I can help it as I've made some
other changes. I've not noticed any ill effects-all apps seem to
load quickly enough.

Tony.

 

[Wesley Vogel]

Tony,

Many different views on this, but to avoid problems in the future, always
leave the layout.ini file when deleting the contents of C:\WINDOWS\Prefetch
folder.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.
Wes

In

Wesley,

You get the cigar! I had task scheduler on manual. I put it on
automatic, went straight to the prefetch folder and there were the
missing files. I started an app, closed it and the .pf file had been
created. At no time did I reboot. (I'd already checked prefetcher was
enabled in the registry).

Does this mean I wasn't wrong to delete *all* the files?

regards Tony.

Tony,

Make sure Task Scheduler is set to Automatic...

Start | Run | Type: services.msc | OK
Scroll down to and double click Task Scheduler | Startup type:
Automatic | Apply | OK |
Close Services.

Check this registry entry...

Start | Run | Type: regedit | OK
Navigate to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\
Session Manager\Memory Management\PrefetchParameters

Look for EnablePrefetcher in the right pane, if the value is not 3,
Double click EnablePrefetcher and change the value to 3.
Values are (0 = disabled, 1 = Application launch prefetching, 2 =
Boot prefetching, 3 = Both prefetching). 3 seems to be the
preferred option.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.
Wes

In

Nope. Still nothing.........

Tony.

If for some reason layout.ini {C:\WINDOWS\Prefetch\layout.ini} does
not get
recreated after three boots, try this:

Start | Run | Type: cmd | OK

Copy and paste this in the command prompt window >>

rundll32.exe advapi32.dll,ProcessIdleTasks

Hit Enter

[[It can take 10 to 15 minutes for idle tasks to complete. Task
Manager will
report processes running, and the disk will likely be active during
this time.]]

This should recreate the layout.ini file.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.
Wes

In Tony Luxton <[email protected]> hunted and pecked:
After installing and uninstalling a lot of shareware, I thought
I'd be clever and empty my prefetch folder. I now realise that I
shouldn't have deleted everything, but too late-I'd run cleanup
and my recycle bin is empty. The prefetch folder stays empty all
the time now.

What file(s) should I have in there, and can I get them back? I'd
rather not use system restore if I can help it as I've made some
other changes. I've not noticed any ill effects-all apps seem to
load quickly enough.

Tony.

 

[Tony Luxton]

Thanks Wes. Case closed.

regards Tony.

Tony,

Many different views on this, but to avoid problems in the future, always
leave the layout.ini file when deleting the contents of
C:\WINDOWS\Prefetch
folder.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.
Wes

In

Wesley,

You get the cigar! I had task scheduler on manual. I put it on
automatic, went straight to the prefetch folder and there were the
missing files. I started an app, closed it and the .pf file had been
created. At no time did I reboot. (I'd already checked prefetcher was
enabled in the registry).

Does this mean I wasn't wrong to delete *all* the files?

regards Tony.

Tony,

Make sure Task Scheduler is set to Automatic...

Start | Run | Type: services.msc | OK
Scroll down to and double click Task Scheduler | Startup type:
Automatic | Apply | OK |
Close Services.

Check this registry entry...

Start | Run | Type: regedit | OK
Navigate to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\
Session Manager\Memory Management\PrefetchParameters

Look for EnablePrefetcher in the right pane, if the value is not 3,
Double click EnablePrefetcher and change the value to 3.
Values are (0 = disabled, 1 = Application launch prefetching, 2 =
Boot prefetching, 3 = Both prefetching). 3 seems to be the
preferred option.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.
Wes

In Tony Luxton <[email protected]> hunted and pecked:
Nope. Still nothing.........

Tony.

If for some reason layout.ini {C:\WINDOWS\Prefetch\layout.ini} does
not get
recreated after three boots, try this:

Start | Run | Type: cmd | OK

Copy and paste this in the command prompt window >>

rundll32.exe advapi32.dll,ProcessIdleTasks

Hit Enter

[[It can take 10 to 15 minutes for idle tasks to complete. Task
Manager will
report processes running, and the disk will likely be active during
this time.]]

This should recreate the layout.ini file.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.
Wes

In Tony Luxton <[email protected]> hunted and pecked:
After installing and uninstalling a lot of shareware, I thought
I'd be clever and empty my prefetch folder. I now realise that I
shouldn't have deleted everything, but too late-I'd run cleanup
and my recycle bin is empty. The prefetch folder stays empty all
the time now.

What file(s) should I have in there, and can I get them back? I'd
rather not use system restore if I can help it as I've made some
other changes. I've not noticed any ill effects-all apps seem to
load quickly enough.

Tony.