Someone might want to clear the pre-fetch folder is if it contains a
reference to a virus or spyware. In that case you'd be following the
instructions from an antivirus or antispyware web site for manually removing
an infection
As at Jan 2005, I know of no relevance of .PF files to malware. If
the malware's there and integrated, it's going to run irrespective of
whether there is a .PF for it or not. If the malware's gone, then the
..PF points to nothing and can do nothing.
It's important to remember that .PF neither contain code, nor are they
shortcuts that launch code (unlike .PIF, which are supposed to be
shortcuts but will run as raw code too).
There are good reasons for clearing Temporary Internet Files, but speeding
up the computer isn't one of them. Windows works just as well whether the
TIF folder is empty or filled with files.
I disagree entirely; duhfault huge TIF size allocations, repeated one
per user account, fragments the file system when ancient tiny files
are finally purged out on FIFO basis. Not only that, but even
multiple cache dir branches will be long, fragmented, and particularly
slow to traverse on FATxx (as that uses linear lookup).
I'd set cache size to 20M, to 40M tops. Your 'net access is either
too slow to fill that in a short enough time for the oldest cached
material to be relevant, or it's fast enough not to need caching.
Of course, if you have so little free space on your hard disk that
the addition of Temporary Internet Files interferes with Windows'
ability to operate - for example, there's not enough space for a
sufficient paging file - then you either need to do serious
housekeeping or buy another hard disk.
Or shrink the cache, duh. Like that material is soooo crucial, one
just has to throw money at hardware to accomodate it?
As for reducing the length of time to select another operating system (the
default is 30 seconds): That only saves time if there is more than one
operating system on the computer.
Or more than one mode of the same OS. Or if you aren't there to press
Enter, in which case you prolly won't care about the 30-second
delay... unless you're running unattended, and if you are, waiting for
AutoChk to wade through one huge C: will take so long that the extra
30 second delay won't seem so significant anymore
---------------- ----- ---- --- -- - - - -
Cats have 9 lives, which makes them
ideal for experimentation!
