Prefetch Opitmization with XP Pro+ SP

[Uncle John]

Hi All
Since Windows Vista™ (formerly code named Longhorn) was announced there have
been many articles in the news letters and Forums I visit suggesting that
SuperFetch in Vista™ can be initiated in XP SP2 with tweaks for faster
performance by editing the registry by editing the Session Manager settings
in the Current Control Set.
The most common view was set prefetch in Current Control Set to enable dword
value 3.
Others suggest purging the prefetch folder frequently.

As far as I know the prefetch in XP SP2 is the same as it has been in
Windows version from way back and it is not possible to enable the
superfetch that is in Vista™.

If that is the case it is not wise to purge the prefetch folder as the OS
needs it and in any case will rebuild it over the next 72 hours. Settings
for the Dword are usually noted as 0,1,2 or 3 (off, system files only,
application files only, all files) with 3 recommended.

However the flurry of reports about it prompted to look at my settings and I
found my system has value 5 which seems to work well. It is possible that
this value is set by the proprietary defragger that I use - Perfect Disk
from Rasco - so I do not plan to change it.
Does any one have the full story on prefetch with XP + SP2
--
Uncle John
My system
...............................................................ooo0oooo...........................................................
Operating System Microsoft Windows XP
Professional 5.1.2600 (WinXP Retail)
2005-08-15
OS Service Pack Service Pack 2
Internet Explorer 6.0.2900.2180 (IE
6.0 SP2)
DirectX 4.09.00.0904
(DirectX 9.0c)
CPU Type Intel Pentium 4HT,
3066 MHz (23 x 133)
Video Adapter NVIDIA GeForce FX
5950 Ultra (256 MB)
Monitor Iiyama ProLite H510
[20" LCD] ( IDE Drive Controller
Intel(R) 82801EB Ultra ATA
Disk Drives x 2 WD740GD-00FLA2 (74 GB, 10000 RPM,
Serial-ATA/150)
SMART Hard Disks Status OK
.............................................................ooo0ooo...............................................................

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

No, Virginia, there is no Superfetch in Windows XP
http://www.edbott.com/weblog/archives/000863.html

Windows XP Memory Management Enhancements
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/d..._0eecebea-e58b-4c95-8520-9b1dc2bc6196.xml.asp

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

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

:

| Hi All
| Since Windows VistaT (formerly code named Longhorn) was announced there have
| been many articles in the news letters and Forums I visit suggesting that
| SuperFetch in VistaT can be initiated in XP SP2 with tweaks for faster
| performance by editing the registry by editing the Session Manager settings
| in the Current Control Set.
| The most common view was set prefetch in Current Control Set to enable dword
| value 3.
| Others suggest purging the prefetch folder frequently.
|
| As far as I know the prefetch in XP SP2 is the same as it has been in
| Windows version from way back and it is not possible to enable the
| superfetch that is in VistaT.
|
| If that is the case it is not wise to purge the prefetch folder as the OS
| needs it and in any case will rebuild it over the next 72 hours. Settings
| for the Dword are usually noted as 0,1,2 or 3 (off, system files only,
| application files only, all files) with 3 recommended.
|
| However the flurry of reports about it prompted to look at my settings and I
| found my system has value 5 which seems to work well. It is possible that
| this value is set by the proprietary defragger that I use - Perfect Disk
| from Rasco - so I do not plan to change it.
| Does any one have the full story on prefetch with XP + SP2
| --
| Uncle John
| My system
| ..............................................................ooo0oooo...........................................................
| Operating System Microsoft Windows XP
| Professional 5.1.2600 (WinXP Retail)
| 2005-08-15
| OS Service Pack Service Pack 2
| Internet Explorer 6.0.2900.2180 (IE
| 6.0 SP2)
| DirectX 4.09.00.0904
| (DirectX 9.0c)
| CPU Type Intel Pentium 4HT,
| 3066 MHz (23 x 133)
| Video Adapter NVIDIA GeForce FX
| 5950 Ultra (256 MB)
| Monitor Iiyama ProLite H510
| [20" LCD] ( IDE Drive Controller
| Intel(R) 82801EB Ultra ATA
| Disk Drives x 2 WD740GD-00FLA2 (74 GB, 10000 RPM,
| Serial-ATA/150)
| SMART Hard Disks Status OK
| ............................................................ooo0ooo...............................................................
|
|

 

[Uncle John]

Carey,

Thanks for quick reply, (I am not Virginia, though). I have seen the blog
you cite. I still wonder why I have got my prefetch set to

0x00000005

--
Uncle John

No, Virginia, there is no Superfetch in Windows XP
http://www.edbott.com/weblog/archives/000863.html

Windows XP Memory Management Enhancements
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/d..._0eecebea-e58b-4c95-8520-9b1dc2bc6196.xml.asp

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

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

:

| Hi All
| Since Windows VistaT (formerly code named Longhorn) was announced there
have
| been many articles in the news letters and Forums I visit suggesting
that
| SuperFetch in VistaT can be initiated in XP SP2 with tweaks for faster
| performance by editing the registry by editing the Session Manager
settings
| in the Current Control Set.
| The most common view was set prefetch in Current Control Set to enable
dword
| value 3.
| Others suggest purging the prefetch folder frequently.
|
| As far as I know the prefetch in XP SP2 is the same as it has been in
| Windows version from way back and it is not possible to enable the
| superfetch that is in VistaT.
|
| If that is the case it is not wise to purge the prefetch folder as the
OS
| needs it and in any case will rebuild it over the next 72 hours.
Settings
| for the Dword are usually noted as 0,1,2 or 3 (off, system files only,
| application files only, all files) with 3 recommended.
|
| However the flurry of reports about it prompted to look at my settings
and I
| found my system has value 5 which seems to work well. It is possible
that
| this value is set by the proprietary defragger that I use - Perfect Disk
| from Rasco - so I do not plan to change it.
| Does any one have the full story on prefetch with XP + SP2
| --
| Uncle John
| My system
|
..............................................................ooo0oooo...........................................................
| Operating System Microsoft Windows XP
| Professional 5.1.2600 (WinXP Retail)
| 2005-08-15
| OS Service Pack Service Pack 2
| Internet Explorer 6.0.2900.2180 (IE
| 6.0 SP2)
| DirectX 4.09.00.0904
| (DirectX 9.0c)
| CPU Type Intel Pentium
4HT,
| 3066 MHz (23 x 133)
| Video Adapter NVIDIA GeForce FX
| 5950 Ultra (256 MB)
| Monitor Iiyama ProLite
H510
| [20" LCD] ( IDE Drive Controller
| Intel(R) 82801EB Ultra ATA
| Disk Drives x 2 WD740GD-00FLA2 (74 GB, 10000 RPM,
| Serial-ATA/150)
| SMART Hard Disks Status OK
|
............................................................ooo0ooo...............................................................
|
|

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Send an email message to:
Greg Hayes/Raxco Software" (e-mail address removed)
Note: Delete "ntloader" from his email address.

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

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

:

| Carey,
|
| Thanks for quick reply, (I am not Virginia, though). I have seen the blog
| you cite. I still wonder why I have got my prefetch set to
|
| 0x00000005
|
| --
| Uncle John

 

[Uncle John]

Carey

Thanks for the tip. i will give it a try

 

[Greg Hayes/Raxco Software]

Uncle John,

PD disables the automatic "defrag" that XP attempts to perform approximately
every 3 days. This is accomplished via the
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\OptimalLayout\EnableAutoLayou
t registry key. If this key is missing or is set to a value of 1 - Windows
will attempt to defragment the files indicated by WIndows XP Prefetching
(approximately every 3 days as part of IdleTasks processing). PD creates
this registry key and sets the value to 0 - telling Windows that something
else is managing the prefetch files.

PD does NOT modify the EnablePrefetcher registry key
(HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Session Manager\Memory
Management\PrefetchParameters.

If memory serves me correctly, I don't think that a value of 5 is even valid
for this registry key - it is ignored. Valid values are 1, 2 or 3.

- Greg/Raxco Software
Microsoft MVP - Windows File System

Disclaimer: I work for Raxco Software, the maker of PerfectDisk - a
commercial defrag utility, as a systems engineer in the support department.

Want to email me? Delete ntloader.

 

[Ed]

I am not Virginia, though

Check out
http://www.edbott.com/weblog/archives/000863.html
about the "Superfetch" and then check out
http://www.zworks.com/christmas/yesvirg.html
so you will understand about Virginia.

Regards,
Ed

 

[Uncle John]

Carey

Greg says that perfect Disk does not modify the prefetch enabler key

"PD disables the automatic "defrag" that XP attempts to perform
approximately every 3 days. This is accomplished via the
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\OptimalLayout\EnableAutoLayout
registry key. If this key is missing or is set to a value of 1 - Windows
will attempt to defragment the files indicated by Windows XP Prefetching
(approximately every 3 days as part of IdleTasks processing). PD creates
this registry key and sets the value to 0 - telling Windows that something
else is managing the prefetch files.

PD does NOT modify the EnablePrefetcher registry key
(HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Session Manager\Memory
Management\PrefetchParameters."
So I have rest the key value to 3