prefetch

[Ferdinand]

I'm using Microsoft Windows XP Professional and I keep
noticing a suspicious subdirectory named Prefetch under
C:\Windows. MSAS don;t toche this file. It seems to take
all the .exe files and attach a .pf extension. Is this a
virus or spyware a bona fide Windows creation? I keep
renaming this directory because I'm not sure what's
creating it, but it keeps coming back.

It´s OK to delete the files with the extention .pf???

Thank you guys

 

[ccrashh]

The Prefetch directory is part of XP. You can read about it here:

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1683520,00.asp




I'm using Microsoft Windows XP Professional and I keep
noticing a suspicious subdirectory named Prefetch under
C:\Windows. MSAS don;t toche this file. It seems to take
all the .exe files and attach a .pf extension. Is this a
virus or spyware a bona fide Windows creation? I keep
renaming this directory because I'm not sure what's
creating it, but it keeps coming back.

It´s OK to delete the files with the extention .pf???

Thank you guys

 

[Ben]

-----Original Message-----
I'm using Microsoft Windows XP Professional and I keep
noticing a suspicious subdirectory named Prefetch under
C:\Windows. MSAS don;t toche this file. It seems to take
all the .exe files and attach a .pf extension. Is this a
virus or spyware a bona fide Windows creation? I keep
renaming this directory because I'm not sure what's
creating it, but it keeps coming back.

It´s OK to delete the files with the extention .pf???

Thank you guys


.
This is a valid Windows directory. Very, very briefly,

it stores information about files used at boot-up so that
the next boot runs a little faster.
Just google for "prefetch" and you can find a lot more
information.
No harm is done if you remove any or all entries in that
directory. MS just recreates a new one.

 

[Ferdinand]

Ben and Ccrashh

Tkank you both, I delete the ext. *.pf (that is what I
want to do)and evrething is OK and I'm plaesed, thank you
again

 

[Bill Sanderson]

As everybody else has mentioned, this directory and its content are part of
Windows and generally "good."

It is possible for viruses or spyware executables to have .PF files here,
though.

--
FAQ for Microsoft Antispyware:
http://www.geocities.com/marfer_mvp/FAQ_MSantispy.htm

Ben and Ccrashh

Tkank you both, I delete the ext. *.pf (that is what I
want to do)and evrething is OK and I'm plaesed, thank you
again