Guest StarryEyed Posted August 15, 2008 Posted August 15, 2008 Re: Prefetch question I've been actually deleting my prefetch folder a few, if not more, times a week. I had a feeling I might be doing something wrong, but it's been running soooo smoothly since I've been doing it and it's a brand-new computer and I was just mainly looking for an easy way for upkeep, and until now I ran into no problems. (Someone was working on my computer through taking control over it from another computer online) and I could see what they were doing and I asked if that was safe and he said yes and that whatever files needed to be there will restore themselves. But now I'm trying to upload my entire cd collection onto windows media player 11 on my windows vista and after using it for a few days and then erasing my prefetch for like the third time this week. The windows media player doesn't come up when I try opening it. It asks if I want it to check for a solution and close and I say yes, and nothing.... and when I look at where the windows media player is installed it has a "prefetch" file location. I'm assuming after reading through some of these posts that it will eventually restore itself. But now I really want to know exactly what I'm doing to my computer when I erase the prefetch files? Could I atleast do it every couple of weeks or once a month without hurting my computer too much? Please help, ~Lisa "Rock" wrote: > "Ken A" <nospaml@nospamnet> wrote > >I was told that it is a good idea to delete the Prefetch Folder at least > >once a month. This is suppose to make the computer perform better. Any > >comments of this would be greatly appreciated. > > This is an urban myth that has no value under normal circumstances. > Deleting the contents of the prefetch folder will not improve computer > performance. In fact it will reduce it, until the prefetch folder is > rebuilt over several days as programs are run. > > There might be a situation where there is a problem and deleting the > prefetch folder contents might be done for troubleshooting reasons, but > otherwise don't do so under normal circumstances. > > -- > Rock [MS-MVP User/Shell] > >
Guest R. McCarty Posted August 15, 2008 Posted August 15, 2008 Re: Prefetch question Re: Prefetch question The issue with purging the contents of the \Prefetch folder is that when ProcessIdleTasks runs it may not recreate the Layout.ini file. Because of this your system will not benefit from prefetching. You'd be better served doing other maintenance items instead of this "Urban Legend" stuff. "StarryEyed" <StarryEyed@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:CE763318-C8A3-46A0-B57F-F0A1E398F7AC@microsoft.com... > I've been actually deleting my prefetch folder a few, if not more, times a > week. I had a feeling I might be doing something wrong, but it's been > running > soooo smoothly since I've been doing it and it's a brand-new computer and > I > was just mainly looking for an easy way for upkeep, and until now I ran > into > no problems. > > (Someone was working on my computer through taking control over it from > another computer online) and I could see what they were doing and I asked > if > that was safe and he said yes and that whatever files needed to be there > will > restore themselves. > > But now I'm trying to upload my entire cd collection onto windows media > player 11 on my windows vista and after using it for a few days and then > erasing my prefetch for like the third time this week. The windows media > player doesn't come up when I try opening it. It asks if I want it to > check > for a solution and close and I say yes, and nothing.... and when I look at > where the windows media player is installed it has a "prefetch" file > location. > > I'm assuming after reading through some of these posts that it will > eventually restore itself. But now I really want to know exactly what I'm > doing to my computer when I erase the prefetch files? Could I atleast do > it > every couple of weeks or once a month without hurting my computer too > much? > Please help, > ~Lisa > > "Rock" wrote: > >> "Ken A" <nospaml@nospamnet> wrote >> >I was told that it is a good idea to delete the Prefetch Folder at least >> >once a month. This is suppose to make the computer perform better. Any >> >comments of this would be greatly appreciated. >> >> This is an urban myth that has no value under normal circumstances. >> Deleting the contents of the prefetch folder will not improve computer >> performance. In fact it will reduce it, until the prefetch folder is >> rebuilt over several days as programs are run. >> >> There might be a situation where there is a problem and deleting the >> prefetch folder contents might be done for troubleshooting reasons, but >> otherwise don't do so under normal circumstances. >> >> -- >> Rock [MS-MVP User/Shell] >> >>
Guest Kayman Posted August 15, 2008 Posted August 15, 2008 Re: Prefetch question Re: Prefetch question On Fri, 15 Aug 2008 02:48:00 -0700, StarryEyed wrote: > I've been actually deleting my prefetch folder <snip for brevity> Educational reading: One more time: do not clean out your Prefetch folder! http://www.edbott.com/weblog/archives/000743.html
Guest db.·.. > Posted August 15, 2008 Posted August 15, 2008 Re: Prefetch question Re: Prefetch question a prefetch is a new tool that acts like a quick road map to the locations of the files for launching a program. without a prefetch, then the system will look for the files the old fashion way. also, the prefetch system is included in the start up process when windows loads. although the prefetch system can be beneficial, it is for the benefit of the user and not for windows. therefore, the prefetch system can be turned off if you desired. further, there are certain instances that the prefetch can actually impeded the systems performance. that is why flushing out the prefetch files on occasion is not a detriment but a benefit. -- db·´¯`·...¸><)))º> "StarryEyed" <StarryEyed@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:CE763318-C8A3-46A0-B57F-F0A1E398F7AC@microsoft.com... > I've been actually deleting my prefetch folder a few, if not more, times a > week. I had a feeling I might be doing something wrong, but it's been running > soooo smoothly since I've been doing it and it's a brand-new computer and I > was just mainly looking for an easy way for upkeep, and until now I ran into > no problems. > > (Someone was working on my computer through taking control over it from > another computer online) and I could see what they were doing and I asked if > that was safe and he said yes and that whatever files needed to be there will > restore themselves. > > But now I'm trying to upload my entire cd collection onto windows media > player 11 on my windows vista and after using it for a few days and then > erasing my prefetch for like the third time this week. The windows media > player doesn't come up when I try opening it. It asks if I want it to check > for a solution and close and I say yes, and nothing.... and when I look at > where the windows media player is installed it has a "prefetch" file location. > > I'm assuming after reading through some of these posts that it will > eventually restore itself. But now I really want to know exactly what I'm > doing to my computer when I erase the prefetch files? Could I atleast do it > every couple of weeks or once a month without hurting my computer too much? > Please help, > ~Lisa > > "Rock" wrote: > >> "Ken A" <nospaml@nospamnet> wrote >> >I was told that it is a good idea to delete the Prefetch Folder at least >> >once a month. This is suppose to make the computer perform better. Any >> >comments of this would be greatly appreciated. >> >> This is an urban myth that has no value under normal circumstances. >> Deleting the contents of the prefetch folder will not improve computer >> performance. In fact it will reduce it, until the prefetch folder is >> rebuilt over several days as programs are run. >> >> There might be a situation where there is a problem and deleting the >> prefetch folder contents might be done for troubleshooting reasons, but >> otherwise don't do so under normal circumstances. >> >> -- >> Rock [MS-MVP User/Shell] >> >>
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