Monday, September 10, 2012

XP's Cleaning Tip 1: Emptying the Prefetch

Most people know that you should do a cleaning of your PC once a week. However, there are a lot of places that should be cleaned that people don't really pay attention to, mainly because they don't know it exists. The Prefetch folder is one of those areas.




So, what exactly IS a prefetch? According to the Microsoft web site...



Each time you turn on your computer, Windows keeps track of the way your computer starts and which programs you commonly open. Windows saves this information as a number of small files in the prefetch folder. The next time you turn on your computer, Windows refers to these files to help speed the start process.
Ok, while this may be so, it actually can slow down your computer over time. It really isn't required, and is safe to delete. Here is how I empty my prefetch folder.



First, click "Start" then "My Computer". Click the partition you use the most. Then click the Windows folder. This window will pop up. I highlighted my prefetch folder to help you see where it should be. Now, open the folder.


WOW, that's a lot of files! A little food for thought... I just installed XP to my new drive not even 24 hours ago. After a while, this folder will fill up pretty quickly.

All you need to do now is to highlight all of the files, then right click and select "Delete" . Then simply empty your recycling bin by right clicking the icon and selecting "Empty." (You can also wait until you are completely finished with your cleaning and permanently delete the files through Disc Cleaner.)

Well, hope this little tip helps! :D


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