What is WindoesPrefetch?

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

I'm trying to clean up AOL. Uninstall certainly seems to do very little
about that.... And I see a lot of AOL*.pf files there. Is it sort of like a
history file or something? OK to just delete them all? Is this whole
folder AOL instead of Windows?

I unwisely installed AOL so I could have a backup dialup connection when/if
cable went down. Sorry I did. What an imperialistic piece of software!!!
And just try to cancel! They won't do it unless you answer a whole slow of
questions. Or yell for a supervisor as I finally did.

 

[Malke]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

Laurel wrote:

> I'm trying to clean up AOL. Uninstall certainly seems to do very
> little
> about that.... And I see a lot of AOL*.pf files there. Is it sort of
> like a
> history file or something? OK to just delete them all? Is this whole
> folder AOL instead of Windows?
>
> I unwisely installed AOL so I could have a backup dialup connection
> when/if
> cable went down. Sorry I did. What an imperialistic piece of
> software!!!
> And just try to cancel! They won't do it unless you answer a whole
> slow of
> questions. Or yell for a supervisor as I finally did.

From a MS article:

The files in the Prefetch folder are data files related to enhancing the
speed at which applications start. Windows XP Professional monitors the
files that are used when the computer starts and when you start
applications. By monitoring these files, Windows XP Professional can
prefetch them. Prefetching data is the process whereby data that is
expected to be requested is read ahead into the cache. Prefetching boot
files and applications decreases the time needed to start Windows XP
Professional and start applications.

Malke
--
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic!"
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User