Comments on: Registry Tweak to control Prefetch in Windows XP http://www.windowsreference.com/windows-xp/registry-tweak-to-control-prefetch-in-windows-xp/ Windows 7 2008 2003 Vista XP 2000 Ms Office Tutorials Fixes Tips Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:13:24 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Steve http://www.windowsreference.com/windows-xp/registry-tweak-to-control-prefetch-in-windows-xp/comment-page-1/#comment-1334 Steve Fri, 06 Mar 2009 03:22:59 +0000 http://www.windowsreference.com/windows-xp/registry-tweak-to-control-prefetch-in-windows-xp/#comment-1334 Take some time and run your own tests. I did. Result: I have set the value to 2. Take some time and run your own tests. I did.
Result: I have set the value to 2.

]]> By: Larry Miller http://www.windowsreference.com/windows-xp/registry-tweak-to-control-prefetch-in-windows-xp/comment-page-1/#comment-534 Larry Miller Wed, 16 Apr 2008 16:59:39 +0000 http://www.windowsreference.com/windows-xp/registry-tweak-to-control-prefetch-in-windows-xp/#comment-534 The explanation of how prefetch workds is seriously in error. Prefetch does not preload applications at boot time. Prefetch files are used to optimize application loading. Unused prefetch entries will have virtually no impact on performance. In any event the folder is self cleaning after 128 entries. Manual cleaning of the folder has no benefits and will temporarily cripple boot and application load times. All of this has been extensively tested. The default and optimum value for EnablePrefetcher is 3. Changing this will not improve performace in any way. This prefetch myth has been spread by a great many uninformed websites. Doing so seriously undermines their credibility among knowledgable users. References: http://home.comcast.net/~SupportCD/XPMyths.html Also check the references on this page. Larry Miller Microsoft MCSA, Network+, A+ The explanation of how prefetch workds is seriously in error. Prefetch does not preload applications at boot time. Prefetch files are used to optimize application loading. Unused prefetch entries will have virtually no impact on performance. In any event the folder is self cleaning after 128 entries. Manual cleaning of the folder has no benefits and will temporarily cripple boot and application load times. All of this has been extensively tested.

The default and optimum value for EnablePrefetcher is 3. Changing this will not improve performace in any way.

This prefetch myth has been spread by a great many uninformed websites. Doing so seriously undermines their credibility among knowledgable users.

References:
http://home.comcast.net/~SupportCD/XPMyths.html
Also check the references on this page.

Larry Miller
Microsoft MCSA, Network+, A+

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