Win XP/2003 pre-read files

In order to improve the performance of the system, speed up the system startup and file reading, pre-read function has been added in Windows XP/Server 2003. The Windows\Prefetch folder under the Windows XP/Server 2003 system disk is the folder where it is pre-read, and there are many files with PF as the extension in the Prefetch folder, which is the pre-read file generated by the system. However, if this function is not used well, over time, a large number of pre-read files will be generated, occupying valuable hard disk space, causing the system search to take longer, increasing the burden on system search and slowing down the system operation speed. Therefore, only by managing and using these pre-read files well can the system performance be always maintained and the system runs faster and smoother.

First, let’s create a pre-read method that suits you. By default, Windows XP/Server 2003 only pre-reads Windows system files. Friends with low computer configuration may want to cancel the pre-read function, while friends with high computer configuration may want to pre-read more files. So how can we create a pre-read method that suits us?

In fact, Windows XP/Server 2003 allows us to change the pre-reading method and set the pre-reading object by ourselves. The method is: click "Start → Run", enter "Regedit" in the Run dialog box, open the Registry Editor, expand the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management\PrefetchParameters branch, and find the "EnablePrefetcher" in the window on the right, which is the pre-reading method of Windows XP/Server 2003 controlled by this key value. Double-click on "EnablePrefetcher" to open the "DWORD" value editing window, and pre-read settings for Windows XP/Server 2003 by changing the value of "Numerical Data".

Set "Numerical Data" to:

"0" - Cancel the pre-read function;
"1" - The system will only pre-read the application;
"2" - The system will only pre-read Windows system files, which is the default setting for Windows XP/Server 2003;
"3" - The system will pre-read Windows system files and applications.

OK, now you can define the pre-reading method that suits you based on your computer configuration.

Secondly, we must develop the good habit of cleaning pre-read files regularly. You can manually delete all files in the Prefetch folder every once in a while. In this way, the system's pre-read function can better serve us.