# CCleaner "Old Prefetch data" setting warning



## redoak

Go to this Thread as a starter: http://forums.techguy.org/t405287.html

There is strong objection at at least two sites I have found to "CCleaner's" recent inclusion of the option to delete "Prefetch" entries from the "XP" system.

See "System>Old Prefetch data" in the CCleaner menu. It appears that this item should not be checked.

{redoak}


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## John Burns

Thanks for the "heads up". I checked several sites thru Google and most agree this can be a problem. I have now unchecked "Old Prefetch Data" and will try it that way. Appreciate the info.


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## blues_harp28

Thanks redoak for the info..


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## Mastertech

Here is a detailed description of what CCleaner does and why it slows down your system.

CCleaner Cripples Application Load Times



> Recently CCleaner has added an internet urban legend as a cleaning option, "Old Prefetch Data". Cleaning the Prefetch folder is an internet Myth that simply will not die due to the gross ignorance of many people in regards to how Windows XP Prefetching works. These same people generally recommend other bogus advice such as disabling Windows Prefetching completely and adding /Prefetch:1 to desktop shortcuts.
> 
> "Bottom line: You will NOT improve Windows performance by cleaning out the Prefetch folder. You will, in fact, degrade Windows performance by cleaning out the Prefetch folder."
> 
> *What CCleaner does*
> CCleaner deletes any Prefetch file older then two weeks based on the .pf file's last access date. This is completely idiotic for a number of reasons. First you should never delete a .pf for any installed application. With the .pf file missing, that application will take up to 100% more time to load when you decide to launch it. CCleaner does this to any application you have installed on your computer but have not used in over two weeks. It makes absolutely no sense to delete these files. Why would you deliberately want to slow down any installed application's load time? It will also do this if you have not used you computer for two weeks. Second, it is quite common to disable the NTFS Last Access Time Stamp for performance reasons. I actually recommend doing this since it speeds up the file system. In this case CCleaner will delete any .pf file that was created over two weeks ago. You can clearly see how running CCleaner in this case would wind up deleting ALL your Prefetch files every two weeks. Now you are crippling every application's load time on your system instead of just the ones you have not used in two weeks. Ridiculous!


Read more at the link.


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