[Ham-Computers] RE: Temp Directory/Housekeeping

[Hsu, Aaron (NBC Universal)]

I wouldn't worry about or clean out the prefetch directory.  In fact, doing so may make your system run a bit slower.  Windows XP keeps track of how a program loads - not all apps load "sequentially".  The Windows prefetch logic tracks how the program loads so it can pre-cache the appropriate components the next time the app loads.  The prefetch is kept in FIFO order, so if an app isn't used in so many days (I think 30), it's prefetch info is automatically deleted.

73,

  - Aaron, NN6O


-----Original Message-----
Sent: Thursday, March 06, 2008 11:52 AM
Subject: [Ham-Computers] Temp Directory/Housekeeping

Everyone does their own "thing" and before my Saturday morning backups on my XP gear I delete my TEMP and PREFETCH, using:

Start/Run/Prefetch, then Edit, Select All and Delete to send all to the Recycle Bin

and

Start/Run/%TEMP%, then Edit, Select All and Delete all to the Recycle Bin

then

empty the Recycle Bin.

Sometimes when using the %TEMP% there is a log file that the OS will not allow me to delete, so it stays.  Often in prefetch, for the kind of computing I do, there are 100 to 200 files to remove each week, and in %TEMP% maybe six to a dozen.

For other OS I do the same, but since those machines don't need nor use the Web or the Internet there is less to do.

Additionally, I made a folder for all machines (in all OS) entitled C:\TEMP1 and another for C:\TMP1.  These two are used to quarantine all downloads until I have a chance to hit those folders with my virus, malware, spyware and similar armament.  Over time, I found that one would have been enough, but have never taken time to go back and delete C:TMP1 and use only the C:\TEMP1.

John W0IKT