Start Apps Faster

[mikex]

Posted here because most members use windows.

By default, Microsoft includes the /prefetch:1 switch to speed up it's Windows Media Player application start time. This switch can be used for other Windows applications and also many third party programs.

Example #1

You have AOL 8.0 installed on the computer. Complete the steps outlined bewlo to add the /prefetch:1 switch to AOL's Target path.

1. Right click on the AOL shortcut and select properties from the menu.

2. In the Target: Field add the /prefetch:1 switch to the very end of the path, like this: "C:\Program Files\America Online 8.0\aol.exe" /prefetch:1 and then click ok.

Now start AOL. It would load at least 50 times faster than ever before.

Example #2

1, Go to the Start button/All Programs/Accessories/System Tools

2. Right click on System Restore and select properties from the menu that appears. Add the /prefetch:1 to the Target Path entry so it looks like this %ystemRoot%\System32\restore\rstrui.exe /prefetch:1 and click ok.

Now System Restore will start immediately when executed.

Note: This switch will only work with some programs. Others will return a message saying the program in the target box is invalid. Just remove the switch (by Allan, forum admin).

Copied from here.

M

[lamuskrat]

Dude that was an excellent tip...

I tried it on Firefox and thunderbird, both of which are on my second partition and both open alot faster.

[murtu52]

oh yeah...that reminds me to defrag my prefetch files....thanks for the tip also, :D

[JSKY]

Great Find!!! Two Thumbs Up!!!

[goman87]

That' sweet.

[CurlingSteve]

Some people are reporting even faster performance (although the results are mixed) from adding a new DWORD value to the Registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management\PrefetchParameters

Add a new DWORD value called EnableSuperfetch and set it to 1.

Some say it speeds loads over and above the prefetch:1 tip, others don't notice any difference.

In any event, no one has reported problems adding this.

[Gold68]

Thought this link might help with the understanding of prefetch