Here’s what you need to know about prefetch files in Windows.
What are Prefetch Files in Windows?
Since Windows XP, Windows creates a prefetch file every time you run an app for the first time. This file contains data the OS needs to speed up the app’s load time whenever you run it. And this is a big help during the startup process since it helps Windows load faster.
Where Can I Find Prefetch Files?
To find the prefetch files, you have to navigate to the Prefetch folder by heading to This PC > Local Disk (C:) > Windows > Prefetch. You can also get to the folder by pressing Win + R, typing prefetch, and hitting the Enter key.
When you first open the Prefetch folder, you might get a prompt telling you that you don’t have access to it. You have to click Continue to give yourself permission to view and edit the folder’s contents.
The prefetch files will be text files with a .pf extension, and they’re encrypted so that only your Windows system can read the app data.
Can I Delete the Prefetch Files?
Since the OS creates prefetch files itself, they’re essentially Windows files. And you can delete some Windows files to make space on your disk drive, there are some Windows files you should never touch. However, deleting prefetch files is pretty harmless, and Windows will create them again the next time you open apps on your machine.
Now You Know What Prefetch Files are Windows
So that’s prefetch files in a nutshell. They aren’t super important to the proper functioning of your Windows OS, but they do help speed things up when loading applications. You can delete them, but we don’t recommend it, as it can potentially slow download your PC.
