If your running Microsoft XP a log of everything you do is build in a file called "prefetch" When you fire up the old computer and it settles on the desktop go to the start button. Click it. Then go to search and type in "prefetch" to search file and folders. Take a look. Then delelte it if you want. Me I don't like the idea of someone tracking what I do on the computer so I delete it first thing every time I get one the computer.

Asyn

I am not sure that you are strictly correct about the PREFETCH folder, I have just checked it on my work computer and it contains names of applications, including windows O/S apps, DLLs and normal software, I have used. Therefore, I don't think this info really constitutes as a "log" because it does not contain details of what I did with those applications.

Plus, I have discussed this with an IT colleague and he believes that Prefetch helps to get applications you have used, such as Windows Explorer, to open faster the second time around during the course of a work session. This makes sense to me because many times I have opened and closed programs like WORD, Windows Explorer, Internet Explorer, etc. and have noticed that they are slow to open the first time but open quite quickly the second and subsequent times when I needed to reopen them.

You will see by my (crude) attachment that Prefetch only contains basic application data.

If, however, you have any info which may contradict my initial findings then please let the forum know about it.



UK Bob

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I believe you are correct about this UK Bob

I remember people complaining about CCleaner deleting the prefetch folder by default up until about 8 months ago until they were convinced that there was no need to. It's still an option though. But asyn is right about it containing little bits of information (that most people couldn't care less about others seeing) like location where programs and files are saved on the computer and if I'm not mistaken the last time they were opened.

You should delete it once in a while though since it fills up more and more slowly defeating the purpose of it (especially if you move files around a lot or install/uninstall programs often). If you keep it the same to long it will in some cases slow the computer more than speed it up.

I usually do this monthly or by-monthly