Enable or disable the Windows 10, 8, or 7 Superfetch (otherwise known as Prefetch) feature. Superfetch caches data so that it can be immediately available to your application. Sometimes this can affect the performance of certain applications. It tends to not work well with gaming, but can improve performance with business apps.
To modify whether Superfetch is enabled or disabled, you can perform the following steps.
Disable from Services
- Hold the Windows Key, while pressing “R” to bring up the Run dialog box.
- Type “services.msc“, then press “Enter“.
- The Services window displays. Find “Superfetch” in the list.
- Right-click “Superfetch“, then select “Properties“.
- Select the “Stop” button if you wish to stop the service. In the “Startup type” dropdown menu, choose “Disabled“.
Enable or Disable from Registry
- Hold the Windows Key, while pressing “R” to bring up the Run dialog box.
- Type “Regedit“, then press “Enter“.
- The Registry Editor window appears. Navigate to the following location in the Registry.
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
- SYSTEM
- CurrentControlSet
- Control
- Session Manager
- MemoryManagement
- PrefetchParameters
- On the right side, double-click on “EnableSuperfetch“. If this value doesn’t exist, right-click the “PrefetchParameters” folder, then choose “New” > “DWORD Value“.
- Give “EnableSuperfetch” one of the following values:
- 0 – to disable Superfetch
- 1 – to enable prefetching when program is launched
- 2 – to enable boot prefetching
- 3 – to enable prefectching of everything
- Select “OK“.
- Close the Registry Editor.
Note: If you disable Superfetch and would like to enable it for certain applications, you can use special switch in the program shortcut: /prefetch:1
FAQ
Where is the prefetch data stored?
By default, prefetch data is stored at “C:\Windows\Prefetch“.
Sean says
Yesterday after Windows 10 automatically updated, my computer couldn’t boot. It forced me to reset. After that, Windows 10 did NOT allow me to choose default programs! And it ran superfetch and a lot of other programs I didn’t want! I’d say Microsoft team has become very rude to users!
FWTXGeek says
Superfetch is a serious PITA! What sucks is that are some Windows updates, it sometimes will be reset to run automatically, and then my poor laptop is at 100% disk usage which makes it pretty much a paperweight. Then I have to stop the service, disable it again, do a disk check, and reboot. ARG! I hate it with a passion!
Ed Reichenbach says
Superfecth is hell. Nobody asks it to run, it runs on its own, and then it takes up so much disk capacity as to entirely block usage of the computer. I hate and I hate Windows for inventing it and imposing it onto us users. Windowns is a necessary evil… for want of any better solution.
George Gough says
Thank you my hero,
If you ever need any organs I’m willing to donate any of mine after this fix. I have tried dozens of other help sites but nothing worked, until now.
Jeremy says
Thank you! It definitely freed up disk space, now to work on memory… what is cortana doing that is taking up so much memory? She is just a search bar… ? Safe to ditch her too?