The /prefetch:1 switch is a myth.

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The /prefetch:1 switch is a myth and will do nothing. This "tip" is based on a number of misunderstandings about how prefetch works. Prefetch does not preload applications at bootup. Windows will create and use a prefetch file whether this flag is present or not. Prefetch files are used to optimize boot and application load preference. Check this blog by Ryan Myers, a Microsoft software engineer on the XP performance team. http://blogs.msdn.com/ryanmy/archive/2005/05/25/421882.aspx