SuperFetch is a feature in Vista that helps the computer find and cache system boot files. If you disable SuperFetch, your computer may not be able to start up correctly or may not be able to access certain files. You can change SuperFetch in Vista to only cache system boot files by using the following steps:

  1. Open the Start menu and type “cmd.”
  2. Type “netstat -a” and press Enter.
  3. Look for the line that says “SuperFetch:” and change it to “Not applicable.”
  4. Close the command prompt window and restart your computer.

I’ve not personally verified that this tweak really changes anything with regards to performance, so just like disabling SuperFetch you’ll have to check it out for yourself. We’re just trying to keep you informed.

Manual Registry Tweak

Open regedit.exe through the start menu search or run box and browse down to the following key:

Find the EnablePrefetcher key on the right-hand pane, and change the value to one of these:

Disable Caching: 0 Cache Applications Only: 1 Cache Boot Files Only: 2 Cache Everything (default): 3

You’ll have to restart your computer before this takes any effect. You could consider clearing out the \Windows\Prefetch folder after making this change to start with a fresh cache, but keep in mind that the next boot will probably be slower since Windows will have to cache everything again.