The Windows 7 operating system has enabled the implementation of a unique technology called SuperFetch. What this technology is, and how it works, is not familiar to everyone. But if you remember the previous Prefetcher technology in Windows Vista, then everything immediately falls into place.
Scientific developments in the field of computer technology do not stand still. The Windows 7 operating system made it possible to implement the unique SuperFetch technology (it is listed as a sysmain process in the task manager). To understand the meaning and understand the functions of this service, you need to remember another unique Prefetcher technology in Windows Vista. When any program is launched, its configuration files and components are initially read from the hard disk, and only then they are loaded into RAM in host mode. When the application exits by reopening it, the same process will be performed. In order to speed up access to programs and, as a result, optimize the work of system processes, the SuperFetch technology was created and implemented.
Intelligent SuperFetch System: General Concepts
With the help of superfetch technology, the most popular programs used by the user are tracked and then placed into RAM for quick finding. Thus, the launch of a program is much faster due to the fact that the data is already in the RAM, which is why additional time is not spent reading it from the hard drive. If you look at the history of the creation of the technology, then it was originally applied in windows xp, and then it was continued in the Vista version and was called Prefetcher. Its task was to optimize the loading of system components and modules of running applications before the actual start.
The technology is therefore called "Prefetch" or prefetcher (superprefetch). This service had significant drawbacks. It allowed loading a limited number of programs into RAM, and when an application ceased to be used frequently, its data was flushed back to the hard drive in the paging file. But later, perfect has undergone major changes.
After significant improvements, the technology becomes SuperFetch (literal translation - superfetch). Now the service is engaged in tracking user activity, creates special maps and saves the configuration of the programs used. If for some reason the application suddenly flew out of RAM, SuperFetch performs a thorough analysis of the unloading and, after the completion of the process responsible for unloading, reloads the previous program into RAM. The main task of the service is to increase the launch speed of applications and ensure a stable increase in system performance, which in turn contributes to the rapid inclusion in the workflow.
Service settings and management
In order to enable this service, it is best to use the system registry. In the Run menu (Win + R), the regedit command calls the editor. In the system section, using the HKLM branch, you need to find the PrefetchParameters directory. We need two keys EnablePrefetcher and EnableSuperFetch. If there is no EnableSuperFetch key, then it must be created (DWORD parameter) and assigned an appropriate name. For convenience, you can enter four values for each key:
- 0 - complete shutdown;
- 1 - optimization of running programs only;
- 2 - optimization of only launching system components;
- 3 - balanced acceleration of the application and systems.
Using the services.msc command, which opens the settings window for executable services and processes, is another method of managing service settings. In this case, you need to find SuperFetch and open the service properties with a double click. Then you need to set the required parameter from the drop-down list of the startup type.
Disadvantages of the SuperFetch service
But there are also weaknesses in this service. Not infrequently there are problems associated with it. With proper consideration of this issue, you can come to the conclusion that the problems that arise when working with the computer are not the direct fault of the SuperFetch service. That is, if we talk about failures at the system level, then they do not have a critical impact on the operation of the "operating system". But a bug in the SuperFetch module makes this service absolutely not activated. And in this case, even entering the necessary parameters in the same registry does not change the situation for the better. Often you can see a message that an abnormal termination has occurred (SuperFetch terminated) or access denied altogether.
This situation occurs due to a lack of RAM or because of confrontation between the "RAM" slats. In this case, there is nothing left but to completely disable the service. If there is enough RAM to test the operation of the service and eliminate the problems with it, then it is advisable to do this. And after the performed manipulations, you can turn it off, or continue to use it further.
SuperFetch always runs in the background. The service uses CPU and RAM resources. "Superfetch" is not called upon to completely eliminate the loading of applications into "RAM", its direct purpose is to make this process fast. And every time a download occurs, the system will still experience exactly the same slowdown if the application were launched without SuperFetch. This is because the service preloads a very large amount of data from the hard drive into RAM. And if, with each such start-up or restart of the computer, the hard drive works at one hundred percent load for some time, then problems with SuperFetch may arise. Gamers with four gigabytes of memory or less will have problems with SuperFetch. The main drawback here is that there are games that use a lot of RAM. In this case, there is a constant request and freeing of memory. This execution of such manipulation can cause the service to constantly load and unload local data.
Disabling SuperFetch: all the pros and cons
Many people today doubt the use of this service. It is often recommended to turn off the SuperFetch service to improve the performance and performance of your computer. However, not only a competent user can solve the dilemma that has arisen about the advisability of using SuperFetch in his conditions.
There is also a general recommendation for all users, which is as follows:
- a small amount of RAM does not allow the smooth use of the service;
- its sufficient volume recommends activating Superfetch.
Thus, if the amount of RAM does not exceed 1 GB, and the memory load can reach 600 MB, not to mention the additional virtual memory and the paging file, then a situation arises with limited RAM functionality. But this is of course the case if the computer system is of the old generation (readyboost is used). In modern systems, even if the minimum configuration is used, the snap-in initially implies large amounts of RAM, starting from 3 GB. In this case, of course, the use of the SuperFetch service is justified. You can compare the operation of the computer in different modes: using SuperFetch and when it is turned off. Some users note that in this case they did not see much of a difference.
In other words, using or disabling SuperFetch as a host depends solely on the balance of capabilities and the expected load on the computer's RAM. Of course, when using modern games on old hardware, problems with the performance of the operating system are inevitable. However, in other cases, when the RAM copes with the task without any problems, there is simply no need to increase the speed of the computer by disabling the superfetch system.
