Windows Prefetch
Windows Prefetch is a built-in performance optimization feature introduced in Windows XP that helps to reduce the startup time of frequently used applications by caching executable files and libraries into a preallocated space on the hard drive. The Prefetch feature is automatically enabled on modern versions of Windows, including Windows 7, 8, 8.1, and 10, and it’s managed by the Task Scheduler service.
In addition to its primary function of speeding up the launch of applications, the Windows Prefetch feature also generates forensic artifacts, which can be useful in investigations. These artifacts are stored in the %SystemRoot%\Prefetch directory and have the .pf file extension.
Every time an application is launched, Windows Prefetch creates a new Prefetch file, which contains information about the application’s execution. This information includes the application’s name, its full path, its size, its last execution time, and a list of libraries...
