Cleaning Junk Files in Windows 10 Using Win + R and Prefetch

Cleaning Junk Files in Windows 10 Using Win + R and Prefetch

Learn how to clean junk files in Windows 10 using quick Win + R and Prefetch method. Boost your PC performance, clear cache safely, and make your system run faster with this simple yet powerful trick.

Let’s be honest even fastest laptop feels sluggish after a few months of use. Programs take longer to open, startup feels slower, and your hard drive light is always blinking.

No, it’s not your imagination. It’s just junk files piling up behind scenes.

Windows 10 constantly creates temporary data: installation leftovers, cache files, system logs, and app preloads. Over time, they can fill gigabytes of space and drain your system speed.

Luckily, there’s a simple and built in way to fight back and it starts with Win + R and a command called Prefetch.

Cleaning Junk Files Using Win + R and Prefetch

Here’s how to do it safely and effectively.

Step 1 Open Run Command

Press Windows Key + R on your keyboard.

A small box labeled Run will appear at bottom left of your screen.

Step 2: Type prefetch and Press Enter

Type following command:

prefetch

Then press Enter or click OK.

If a message pops up saying “You don’t currently have permission to access this folder”, click Continue you’re simply granting access to a system folder.

Step 3: Delete Junk Files

You’ll now see dozens (sometimes hundreds) of files ending with .pf.

These are your system’s prefetch records.

Press Ctrl + A to select all files, then hit Delete.

You can also use Shift + Delete to remove them permanently without sending them to Recycle Bin.

Don’t worry Windows will automatically regenerate necessary ones for your most used apps.

Clean Other Temporary Folders

While you’re at it, clean these too for maximum performance:

• %temp% → Stores app installation leftovers.

• temp → Holds system temporary files.

• recent → Keeps shortcuts to recently opened files.

To access them, repeat Win + R, type each command, and clear everything inside.

While prefetch is great, Win + R offers more hidden gems that can help you maintain your PC’s health.

Here are some favorites:

• cleanmgr → Launches Disk Cleanup

• msconfig → Opens system configuration

• services.msc → Manage background services

• control → Opens Control Panel

• taskmgr → Opens Task Manager

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