INTERNAL: Corrupted "prefetch" files: IDL or ENVI on Windows previously working but suddenly no longer starts (crashes w/application error)

If an IDL or ENVI installation on Windows has been previously working without problem, but then suddenly the program always fails to launch (perhaps encountering an application error), but reinstallation of the application (even with ant-virus software temporarily disabled and/or installed as administrator) does not correct the problem, then perhaps corruption of the application's "prefetch" file may be the problem.

 

Windows "prefetch" files are partial binary components of frequently used programs that the operating system can preload in order to start the programs more quickly when they are actually called.

 

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If the prefetch file for a program is corrupted, this can cause the program to fail, despite reinstallation of the application files and resetting of preferences and initialization settings. 

 

If this might be the problem, the program's prefetch file can be deleted.  Windows will automatically create a copy of the prefetch file, if needed.

 

Prefetch files are stored by Windows (XP, Vista, 7 -- 32-bit and 64-bit) in the directory location:

 

    C:\Windows\Prefetch\

 

The prefetch file names for IDL and ENVI may look like the following (where the file names and numbers might be vary from system to system and for different versions of IDL):

 

    IDLDE.EXE-30057413.pf

    ENVI_IDL.EXE-042D58CE.pf

    IDL_RT.EXE-0123ABCD.pf  (used w/ENVI w/o an ENVI> command line)

 

After deleting the suspected corrupted prefetch file(s), see if the application can correctly launch again.  

 

Below are links some for additional information about Windows Prefetch files:

 

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/What-is-the-prefetch-folder

"What is the prefetch folder?"

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prefetcher

"Prefetcher"