PF is a Windows Prefetch file - a record Windows writes to speed up program launches, listing the files an application loaded as it started. Prefetch is a favourite of forensic analysts because each .pf shows that a program ran, when, and how many times - even after it was deleted. Analyser handles .PF alongside related formats such as .ABC, .AFL, .ARX and more. In Analyser's format library, .PF sits in the System & disk category.

How do I open a .PF file?

Drop a .PF file onto Analyser at https://lab.valjdakosta.com/ and it is identified directly in your browser - no upload, no account and no software to install. A catch-all for rare and niche formats Analyser still identifies from their bytes: 3D caches and scans (Alembic ABC, FARO FLS/FWS), camera and design data (ARRIRAW ARX, Capture One masks, CATIA CGR), JBIG codestreams, firmware dumps (Binwalk), draw.io diagrams, OptimFROG DualStream audio, RTTTL ringtones, LaTeX style and class files, Sun Raster and Truevision TGA images, MPEG-2 streams, PVR/DVB recordings, Tiled tilesets, Windows Prefetch and Reaper project backups.

Can I open a .PF file online for free?

Yes. Analyser is a free online .PF identifier that runs entirely in your browser - your .PF file never leaves your device, so there is nothing to upload and no software to install. It even works offline once installed.

.PF file - what it is and how to identify it online

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Home › Formats › .PFID

What is a .PF file?

PF is a Windows Prefetch file - a record Windows writes to speed up program launches, listing the files an application loaded as it started.

Did you know: Prefetch is a favourite of forensic analysts because each .pf shows that a program ran, when, and how many times - even after it was deleted.
Analyser handles .PF alongside related formats such as .ABC, .AFL, .ARX and more.
In Analyser's format library, .PF sits in the System & disk category.
What Analyser reads: A catch-all for rare and niche formats Analyser still identifies from their bytes: 3D caches and scans (Alembic ABC, FARO FLS/FWS), camera and design data (ARRIRAW ARX, Capture One masks, CATIA CGR), JBIG codestreams, firmware dumps (Binwalk), draw.io diagrams, OptimFROG DualStream audio, RTTTL ringtones, LaTeX style and class files, Sun Raster and Truevision TGA images, MPEG-2 streams, PVR/DVB recordings, Tiled tilesets, Windows Prefetch and Reaper project backups.
Depth of analysis: .PF is an identification-grade format: Analyser recognises it from its bytes and decodes the header metadata it carries, rather than opening it in a full viewer. Formats that do get a full viewer are marked "Full" on the formats page.
Open a .PF file: Drag a .PF file onto the Analyser home page (or tap to pick one). It is identified entirely in your browser - nothing is uploaded, there is no account, and it works offline once installed.
Related formats: .ABC · .AFL · .ARX · .BIE · .Binwalk · .CGR · .COMask · .DIO · .FLS · .FWS · .H2V · .OFS · .RPP-bak · .RTX · .STY · .CLS · .SUN · .TP and more. See all supported file types.