I386

I was having trouble doing a sfc scannow. It kept asking for my original CD and the said I needed to copy files to the dllcache. What I did was copy the I386 files to C:\ which is a separate file on C:\. I also changed the setting in the SourcePath to C:\. I ran sfc scannow and was not asked for my CD.

My problem is: When I changed the SourcePath it wasn't just listed as Source Path it was listed Service Pack SourcePath. I couldn't find one that just said Source Path.

Second, do I move the I386 file from just C:\I386 to the C:\Windows\System32\dllcache?

I have Windows XP Home with Sp1. I had SP2 installed, but because of errors and couldn't run sfc scannow I uninstalled it. I still could not run sfc scannow. That's why I copied and pasted it to C:\. I just need to know if I need to move it to the dllcache so it is in the protected files. Once I get this straightened I want to reinstall Sp 2.

 

Arie--I have always been confused about this.
If I change the Source Path to C:\ (which is where my I386 folder resides), I would expect sfc /scannow to be accessing files from I386, not DllCache. I would think I would have to change Source Path to C:\Windows\System32 to have sfc access from DllCache.
And, yes, I have read your article
http://www.helpwithwindows.com/WindowsXP/howto-24.html
and
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;310747
The latter seems to say sfc will read from I386, System32 or DllCache without mentioning Source Path.
I believe the default Source Path when I bought the PC was the CD-ROM drive (D:\).
I now have my Source Path set as C:\ based on your article, and C:\I386 seems to be where Dell installed the orginal system files. But I still am asked to install the WinXP CD (into drive D:\). And then I have to stay by the PC and click Retry several times to get the job done.
Can you offer any clarification?

 

Arie--Thanks for replying.

Forgive me for being dense. What do you mean by that?
I can see and open C:\I386 and see all the individual files in it.
Could this have any thing to do with the Registry entries for ServicePackCachePath and ServicePackSourcePath? The latter is set at C:\Windows\ServicePack Files. The former is set at C:\Windows\ServicePack Files\ServicePackCache.

 

Arie--My Dell shipped with WinXP Home and came with a recovery partition. However, when I installed WinXP Pro SP2 (using a full retail CD), I deleted the recovery partition.

EDIT--It occurs to me, based on the above conversation, that perhaps my C:\I386 folder is the original installed by Dell for WinXP Home. In other words that my installation of WinXP Pro did not change that folder, and that I should copy the I386 folder from the WinXP Pro CD to replace the existing I386 folder. Maybe sfc /scannow can see that I386 is not offering the right files and seeks the CD.
Do you or anyone else see anything wrong with that?

P.S. If that could cause problems, is there a simple way of testing whether the present I386 folder comes from Home or Pro?

 

Arie--Thanks. Will try the latter (although I do have another partition).
Wish me luck!

 

Arie--Firstly, I must apologize for intruding into someelse's thread. I you feel this is inappropriate, I will try to recompose in a new thread.
I copied the I386 folder from the retail WinXP Pro SP2 CD to my C:\ directory after having renamed (disabled) the I386 folder that Dell had presumably installed. The new I386 folder was considerably smaller in bytes than the old one, but the number of files was only slightly fewer. (FWIW, the Dell I386 had presumably been installed as WinXP Home SP1 which is what came with the PC. I had updated WinXP Home to SP2 somewhere along the way, but I understand this would not affect I386. And, as mentioned, I had had installed WinXP Pro SP2 from a retail CD over that at some point.)
I then ran SFC /SCANNOW. There was no change from earlier experience. I was immediately asked to insert the WinXP Pro SP2 CD into Drive D:\ and there were many requests to "Retry ", mostly at the beginning. But finally, after the usual long wait, the progress bar went to conclusion and disappeared (which I believe is normal). So I assume the SFC /SCANNOW procedure had succeeded.
I thought it might be helpful to show my Registry window for this key. Perhaps it will help in a diagnosis of what is impeding a smooth run of SFC /SCANNOW. Please see the attachment.
I should perhaps add comments about the paths for ServicePackSourcePath and ServicePackCachePath. While I do have a folder named C:\Windows\ServicePackFiles, there is no meaningful content. There are subfolders "i386" and under that "lang ". But both are completely empty.
I have no idea what the significance of that is. Is this the problem? Is there anything I can/should I do about it?

 

Thanks, Arie, for the further comment.
As mentioned, I installed WinXP Pro SP2 using a full (not Upgrade) retail CD, over Dell's installation of WinXP Home SP1, subsequently updated from Windows Update to SP2. I now use the WinXP Pro SP2 CD when asked to insert by SFC /SCANNOW.
Anything I should do about the empty C:\Windows\ServicePackFiles folder? Of course I have, in fact, never installed any updated Service Pack since the last installation was SP2, itself. (I have installed many Windows Updates over the last year, but none were SP's.)

 

PeteC--Thanks for the info. Yes, my I386 folder is in C:\ . And, in Registry, Source Path is already set to C:\ per my attachment above. But I will try setting ServicePackSourcePath to C:\ also, although I do not seem to have any ServicePackFiles folder in C:\. Rather, as mentioned it is in C:\WINDOWS\, but the folder is empty.

 

Pete C--You beauty!
Changed ServicePackSourcePath to C:\ , ran SFC /SCANNOW and it just ran. I was not asked to insert the WinXP Pro CD and was not pestered with "Retry ". Fantastic.
Now did I accomplish anything? Well, I was not having problems at the moment, so I do not know, but SFC /SCANNOW certainly does run smoothly. It really is such a relief not to be asked to Retry anymore.
Many thanks.

P.S. Really weird why directing ServicePackSourcePath to a seemingly non-existent location is the solution.
P.P.S. I did not change the Path for ServicePackCachePath

 

No offence Welshjim but isn't what snooker suggested long time ago from this other site the samething ?
http://discussions.virtualdr.com/showthread.php?t=196402