scannow sfc

I used to run scannow sfc once in a while, following the instructions/advice in http://www.updatexp.com/scannow-sfc.html

Some time ago I read that it wouldn't do its job properly once SP2 and/or SP3 were installed. I have them both.

Will scannow sfc still function correctly or not?

 

The caution which I mentioned was written long after I read the link.

I still don't know the answer to my question.

 

A link to the caution perhaps?

Scannow should work as far as I know as long as you've updated XP correctly.

 

I have no idea where I read it. It's impossible to keep track of all the things, right or wrong, which I come across on the web.

 

In which case I'd ignore it unless you come across a specific problem.

 

Hi Syncopator, If you follow these instructions from Marc Liron, it works OK. I did this before SP3 came out and it still works since I installed SP3.
How to use scannow sfc...
The main reason for using this utility is when you suspect there may be a problem with a Windows XP system file.
Perhaps you get a dialog box appear informing you of a problem with a .dll file, or your program will just not load! It is therefore worth checking to see if there are any corrupt system files using scannow sfc. To do this simply go to the Run box on the Start Menu and type in:sfc /scannow
This command will immediately initiate the Windows File Protection service to scan all protected files As well as having a cache of all the system files on your PC, I like to have the I386 folder from the XP CD installed on the computer as well. After doing this I then modify the registry to tell it the source path for these files... Why? Well not only does this prevent 99% of request for the the XP CD with Windows File Protection. But the I386 folder also contains many other files that are sometimes needed by the operating system and this stops those requests for the XP CD too!
NB - With today's large hard drives you are not going to notice this 475 MB folder on your computer, but older systems may not have the space for this...
Step 1 You will need to get your XP CD and locate the folder called: I386
This is a major folder and should be one of the first you see, now copy this onto your hard drive into the system root. For most of you that is going to be C:\ so you should end up with a folder that looks like: C:\I386
Step 2
Now you will need to tell your computer you now have the files on your PC. We do this is the registry (type regedit in the Run box on the start menu) by navigating to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\
CurrentVersion\Setup
You will see various entries here on the right hand side. The one we want is called: SourcePath
It probably has an entry pointing to your CD-ROM drive, and that is why it is asking for the XP CD. All we need to do is change it to: C:\
Simply double click the SourcePatch setting and a new box will pop up allowing you to make the change.
Now restart your computer and try scannow sfc again!
Best of luck. Neil.