System File Checker SP2 with XP SP1 CD Prompt

C

Chad Harris

If you are running a Beta build of XP SP2, and you run System File Checker,
and are prompted to install the XP CD-ROM and it is the original XP SP1 CD,
will this substitute any SP1 files, or after completionwill the OS still
function with the proper SP2 files? I could see this becoming any issue
when SP2 is released in a month or so also.

I have done this, and the version is still the appropriate Beta version, but
I wondered considering SFC might have to go to Dllcache on the CD to find
intact files to replace if it can't do it from the DLLcache folder already
on the hard drive.

Tia,

Chad Harris
 
C

Chad Harris

MSFT does not make clear in any of their KBs on SFC that the registry
key/value is set to prompt for the CD. If that CD were not the CD for your
build of service pack, whether it was SP1, SP2, or SPin the future, you
would want to do this.

The SFC solution seems to be here. I should have made this clear instead of
referencing a CD. You regedit so that it doesn't point to the CD. The
default (at least for me though, was to point to the CD. When it pointed to
the CD, it wouldn't take an SP2 CD including RC2, so to have the reg value
so it points to an RTM SP2 CD may take some more regediting. I brought this
up in the xpsp2.general group and I was pointed to this article which I
already had but had never read completely:

Introduction to using scannow sfc (system file checker)
http://www.updatexp.com/scannow-sfc.html

Read the section titled: "What about Windows Updates...."

This is what I did and how I answered--I raised the question of an SP1 CD in
SP2, and was guided essentially to use the regedit and change the value as
in the article:

Thanks for reacquainting me with this article that I had with my SFC
articles, but hadn't read carefully, as well as Mark's site. I had this
with my SFC articles, It and its link have some nice and not easy to find
info about files and registry relationships to SFC. This has good
information and also gives me an answer I've long suspected. Although KB
222193
http://support.microsoft.com/defaul...port/kb/articles/Q222/1/93.ASP&NoWebContent=1
and the other SFC KBs say that

"WFP replaces the new file with the file from the cache folder (if it is in
the cache folder) or from the installation source. WFP searches for the
correct file in the following locations, in this order:
1.. The cache folder (by default, %systemroot%\system32\dllcache).
2.. The network install path, if the system was installed using network
install.
3.. The Windows CD-ROM, if the system was installed from CD-ROM.
I don't see how this is possible given the default registry settings
described in the article that I verified. The registry is pointing to the
CD rather than DLLCache on the hard drive every time, simply by virtue of
the CD drive letter in the value SourcePath by default.

The article explains that when you install an SP, the SP's I386 folder
gets installed at C:\Windows\ServicePackFiles\I386. It is important to make
sure that at

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup
\ServicePackSourcePath
This should be pointing to the location C:\WINDOWS\ServicePackFiles
(assuming C:\ is the boot drive.) I checked and it is. I also checked the
size of my I 386 folders and DLL Cache folders and they should be correct,
and hopefully the files are intact.

If I'm thinking correctly, you need to make a second change and that is 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:\"

I did this.

This answers the question then why if you try to run SFC with an SP2 build
installed, and the registry key pointing to the service pack I386 folder
why it still asks for the CD and I wonder if this happens to a large percent
of people? When I try to run SFC, it wants the CD in despite the correct
registry key point.

Now I understand why it's been my experience though every time I've run SFC,
(with some good results in fixing problems in IE and XP) that it wants to go
up the "hierarchy" or to the second DLLCache stop in its search for
files--the one in the System 32 folder in the CD's I 386 folder, rather than
to be satisfied with the folder on the hard drive, It has no choice; it's
being pointed to the CD drive by default. I thought the implication was
that a file or files in DLLCache could be damaged/corrupted on my hard
drive.

Nothing explains though why to successfully complete SFC, myself and several
others have to hit the retry button on a dialogue box that pops up at times
so frequently you have to sit there and rapid click the mouse.

Chad Harris

_________________________________________________
 

Ask a Question

Want to reply to this thread or ask your own question?

You'll need to choose a username for the site, which only take a couple of moments. After that, you can post your question and our members will help you out.

Ask a Question

Top