Driver.cab File

[Alfred]

I understand what a "cab" file is, but why do I have two --
"C:\I386\DRIVER.CAB" and "C:\WINNT\Diver cach\i386
\driver.cab" on my system? Both are same size, just
different dates. Can I get rid of one of these?

Another question I have is I have found several "zip"
files on my system. Are these all required to be saved or
are they for reversing some of the Microsoft "patches"
that I have downloaded in the past. The patches all seem
to be working and I do not intend to reverse them. Can I
now get rid of them?

I ask all these questions because I like to keep
a "clean" system and I am interested in what is needed and
what is not.

Thank you

 

[Drew Cooper [MSFT]]

Windows File Protection:
http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/hwdev/driver/sfp/wfp.mspx

 

[Michael Cecil]

I understand what a "cab" file is, but why do I have two --
"C:\I386\DRIVER.CAB" and "C:\WINNT\Diver cach\i386
\driver.cab" on my system? Both are same size, just
different dates. Can I get rid of one of these?

Another question I have is I have found several "zip"
files on my system. Are these all required to be saved or
are they for reversing some of the Microsoft "patches"
that I have downloaded in the past. The patches all seem
to be working and I do not intend to reverse them. Can I
now get rid of them?

I ask all these questions because I like to keep
a "clean" system and I am interested in what is needed and
what is not.

Thank you

Your \i386 folder is just the folder from which you apparently installed
W2K. You could just delete it if you want, assuming you don't think
you'll want to install from it again.

The other is the cache folder that System File Protection uses. Probably
best to keep it.

 

[Drew Cooper [MSFT]]

Ah - "driver cache", not "dllcache". I misread that.

Driver.cab is used to install devices. It's there as a convenience so that
you don't need to be running as admin or insert a CD to install them later
when they're detected. Not really a file protection feature. And it can
even be totally removed from the OS without crashing anything. Sorry for my
previous misleading post.

And here's a KB describing driver.cab:
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=241367