I386 folder

[Menno Hershberger]

I dual boot Windows 98 and XP. 98 is on drive C and XP is on D.
While Norton was scanning, I was watching filenames go by and noticed it
was taking a long time on C:\I386. I don't really ever remember such a
folder. So later I looked at the properties of it... it's read only, is
about half a gigabyte in size, and dated June 27, 2004. I can't remember
back to June as to what might have transpired to cause the existence of the
folder. So just for kicks, I renamed it to I486. Everything still works
fine in Windows 98 and XP. Does this sound familiar to anyone? Any reason
why I shouldn't delete it?

 

[Matija Hrovat, Avtenta.Si]

Hi Menno,
you probably have an OEM Windows, which means that you bought it with your
computer.
i386 folder contains setup files and it's located on your windows xp cd. If
your seller didn't give you a WinXp cd with your computer that would be the
reason why would you have an i386 folder present.
If you have your WinXp cd, than you sure don't need the folder on your disk.
If you don't have your WinXp cd, than I would suggest that you leave it
there (if you ever add a windows component or if a file gets corrupted,
you'll need the folder)

I hope that I explained it OK, if not please feel free to contact me again.

--

------------------------------------------------------------
For direct e-mailing remove "-spam" from my e-mail address
--
Best Regards,
Matija Hrovat
Avtenta.SI
Microsoft Gold Certified Partner
for Support Services

 

[Bill Crocker]

It's part of your operating system, and should be named i386.

Bill Crocker

 

[JAX]

Hi Menno,

Do a Google search for "I386 folder". You will find explanations of what it
is and what it is for. I think, you will find that you want it there, and
named as it was.

LOL, JAX

 

[David H. Lipman]

Yes, he does !

If the i386 directory exists and the OS is updated to SP2 then the i386 directory should be
slip-streamed to i386. This is important since if a change to the OS is made it will get
the slip-streamed updated versions of needed DLLs and not old versions. You can't
slip-stream Read-Only media such as a CDROM.

Dave



| Hi Menno,
| you probably have an OEM Windows, which means that you bought it with your
| computer.
| i386 folder contains setup files and it's located on your windows xp cd. If
| your seller didn't give you a WinXp cd with your computer that would be the
| reason why would you have an i386 folder present.
| If you have your WinXp cd, than you sure don't need the folder on your disk.
| If you don't have your WinXp cd, than I would suggest that you leave it
| there (if you ever add a windows component or if a file gets corrupted,
| you'll need the folder)
|
| I hope that I explained it OK, if not please feel free to contact me again.
|
| --
|
| ------------------------------------------------------------
| For direct e-mailing remove "-spam" from my e-mail address
| --
| Best Regards,
| Matija Hrovat
| Avtenta.SI
| Microsoft Gold Certified Partner
| for Support Services
|
| | >I dual boot Windows 98 and XP. 98 is on drive C and XP is on D.
| > While Norton was scanning, I was watching filenames go by and noticed it
| > was taking a long time on C:\I386. I don't really ever remember such a
| > folder. So later I looked at the properties of it... it's read only, is
| > about half a gigabyte in size, and dated June 27, 2004. I can't remember
| > back to June as to what might have transpired to cause the existence of
| > the
| > folder. So just for kicks, I renamed it to I486. Everything still works
| > fine in Windows 98 and XP. Does this sound familiar to anyone? Any reason
| > why I shouldn't delete it?
| >
| > --
| > -- Puritanism: the haunting fear that someone somewhere may be happy. --
|
|

 

[David H. Lipman]

Leave the i386 directory alone !

Have you NAV "exclude" the i386 directory from being scanned.

Dave



| I dual boot Windows 98 and XP. 98 is on drive C and XP is on D.
| While Norton was scanning, I was watching filenames go by and noticed it
| was taking a long time on C:\I386. I don't really ever remember such a
| folder. So later I looked at the properties of it... it's read only, is
| about half a gigabyte in size, and dated June 27, 2004. I can't remember
| back to June as to what might have transpired to cause the existence of the
| folder. So just for kicks, I renamed it to I486. Everything still works
| fine in Windows 98 and XP. Does this sound familiar to anyone? Any reason
| why I shouldn't delete it?
|
| --
| -- Puritanism: the haunting fear that someone somewhere may be happy. --

 

[MGGP]

That's bad advice. Virus scanners should exclude NOTHING
on your hard drive.

Just my opinion, of course . . .

 

[David H. Lipman]

No, it is good advice. The vast majority of files are compressed files as denoted in names
like .EX_ and .DL_ In addition, viruses only infect files that when they are executed when
the virus is in memory. Since the files are not executed, they are retrieved and expanded
into the Windows directory tree, you only have to scan the i386 tree ONCE with an AV
vendor's "scan archive" option set. And this also assumes that the AV vendor's "on access"
scanning is enabled at all times.

If one wants to scan these files over and over, that their option. However, it is not
necessary.

I can assure that is good practice as an Computer Analyst by trade and I specialize in
computer infectors and have been for ~15 years.

Dave




| That's bad advice. Virus scanners should exclude NOTHING
| on your hard drive.
|
| Just my opinion, of course . . .
|
| >-----Original Message-----
| >Leave the i386 directory alone !
| >
| >Have you NAV "exclude" the i386 directory from being
| scanned.
| >
| >Dave
| >
| >
| >
| message
| >| >| I dual boot Windows 98 and XP. 98 is on drive C and XP
| is on D.
| >| While Norton was scanning, I was watching filenames go
| by and noticed it
| >| was taking a long time on C:\I386. I don't really ever
| remember such a
| >| folder. So later I looked at the properties of it...
| it's read only, is
| >| about half a gigabyte in size, and dated June 27,
| 2004. I can't remember
| >| back to June as to what might have transpired to cause
| the existence of the
| >| folder. So just for kicks, I renamed it to I486.
| Everything still works
| >| fine in Windows 98 and XP. Does this sound familiar to
| anyone? Any reason
| >| why I shouldn't delete it?
| >|
| >| --
| >| -- Puritanism: the haunting fear that someone
| somewhere may be happy. --
| >
| >
| >.
| >

 

[Matija Hrovat, Avtenta.Si]

Funny, did want to mentioned it when I wrote the post, but if he doesn't
know what i386 folder is, he probably didn't slipstreamed his i386 folder.

Thanks to Dave for correcting me.

--

------------------------------------------------------------
For direct e-mailing remove "-spam" from my e-mail address
--
Best Regards,
Matija Hrovat
Avtenta.SI
Microsoft Gold Certified Partner
for Support Services

 

[Alex Nichol]

I dual boot Windows 98 and XP. 98 is on drive C and XP is on D.
While Norton was scanning, I was watching filenames go by and noticed it
was taking a long time on C:\I386. I don't really ever remember such a
folder. So later I looked at the properties of it... it's read only, is
about half a gigabyte in size, and dated June 27, 2004. I can't remember
back to June as to what might have transpired to cause the existence of the
folder.

That looks like the folder made during installation of SP2, in which to
expand the download to its components. If you have the SP2 CD, you do
not need this folder; if you don't it might be worth burning to a CD
against any need to reinstall

 

[Menno Hershberger]

Hi Menno,
you probably have an OEM Windows, which means that you bought it with
your computer.
i386 folder contains setup files and it's located on your windows xp
cd. If your seller didn't give you a WinXp cd with your computer that
would be the reason why would you have an i386 folder present.
If you have your WinXp cd, than you sure don't need the folder on your
disk. If you don't have your WinXp cd, than I would suggest that you
leave it there (if you ever add a windows component or if a file gets
corrupted, you'll need the folder)

Nope, it's not OEM. It was originally Pro-SP1 and I upgraded it to SP2.

 

[Menno Hershberger]

That looks like the folder made during installation of SP2, in which
to expand the download to its components. If you have the SP2 CD, you
do not need this folder; if you don't it might be worth burning to a
CD against any need to reinstall

OK, that makes sense. I did upgrade to SP2. Actually it was using the
WindowsXP-KB835935-SP2-ENU.exe file that was made available early on. I've
had the folder renamed a couple of days now and haven't noticed any adverse
effects. I probably won't delete it anytime soon until I'm absolutely sure.
It's not like I don't have the space... I was just curious. What threw me
was the date on the folder (June 2004). I downloaded the upgrade on August
9th and installed it a couple of days later.

 

[Alex Nichol]

OK, that makes sense. I did upgrade to SP2. Actually it was using the
WindowsXP-KB835935-SP2-ENU.exe file that was made available early on. I've
had the folder renamed a couple of days now and haven't noticed any adverse
effects. I probably won't delete it anytime soon until I'm absolutely sure.
It's not like I don't have the space... I was just curious.

That's OK then. You do not need it, and if you were to run that .exe
again to reinstall, the first thing it would do is regenerate the
folder. Worth having the .exe copied away to CD, or 'Slipstream' it
into your XP install CD so as to have one that will install from scratch
complete with SP2