Index.dat File!!!!!

[John Torrie]

Can someone please send or tell me where I can get a copy of the Index.dat file? When I try to open system information, it open help center instead. This happened once before and a nice person sent me a copy of the file. I thought I had a backup stored on my system, but since it crashed, I lost it also. Please nice person send me one again. (e-mail address removed), Thank you for any and all help.

 

[S Brown]

Can someone please send or tell me where I can get a copy of the
Index.dat file? When I try to open system information, it open help
center instead. This happened once before and a nice person sent me a
copy of the file. I thought I had a backup stored on my system, but
since it crashed, I lost it also. Please nice person send me one again.
(e-mail address removed) <mailto:[email protected]>, Thank you for any
and all help.

Windows should create a new one if the old one has been deleted.

 

[Guest]

No!
The index.dat file contains personal information as to what web sites you
visited, cookies accepted, url history and other personal information I'm
sure no one wants you to have. They are not related to msinfo32.exe.
If you type in msinfo32 at the run command or thru the programs menu the
Help and support center does open by design. Under pick a task, select "use
tools to view system information".

The index.dat files (there are many) can be deleted but will be re-created
after surfing.

 

[John Barnett MVP]

If you delete an index.dat file (and this can only be done using thrid party software or from the DOS prompt) the file will automatically re-create itself on reboot. Incidentally there is more than one index.dat folder on yuor pc. Typically temporary internet files folder has an index.dat file and so too does history and cookies to name just the obvious.

--
John Barnett MVP
Associate Expert
http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org


Can someone please send or tell me where I can get a copy of the Index.dat file? When I try to open system information, it open help center instead. This happened once before and a nice person sent me a copy of the file. I thought I had a backup stored on my system, but since it crashed, I lost it also. Please nice person send me one again. (e-mail address removed), Thank you for any and all help.

 

[Kelly]

That won't help Msinfo32. Start here:

Msinfo32 Batch File - To Gain Access (Line 172)
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

Troubleshooting Msinfo32 - System Information
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_m.htm#msinfo32

Restore System Information (Msinfo32) - Line 221
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

OR:

Go to Start/Run/ and type: msinfo32 /categories +all -loadedmodules
(Don't overlook those three spaces!)

and/or simply verify your settings here:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared Tools\MSInfo

Path value = C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft
Shared\MSInfo\msinfo32.exe

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App
Paths\msinfo32.exe

Default value = C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft
Shared\MSInfo\MSInfo32.exe

Path value = C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\MSInfo

How to Use System Information (MSINFO32) Switches
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;q300887&

--

All the Best,
Kelly (MS-MVP)

Troubleshooting Windows XP
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com



Can someone please send or tell me where I can get a copy of the Index.dat
file? When I try to open system information, it open help center instead.
This happened once before and a nice person sent me a copy of the file. I
thought I had a backup stored on my system, but since it crashed, I lost it
also. Please nice person send me one again. (e-mail address removed), Thank you
for any and all help.

 

[Guest]

Hi Kelly and thank you for your usual excellent input - tested the below on
my machine with these results :-

That won't help Msinfo32. Start here:

Msinfo32 Batch File - To Gain Access (Line 172)
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

Works - opens the MsInfo application on one-off basis

Troubleshooting Msinfo32 - System Information
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_m.htm#msinfo32

Did not go into this

Restore System Information (Msinfo32) - Line 221
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

Did not work on my system

OR:

Go to Start/Run/ and type: msinfo32 /categories +all -loadedmodules
(Don't overlook those three spaces!)

This works perfectly. Easiest way I have found is to update your shortcut
(system information) to include the switches on the end.

and/or simply verify your settings here:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared Tools\MSInfo

Path value = C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft
Shared\MSInfo\msinfo32.exe

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App
Paths\msinfo32.exe

Default value = C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft
Shared\MSInfo\MSInfo32.exe

Path value = C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\MSInfo

Checked all of these matched on my system but still opens the Help Centre.

Annoying thing is, you try to use the help centre - advanced troubleshooting
tools (should open MsInfo32) and this just opens another instance of the Help
Centre ! This works on fresh install so the question has to be asked - what
causes this NOT to work after a while ?