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inneedofsomehelp via WindowsKB.com

Can anyboby tell me if the file icam4usb.PNf is preinstalled in Windows XP,
or is it a file that you would have to install to be there?
 
Thank you Bob. What kind of file is it or what is it for?
 
You may view/read the contents of the inf form of the file using
Notepad. The contents indicate it is used for installing a USB attached
Intel Webcam.
 
Do NOT delete any *.inf files. They will NOT be recreated.

<quote>
INF File
A text-based file containing information required by the system to install a
device's software components.
<quote>
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms789550.aspx

<quote>
PNF file
A precompiled INF File. Windows creates a PNF file for each INF file to
facilitate efficient processing. A PNF file includes information about the
content of the original INF file, as well as the name of the INF file and
other file attributes. Setup uses the PNF file instead of the original INF
file. If a PNF file does not exist, Setup generates one for the INF file.
For vendor-supplied INF files, the information contained in a PNF file also
includes the location of the original INF file.
<quote>
from...
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms789541.aspx

<quote>
It is perfectly safe to delete PNF files (in fact you will free up a huge
chunk of space on the drive) because as I said, they will be recreated
automatically when needed; you'll notice that ALL of the PNF files have
dates later than the INF files, in fact they will probably be tagged with
the date that Windows was installed-or later. The reason I said to delete
them is because your system may very well be installing
old/stale/out-of-date drivers which is causing your problem. If you delete
the driver cache (the PNF files) and then install the drives, you will force
the system to recreate the cache and read all the INF files from scratch.
When it does so, it will find and use the new drivers instead of falling
back on the old cached one. That's why I recommended it.
Alec S.
<quote>
from...
http://groups.google.com/group/micr...&q="delete+.pnf+files"&hl=en#9c48484c0b1da71a

<quote>
PNF files are temporary files created by Windows during the execution of an
..INF file. You do not need to keep PNF files, they will be generated again
when needed.
Don Watkins (Admin)
<quote>
from...
http://www.pcnet-online.com/discus/messages/449/4214.html?1082999399


--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In
 
This is for an external webcam, the kind you can hook up to your computer?
Does it mean one has been hooked up? Sorry, I have teenagers and am a little
bit concerned...

Bob said:
You may view/read the contents of the inf form of the file using
Notepad. The contents indicate it is used for installing a USB attached
Intel Webcam.
Thank you Bob. What kind of file is it or what is it for?
Click to expand...
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
Click to expand...
 
I did try and read the file but it seems to be encrypted...it was modified
late last year...what could this mean?

Bob said:
You may view/read the contents of the inf form of the file using
Notepad. The contents indicate it is used for installing a USB attached
Intel Webcam.
Thank you Bob. What kind of file is it or what is it for?
Click to expand...
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
Click to expand...
 
You may read the INF form of the file. It comes with the Windows
installation, stop worrying about it. Windows comes with default support
for many pieces of hardware to support "Plug and Play", otherwise the
user would have to manually load drivers themselves before they could
use anything connected to the PC.
I did try and read the file but it seems to be encrypted...it was modified
late last year...what could this mean?

Bob said:
You may view/read the contents of the inf form of the file using
Notepad. The contents indicate it is used for installing a USB attached
Intel Webcam.

Thank you Bob. What kind of file is it or what is it for?
Click to expand...

[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
Can anyboby tell me if the file icam4usb.PNf is preinstalled in Windows XP,
or is it a file that you would have to install to be there?
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Thanks again Bob, I don't mean to sound like a "nut", I guess teenagers can
get to you sometimes....but in layman terms, this is a file/folder that is
just preinstalled and does not mean that a webcam has been used on the
computer, it just may mean that it is equipped to have one....am I correct?

Bob said:
You may read the INF form of the file. It comes with the Windows
installation, stop worrying about it. Windows comes with default support
for many pieces of hardware to support "Plug and Play", otherwise the
user would have to manually load drivers themselves before they could
use anything connected to the PC.
I did try and read the file but it seems to be encrypted...it was modified
late last year...what could this mean?
Click to expand...
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
Click to expand...
 
Correct, I have no webcam, never have, the files are on my system. They
are on most XP systems unless someone made a special effort to remove them.
Thanks again Bob, I don't mean to sound like a "nut", I guess teenagers can
get to you sometimes....but in layman terms, this is a file/folder that is
just preinstalled and does not mean that a webcam has been used on the
computer, it just may mean that it is equipped to have one....am I correct?

Bob said:
You may read the INF form of the file. It comes with the Windows
installation, stop worrying about it. Windows comes with default support
for many pieces of hardware to support "Plug and Play", otherwise the
user would have to manually load drivers themselves before they could
use anything connected to the PC.

I did try and read the file but it seems to be encrypted...it was modified
late last year...what could this mean?
Click to expand...

[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
Can anyboby tell me if the file icam4usb.PNf is preinstalled in Windows XP,
or is it a file that you would have to install to be there?
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Thanks Bob, will these files update themselves and that is why I am seeing
them modified?

Bob said:
Correct, I have no webcam, never have, the files are on my system. They
are on most XP systems unless someone made a special effort to remove them.
Thanks again Bob, I don't mean to sound like a "nut", I guess teenagers can
get to you sometimes....but in layman terms, this is a file/folder that is
Click to expand...
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
Click to expand...
 
Yes.
Thanks Bob, will these files update themselves and that is why I am seeing
them modified?

Bob said:
Correct, I have no webcam, never have, the files are on my system. They
are on most XP systems unless someone made a special effort to remove them.

Thanks again Bob, I don't mean to sound like a "nut", I guess teenagers can
get to you sometimes....but in layman terms, this is a file/folder that is
Click to expand...

[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
Can anyboby tell me if the file icam4usb.PNf is preinstalled in Windows XP,
or is it a file that you would have to install to be there?
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
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