What is the difference in the various i386 folders?

[Guest]

Hi Everybody,

I hope this is in the correct forum. There does seem to be some topic
overlap. Please excuse me if I am not posting in the correct one.

I am trying to get a little more life out of a fleet of older PC's running
Win'XP SP2. They mostly have 6.4 GB Hard drives and they are really hurting
for space. I have already done many of the suggestions posted in preivious
threads. I have the original (Win'XP SP0) i386 folder on a network server
instead of on the c drive. I have deleted the contents of
"*\SoftwareDistribution\Downloads", the uninstall files in the Windows
folder, and a few other things. I have now stumbled onto the
"C:\Windows\ServicePackFiles\i386" and I was wondering a few things.

For when the system asks for the Windows CD: Does it matter if I use the
original i386 folder (which is what they have now,) from the original XP SP0
CD, or should I always replace them with the i386 folder from a Win'XP SP2
CD?

Also, since I see there is the "C:\Windows\ServicePackFiles\i386" that SP2
left behind, could I simply point the registry to that i386 folder for all
install needs? (in other words, do I need both?) Pointing the Registry to a
network server for system files is slower than a local copy, especially for
the remote sites.

Since there are some differences in size, I imagine there are differences in
the files themselves. If I do need both, could they be combined, with the
newer files replacing the older versions with the same name? (One pasted
over the other?) All unique files from either would be contained in the new
hybrid. Would that suffice?

Any other ideas on the same line of thinking will also be greatly
appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Michael Lashinsky
(e-mail address removed)

 

[R. McCarty]

Just slipstream your original i386 with the SP2 content. Then just
change the Registry key for ServicePackFiles to reflect the i386.
There's no reason to maintain both. You can also regain 500 Meg
per machine by either redirecting DllCache or simply using SFC
with the qualifier /Purgecache. It's not always necessary to keep
the DllCache fully populated.

 

[Guest]

"Pardon me, is my ignorance showing? I hate it when that happens..."

I will have to read up on slipstreaming. I have heard the term quite a bit
lately, mostly today in these forums!

As for "simply using SFC with the qualifier /Purgecache", I don't know what
you are referring to. If you please would be so kind as to point me in the
right direction, I will start studying ASAP. There is obviously a gap in my
self-taught windows education.

Thank you very much for the quick reply.

 

[R. McCarty]

To slipstream means to take updated components and incorporate
them into an earlier or original version of the software. Essentially,
it allows you to take a XP Gold (Original) or SP1 disk and update
it into a SP2 level disk. For a Network share install point (i386) you
download the full Service Pack module, extract it into it's individual
modules and run the Update.Exe pointing it to the original i386.
Here's a Step-by-Step guide on Slipstreaming - But it's emphasis
is on creating a bootable disk, not a Network share i386.
http://www.theeldergeek.com/slipstreamed_xpsp2_cd.htm

SFC (System File Checker) is a component of Windows File
Protection. Whenever a program replaces a System module, SFC
quietly puts the "Official" version back. DllCache is the 1st place
that SFC looks to get it's replacement module. Normally, Dllcache
is around 400-500 Megabytes in size. Using the SFC /Purgecache
command empties the DllCache folder.
Microsoft's KB article on SFC basics:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;310747

 

[Guest]

Thanks. You Rock!

To slipstream means to take updated components and incorporate
them into an earlier or original version of the software. Essentially,
it allows you to take a XP Gold (Original) or SP1 disk and update
it into a SP2 level disk. For a Network share install point (i386) you
download the full Service Pack module, extract it into it's individual
modules and run the Update.Exe pointing it to the original i386.
Here's a Step-by-Step guide on Slipstreaming - But it's emphasis
is on creating a bootable disk, not a Network share i386.
http://www.theeldergeek.com/slipstreamed_xpsp2_cd.htm

SFC (System File Checker) is a component of Windows File
Protection. Whenever a program replaces a System module, SFC
quietly puts the "Official" version back. DllCache is the 1st place
that SFC looks to get it's replacement module. Normally, Dllcache
is around 400-500 Megabytes in size. Using the SFC /Purgecache
command empties the DllCache folder.
Microsoft's KB article on SFC basics:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;310747