Where is Vista Folder I386

[five256]

I want to use System File Checker (sfc.exe) on my laptop. I only have a
recovery partition and no original Vista installation disk. I tried
logging in to my Administrator account, typing in CMD, using it in
Administrator mode - then running sfc /scannow. It gets to 56% then
quits with a message that says it can't complete the process. How can I
check my system files for validity? My Avira anti-virus says that I may
have five unsigned system files (heuristically). I'm concerned.

 

[Al]

Some OEMs, in place of providing an OS disk, included a folder titled "I386"
(standard title) which contained the OS installation files. Not all OEMS did
so.

If unsigned files are your concern, run the signature verification utility
"Sigverif.exe" - sfc.exe checks system file integrity - a subtle
distinction.
You may get some idea of sfc.exe not completing the scan by checking
"sfcdetails.txt" = the log created each time the utility is run.

 

[five256]

Some OEMs, in place of providing an OS disk, included a folder titled "I386"
(standard title) which contained the OS installation files. Not all OEMS did
so.

If unsigned files are your concern, run the signature verification utility
"Sigverif.exe" - sfc.exe checks system file integrity - a subtle
distinction.
You may get some idea of sfc.exe not completing the scan by checking
"sfcdetails.txt" = the log created each time the utility is run.

Thank you. I found 93 files that are not digitally signed. Can you
help? BTW, I couldn't find sfcdetails.txt. Where is it?

 

[five256]

Also, one file wasn't scanned.

 

[R. C. White]

Hi, five256.

The I386 folder is not a part of the installed Windows. It is a folder on
the Vista CD-ROM. It holds compressed versions of the actual files.
Setup.exe extracts and expands that files that it needs during installation
of Vista.

I don't know how SFC uses the I386 folder, but it does need the source files
if it encounters missing or corrupted files during its file checking. I
usually advise users to have the Vista CD handy when running SFC, just in
case.

If you have a Vista DVD - or a download (such as from MSDN) - from almost
any source, it should work with SFC. The OS "bits" are not copy-protected,
since they are of no use to you if you don't have a valid Product Key.

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(e-mail address removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP
Windows Live Mail 2009 (14.0.8089.0726) in Win7 Ultimate x64

 

[five256]

Hi, five256.

The I386 folder is not a part of the installed Windows. It is a folder on
the Vista CD-ROM. It holds compressed versions of the actual files.
Setup.exe extracts and expands that files that it needs during installation
of Vista.

I don't know how SFC uses the I386 folder, but it does need the source files
if it encounters missing or corrupted files during its file checking. I
usually advise users to have the Vista CD handy when running SFC, just in
case.

If you have a Vista DVD - or a download (such as from MSDN) - from almost
any source, it should work with SFC. The OS "bits" are not copy-protected,
since they are of no use to you if you don't have a valid Product Key.

RC

Thanks! What is MSDN? I don't have a Vista Home Premium CD or DVD - my
system didn't come with one. System File Checker compares the system
files on the PC to the ones on the CD-ROM. If it finds a file that is
corrupt, it replaces it with a good copy. If I could get a copy of that
I386 folder or an original Vista Home Premium CD-ROM, and I knew how to
point SFC to that folder, I think I could replace my corrupted files with
good ones.

 

[five256]

There is no I386 folder on a Vista DVD.
Do you have an actual problem or are you just reacting to what your Avira
program told you ?

I don't have an "obvious" problem - but my Avira NEVER showed unsigned
files before (and I run it every night). I also just remembered that I
have been updating my driver files and some of them have been unsigned.
Could this be the cause of having unsigned system files? The problem of
unsigned system files happened immediately after trying to uninstall
Comodo - and I couldn't boot my machine. My "guess" is that something in
Comodo is suspicious and, therefore, so am I.

 

[five256]

The I386 folder was last used with XP. There is no I386 folder on any Vista DVD.
Setup uses an image of the installation, not individual files.
The two main image files are boot.wim and install.wim.
These are Windows Image files.

You're the only person I've talked to that is aware of this. So how can
I get my System File Checker to work past 56% verification? There is no
error message - just a note that says it can't perform the operation.

 

[R. C. White]

Hi, five256.

MSDN is the Microsoft Developers Network. Subscribers can download much of
Microsoft's software - but the subscription is too expensive for most home
users: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/subscriptions/default.aspx

Thanks to Dave for reminding me that the I386 folder last appeared in WinXP,
not in Vista.

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(e-mail address removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP
Windows Live Mail 2009 (14.0.8089.0726) in Win7 Ultimate x64

 

[R. C. White]

Hi, Dave.

Thanks for that correction and reminder. I know that Win7 is an image file,
but I thought I remembered that Vista used individual files. I should have
looked it up. :^{

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(e-mail address removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP
Windows Live Mail 2009 (14.0.8089.0726) in Win7 Ultimate x64