Windows File Protection Error Message

[JJT]

I keep on getting on Start Up a Windows File Protection error message:

"Files that are required for Windows to run properly have been replaced by
unrecognized versions. To maintain system stability, Window must restore the
original versions of these files.

Insert your Windows 2000 Professional CD now."

If I do this the W2K Prof. CD spins up and repeats the message. Only
pressing cancel on the WFP warning window stops the constant continuing
notice. Windows will then run normally.
Looking in the event viewer usually shows the file psapi.dll (ver of bad
file is 5.0.2134.1) or vinmm.dll (ver. of bad file is 5.021261.1).

Q263499 suggests open mmc snap-on for local policies, security options and
setting
Restrict CD-ROM access etc. to disabled which it is.

Running SFC /scannow results in a continuos display of this message without
seeming to fix anything.

How do I stop this continuos notice on StartUp?

 

[George Hester]

Two things. Are you on a domain controller? If so check the same location in Domain Security policies. Did you reboot? Try changing the policy close out go back in a change it back to disabled.

If still no luck then go to the command prompt Start | Run | cmd | OK | cd/ | chkdsk C: /f
if your SystemDrive is C

Reboot with the Windows 2000 CD-ROM in drive. Let everything occur on its own when rebooting touch nothing till you get to the logon and do that. All with the CD-ROM in the drive. You should not get the SFC prompt. Let us know if you do.

 

[JJT]

George:

No, I am not on a domain controller.

I have a dual boot system with W98SE on C and W2K SP4 on D. I presume the
command prompt instruction would be chkdsk D: /f. Would this command still
be right since I am have install SP4?

Strangely enough ( I hate it when the problem is inconsistent) this problem
started with the new year, has occur through a dozen reboots and stopped
this morning.

I will save your instructions to use when it re-occurs since it has done
this a dozen times in the last six months but usually lasts only through one
boot/reboot cycle.

Two things. Are you on a domain controller? If so check the same location
in Domain Security policies. Did you reboot? Try changing the policy close
out go back in a change it back to disabled.

If still no luck then go to the command prompt Start | Run | cmd | OK | cd/
| chkdsk C: /f
if your SystemDrive is C

Reboot with the Windows 2000 CD-ROM in drive. Let everything occur on its
own when rebooting touch nothing till you get to the logon and do that. All
with the CD-ROM in the drive. You should not get the SFC prompt. Let us
know if you do.

 

[George Hester]

Yes that is correct chkdsk D: /f I want you to make sure the drive letter you use here is the drive letter of the Operating System you are currently using. That way you will be asked if you want to schedule a checkdisk at the next boot and that is the whole idea. Say, "yes."

 

[JJT]

George:
I ran ckkdsk D: /f last night and this morning the same error came up.
If I run a W2K repair, re-install SP4 and hotfixes, will I destroy my
installed programs?

JJT
Yes that is correct chkdsk D: /f I want you to make sure the drive letter
you use here is the drive letter of the Operating System you are currently
using. That way you will be asked if you want to schedule a checkdisk at
the next boot and that is the whole idea. Say, "yes."

 

[George Hester]

No not usually but you will end up with duplicate profiles. The one you are using will basically become inoperable. For example if you are using the profile Administrator to logon then after you "repair" Windows 2000 your new profile will be MachineName.Administrator. This is one reason why I do not suggest doing that. It is called an "inplace upgrade."

So you have your operating system the one that is causing the trouble on D drive. What is on C drive? If it is Windows XP that could be the reason for your troubles. What is the drive that is used for Windows 2000 to boot? Does it boot right off the D drive? In other words is your boot.ini sitting on the D drive that Windows 2000 is using to boot? You may need to have show all hidden files and folders enabled to find the boot.ini. Do that by Windows Explorer | Tools | Folder options... | View | in the List box uncheck or check as the case may be to keep things from being hidden.

Now I need to know did the system chkdsk when you rebooted? You had the CD-ROM in the drive? And after you logged in the sfc warning came up and asked you to insert the Windows 2000 CD-ROM in the drive although it already was in there? If that is the case you need to go into the registry.

In Start | Run | regedit | OK. I want you to with My Computer selected | Edit | Find... | Keys Values Data checked | here I want you to check for any drives called in the registry that are NOT your CD-ROM drive. The ones that are pointiing to your installation of Windows 2000 are the ones we want to be sure are pointing to your CD-ROM drive. So Find... | all drives not your CD-ROM drive. So if F is your CD-ROM drive you will check in the registry for C: and then D:\ and then F:\ and so on. You can tell if the location is fact a Windows 2000 installation entry because of the form of what is found in the Data. It will be clear that the location is from the Windows 2000 CD-ROM. I'm just hoping someplace it is NOT pointing to the drive letter of your CD-ROM drive. This is one way in which SFC will not connect correctly.

Other than that you can try reinstalling your Service Pack. Before you do see if you can return Internet Explorer back to a previous version. Done by uninstalling Internet Explorer from Add\Remove. If you cannot do that then go ahead and reapply your current Service Pack. If you can restore to a prior version | reboot {Yes - clean up personal settings when queried upon login) reinstall the service pack | reboot | update to the latest cumulative update for IE | reboot. See if that helps.

 

[JJT]

George:
I have done the following things:

1. Security settings/Local Policies/Security Options
Restrict CD-ROM access to locally logged-on user only
Disabled
set to Enabled and reboot
set to disabled and reboot

2.Run Regedit. Originally the CD-RW drive was E:. I used drive manager to
change it to Z:. I found one registry entry that was pointing to E: and
changed it to Z:

3.Run ckkdst D:. When the system rebooted with the W2K install disk in the
CD-RW drive; there was a period of approximately 5 minutes? while the CD was
accessed the CD.

The following still occurs.

Almost always the error message comes up ( in the last 15 reboots it came up
13 times). The event viewer always shows file paspi.dll ver.5.2143.1 as bad.

About 70% of the time vimm.dll ver. 5.021261.1 shows as bad.

Every one in a while file indicdll.dll shows ver. 5.0.2920 as bad.

This is very disturbing! I hope you can suggest something to fix this.

JJT


__________________________________

 

[George Hester]

Yeah you are going to have to run sfc. The command you want is "sfc /purgecache /enable /scannow" w/o the quotes. Then you need to reapply your Service Pack. paspi.dll is an ASPI layer file. Usually obtained through installation of CD-Writer software.

But let me point out to you that a drive at Z is asking for trouble. There is a last drive command in the old Config.sys. It is almost always set to Z in the hopes that no one in their right mind would have a system with 26 drives in it. Get your CD-ROM drive back to something else.