SFC Question

  • Thread starter Thread starter David Gorick
  • Start date Start date
D

David Gorick

WinXP Pro is running along about as perfectly as can be at the moment in my
computer. Yesterday I ran SFC and it wanted my install CD to restore some
system files back to the original. My question is this: Will doing so
eliminate all my tweaks, etc or is it safe to do? Event Viewer has been
showing no problems for the last couple of months and I like to keep it that
way but I'm a fanatic about having my computer run as perfect as I can get
it.

Thanks,
David
 
Hi David

Why did you run SFC - it is 'normally' used for troubleshooting?

--

Will Denny
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User


| WinXP Pro is running along about as perfectly as can be at the moment in
my
| computer. Yesterday I ran SFC and it wanted my install CD to restore some
| system files back to the original. My question is this: Will doing so
| eliminate all my tweaks, etc or is it safe to do? Event Viewer has been
| showing no problems for the last couple of months and I like to keep it
that
| way but I'm a fanatic about having my computer run as perfect as I can get
| it.
|
| Thanks,
| David
|
|
 
David Gorick said:
WinXP Pro is running along about as perfectly as can be at the moment in my
computer. Yesterday I ran SFC and it wanted my install CD to restore some
system files back to the original. My question is this: Will doing so
eliminate all my tweaks, etc or is it safe to do? Event Viewer has been
showing no problems for the last couple of months and I like to keep it that
way but I'm a fanatic about having my computer run as perfect as I can get
it.

Thanks,
David
Click to expand...

Not trying to be a smarty-pants but if it's "running along about as
perfectly as can be at the moment" *leave it alone*. ;-)

--
D

I'm not an MVP a VIP nor do I have ESP.
I was just trying to help.
Please use your own best judgment before implementing any suggestions or
advice herein.
No warranty is expressed or implied.
Your mileage may vary.
See store for details. :)

Remove shoes to E-mail.
 
Will,

I'm running a program called "Tune XP" and SFC is one of the options in it.
Thought I'd just give it a try. I finally managed to get out of it after
about 15 minutes without changing anything. If it only used for
troubleshooting then I'll just leave it be until there is a reason to use
it.

Thanks,
David
 
Hi David

What does 'SFC' stand for in Tune XP - perhaps something else.

--

Will Denny
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User


| Will,
|
| I'm running a program called "Tune XP" and SFC is one of the options in
it.
| Thought I'd just give it a try. I finally managed to get out of it after
| about 15 minutes without changing anything. If it only used for
| troubleshooting then I'll just leave it be until there is a reason to use
| it.
|
| Thanks,
| David
|
|
| | > Hi David
| >
| > Why did you run SFC - it is 'normally' used for troubleshooting?
| >
| > --
| >
| > Will Denny
| > MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User
| >
| >
| > | > | WinXP Pro is running along about as perfectly as can be at the moment
in
| > my
| > | computer. Yesterday I ran SFC and it wanted my install CD to restore
| some
| > | system files back to the original. My question is this: Will doing so
| > | eliminate all my tweaks, etc or is it safe to do? Event Viewer has
been
| > | showing no problems for the last couple of months and I like to keep
it
| > that
| > | way but I'm a fanatic about having my computer run as perfect as I can
| get
| > | it.
| > |
| > | Thanks,
| > | David
| > |
| > |
| >
|
|
 
Don't let it!!

--

Will Denny
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User


| Good Advice but my curiosity got the best of me.
|
|
| message | > | > > WinXP Pro is running along about as perfectly as can be at the moment
in
| > my
| > > computer. Yesterday I ran SFC and it wanted my install CD to restore
| some
| > > system files back to the original. My question is this: Will doing so
| > > eliminate all my tweaks, etc or is it safe to do? Event Viewer has
been
| > > showing no problems for the last couple of months and I like to keep
it
| > that
| > > way but I'm a fanatic about having my computer run as perfect as I can
| get
| > > it.
| > >
| > > Thanks,
| > > David
| >
| > Not trying to be a smarty-pants but if it's "running along about as
| > perfectly as can be at the moment" *leave it alone*. ;-)
| >
| > --
| > D
| >
| > I'm not an MVP a VIP nor do I have ESP.
| > I was just trying to help.
| > Please use your own best judgment before implementing any suggestions or
| > advice herein.
| > No warranty is expressed or implied.
| > Your mileage may vary.
| > See store for details. :)
| >
| > Remove shoes to E-mail.
| >
| >
|
|
 
"System File Checker." It is actually spelled out. I just abbreviated it
for the email.
 
No one ever answered his question. I was waiting for the answer.

Will said:
Don't let it!!
Click to expand...

--

Gerald Ross, Cochran, GA
To reply add the numerals "13" before the "at"
............................................
Passionate hatred can give meaning and
purpose to an empty life.
 
|| || Sent: Monday, May 10, 2004 8:37 AM
|| <SNIP> Yesterday I ran SFC and it wanted my install CD to restore
|| some system files back to the original. My question is this: Will
|| doing so eliminate all my tweaks, etc or is it safe to do? <SNIP>

| | No one ever answered his question. I was waiting for the answer.

System File Checker scans all "protected files" to verify their
versions. Then, if it finds one that has been changed it replaces it
with the correct version (found in the Dllcache folder, the Windows
installation CD-ROM, the Network Distribution folder, etc.).

So if by writing "tweaks" David means the "normal" things one thinks
of when someone says tweaks, then the answer is no. SFC will not
eliminate all his tweaks. For more information see the following
Microsoft Knowledge Base articles:

KB310747 - Description of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 System
File Checker (Sfc.exe)
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?Product=winxp&scid=kb;en-us;310747

KB814597 - HOW TO: Verify That Windows File Protection Is Running in
Windows Server 2003
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?Product=winxp&scid=kb;en-us;814597

And for an unverified, unofficial list of "Protected Files" see the
following archived newsgroup post:

From: Jim Carlock
Subject: sfcfiles.txt
Newsgroups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
Date: 2004-04-20 20:17:48 PST
Google Group Archives Link:
http://www.google.com/groups?&selm=#[email protected]
 
Thank you Carrie. You answered half of my question which is more than
anyone else to this point. The rest of my question is this: If SFC
restores my system files to their original state, what does this do to all
the patches and hotfixes that are installed? Have any of them made changes
to one or more of the system files? It is hard to imagine that something
hasn't changed. Or do the system files that SFC checks stay the same
forever. Also hard to imagine.

David
 
|||| |||| Sent: Monday, May 10, 2004 8:37 AM
|||| <SNIP> Yesterday I ran SFC and it wanted my install CD to restore
|||| some system files back to the original. My question is this:
|||| Will doing so eliminate all my tweaks <SNIP>

||| ||| No one ever answered his question. I was waiting for the answer.

|| || <SNIP> if by writing "tweaks" David means the "normal" things
|| <SNIP> no. SFC will not eliminate all his tweaks. <SNIP>
|| KB310747<SNIP> KB814597 <SNIP>
http://www.google.com/groups?&selm=#[email protected]

| | <SNIP> If SFC restores my system files to their original state, what
| does this do to all the patches and hotfixes that are installed?
| <SNIP>

When you install a service pack or a hotfix, update.exe copies the new
files to the appropriate operating system folder (for example,
%windir%\system32) and the appropriate cache folder(s)
(%windir%\system32\DllCache and if you use the Express Installation
downloaded from the Windows update site files for optional components
are cached in the %SYSTEMROOT% \ServicePackFiles Folder).

Update.exe also modifies the Windows File Protection (WFP) information
to reflect the new service pack files.

Then, (as outlined in KB310747), if SFC or WFP needs to restore a
system file it retrieves the correct version of the file using the
updated Windows File Protection (WFP) information. For more
information see the following document and Microsoft Knowledge Base
Article:

Inside Update.exe - The Package Installer for Windows and
Windows Components
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/windowsserver2003/deployment/winupdte.mspx

KB222193 - Description of the Windows File Protection Feature
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?Product=win2000&scid=kb;en-us;222193

To verify file version information included in specific updates you
can:

- Use information found in the associated Microsoft Knowledge Base
Article and/or Security Bulletin.

- Review the log file that is generated during the installation (for
example: %SYSTEMROOT%\K826939.log or %SYSTEMROOT%\svcpack.log).

- Review the subkey(s) under the Filelist subkey of the associated
registry key. For example:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \Software\Microsoft\Updates\
<operating system>\<service pack level>\KB<nnnnnn>

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \Software\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\Hotfix\Q<nnnnnn>

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \Software\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\Hotfix\KB<nnnnnn>

- Use the spverify.exe. For more information see the following
Microsoft Knowledge Base article:

KB819035 - Overview of the SPVerify Tool
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?Product=winxp&scid=kb;en-us;819035

Note: For some DLL files that ship with some Microsoft products you
can find some information (such as Name, Description, Version,
DLLSelfRegister, Products containing this version, Size, Modified
Date, Cab/IExpress, Relative Path) by using the following database:

Microsoft DLL Help Database
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=/servicedesks/fileversion/dllinfo.asp
 
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