Doing a Windows System File Check and Finding Hidden System Files in Windows XP

by Barbara Brabec
Updated June 29, 2010

Computer buyers today no longer get a disk of their computer's operating system, but simply a "restoration disk." Microsoft now buries the operating system software in the computer itself so users can't install it on another computer. We users, of course, are supposed to know how to access a system disk that doesn't exist when the computer asks for it.

Do you know how to use Windows system file check (SFC) Utility? If you suspect that system files have been corrupted, you can quickly do a system file check by pressing START/RUN, and then type in: SFC /scannow. This check of your system will take a few minutes, and if there are any problems, you’ll get a notice, such as the one I got the first time I ran this utility. It said, "For Windows to run properly, files must be copied to the DLL cache."

This was a few years ago when I had Windows XP (Home edition) on a 386 computer. I was instructed to insert my WINXP CD2 disk so these files could be copied, but all I'd gotten with my new computer was a DVD disk containing all my system restore files. I don't know what idiot thought that every new Windows XP user would understand how to pull a file from a CD that didn't exist. I sure didn’t, so I went back to Tiger Direct where I'd bought my computer, and got a lesson from the resident tech.

That was when I learned that Microsoft was longer allowing computer sellers to give buyers a disk of the computer's operating system. Today, we simply get a "restoration disk" because Microsoft buries the operating system software in the computer itself so users can't install it on another computer. We users, of course, are supposed to know how to access a system disk that doesn't exist when the computer asks for it. Sure!

How to Find the WINXP System Disk

So my lesson for this particular day was how to FIND and enable Microsoft to extract info from the operating system files on my computer. When I was asked to insert the WINXP disk I did not have, I was told to "use the BROWSE button on that menu and go to c:\windows\I386," which folder supposedly contained the same info I'd normally have received on a WINXP installation disk, plus Service Pack 2 and all the updated information I had downloaded after purchase. (I'm guessing now that, for newer computers, one must look for the processor speed of that computer, which is probably in our online computer manual somewhere. Any dummy ought to be able to find it, right?)

Well, this dummy is once again lost. I did find a folder of "hidden files" that I was cautioned not to open, and perhaps this is where those system files now reside. But until I again have need to find those files, I'm leaving well enough alone. I've simply updated this older article for the benefit of readers with more computer savvy than I have. (Surprisingly, my computer-related articles are the most-read articles on my website.)

Once Windows has extracted whatever info it needs, be sure to reboot your computer whether you are advised to do so or not. For more info on this topic, search the Microsoft Knowledge Base. Even better, perhaps, computer expert Kim Komando has probably explained how to do this in much simpler terms, but I don't have a need, or the time, to explore this topic on her site because I have a new book to promote now.

More About Computer Operating Systems

In an e-mail exchange with copywriter Gary Maxwell at the time I had the above problem, I got additional perspective on how Microsoft keeps changing the rules to suit their needs. He sent these updated thoughts on this topic:

"With the release of Windows XP there were several changes that Microsoft made to their OS," Gary said. "One of the biggest for consumers was Windows Product Activation or WPA.

"In simplest terms, what WPA does is it takes a "snapshot" of your computer's hardware information and then uses that information to generate a specific activation code for your computer.

"What this does, in effect, is binds that copy of Windows to a single computer in order to prevent that copy from being used on another. In some cases, if the computer's hardware is changed or upgraded too much, the software will go into sort of a 'safe' mode until you contact Redmond, Washington and get a reissued code that will allow you to use your own computer again.

"By contrast, Windows '98 had no Product Activation. And although most computer users abide by the license agreement, apparently Microsoft felt that it was in their better interests to develop an activation system which prevented the unauthorized copying of system software. Hence, with the release of Windows XP, WPA was born. The whole idea behind WPA is to reduce or eliminate the casual—but unauthorized—copying of Microsoft software. Yet another example of the lengths Microsoft will go to in order to protect their investment.

"Please keep in mind that Microsoft has a right to protect its investment. And we should expect them to do so. But given the fact that Microsoft came under scrutiny for alleged anti-competitive practices, and that they charge relatively high prices for their software, many consumers aren't really thrilled about using Microsoft products."

LINUX: Worth Exploring

Gary suggested Linux as an operating system some business owners might want to explore. "It's free, and you can alter the software to suit your own taste if you have a little programming ability," he said. "The software is very stable, more secure than Windows, and applications are compatible with Windows without the price factor. It may be a little intimidating at first, but there are several versions of Linux (called 'Distributions') that make the install and setup process a snap. Once the OS is installed, it is very similar to Windows or even Mac OS's."

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