sfc /scannow asks for a CD that I don’t have (Home SP-1)

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(… or even don’t know if it exists …)

Ah, well from time to time it seems that sfc is more popular.
Can anyone please tell me why “sfc /scannow” keeps asking for a CD that has not been used to install the OS. I could maybe understand it if some program was d/l and added later. When I run “SFC” it several times asks for: “Windows XP Professional Server”.

As I understand it, and it is certainly not easy to find anything but a little information in Windows Help, it checks if the files in dllcache are OK and if not it copies them from CD (with switch I use). OK, this is not the first time I use SFC but the result has always been the same (search for a CD I don’t have for some of the files, then checks the other). When I look at Event Viewer system log I find that the following files was not found. When “SFC” asks for a CD I don’t have, and I cancel, I get a question if I want to skip the file.

smtpadm.dll
smtpsnap.dll
adsiisex.dll
aqadmin.dll
aqueue.dll
fcachdll.dll
mailmsg.dll
ntfsdrv.dll
regtrace.exe
rwnh.dll
scripto.dll
seo.dll
seos.dll
smtpapi.dll
smtpctrs.dll
snprfdll.dll

TIA
Regards,

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Replies

Try the following:
– Insert your Windows XP Home CD into the CD drive.
– Keep the left Shift key down until the drive light goes out again. (This is to bypass the AutoRun of the CD)
– Try sfc /scannow again.

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Hans,
Thanks for a quick reply! The way I did it earlier today is as close. I know about Shift and AutoRun, I use it so often that I almost should change CD’s from running via Powetoys. Anyhow the CD was in the drive for minutes before I ran sfc, and I didn’t let the autorun kick in.

Just after I read your prompt reply I tested again, shift was down until it stopped spinning, tried sfc /scannow around 20 sec. and it asks for XP Pro Server.

I maybe also should mention that this is an OEM version, nothing special, no special BIOS, I did the install/have reinstalled, product activation myself etc.

Regards,

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I’m afraid this is beyond me. I hope somebody else can help you.

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Yep, I hope I don’t have a server running somewhere …

Only thing I can think of is if some patch/update installed files that were not there in the first place (Home ed.).

Regards,

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When running SFC I should use my “Windows XP Home Ed. CD”, correct, but I also have the “Service Pack 1” on CD. But if it want some files from the SP it should ask for it, as I understand it not all files are in the SP, but they are on the original install CD.

Hmmm :
Checked registry: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersion and sourcepath is “D:I386”. Thats funny, cause long time ago directly after install I added partitions and after changed letters for my DVD and CD-RW to G and H. This was before any further install and SP1. Well this part shouldn’t be so important, fact still is that SFC find my CD drive and complain about source.

Another thought:
I have not run with /purgecache before /scannow. Can something be wrong with filecache (that should be the hidden “dllcache” correct?)?

I can not find any trace of files like those mentioned in first post. I have seen a similiar question on the net, but they say the problem didn’t happen if the CD was in drive before running SFC at prompt.
Well no use to me, I can have CD in drive all day untill I decide to run SFC, same result.

Regards,

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Might it work if you changed the sourcepath in the registry to G or H (whatever your CD is currently)?

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John,
I will try that. But just a thought, and I’m driven by strict logic, during search for files (SFC) it asks for a CD I don’t have a couple of times, then it proceeds without asking and the CD in drive spins and stop and start again. In some way it certainly know where it is, when it is looking for other files? I have some other work to do for some hours. Also see my answer to Mark.

Regards,

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John,
I will try that. But just a thought, and I’m driven by strict logic, during search for files (SFC) it asks for a CD I don’t have a couple of times, then it proceeds without asking and the CD in drive spins and stop and start again. In some way it certainly know where it is, when it is looking for other files? I have some other work to do for some hours. Also see my answer to Mark.

Regards,

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Might it work if you changed the sourcepath in the registry to G or H (whatever your CD is currently)?

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When running SFC I should use my “Windows XP Home Ed. CD”, correct, but I also have the “Service Pack 1” on CD. But if it want some files from the SP it should ask for it, as I understand it not all files are in the SP, but they are on the original install CD.

Hmmm :
Checked registry: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersion and sourcepath is “D:I386”. Thats funny, cause long time ago directly after install I added partitions and after changed letters for my DVD and CD-RW to G and H. This was before any further install and SP1. Well this part shouldn’t be so important, fact still is that SFC find my CD drive and complain about source.

Another thought:
I have not run with /purgecache before /scannow. Can something be wrong with filecache (that should be the hidden “dllcache” correct?)?

I can not find any trace of files like those mentioned in first post. I have seen a similiar question on the net, but they say the problem didn’t happen if the CD was in drive before running SFC at prompt.
Well no use to me, I can have CD in drive all day untill I decide to run SFC, same result.

Regards,

Reply | Quote

Yep, I hope I don’t have a server running somewhere …

Only thing I can think of is if some patch/update installed files that were not there in the first place (Home ed.).

Regards,

Reply | Quote

I’m afraid this is beyond me. I hope somebody else can help you.

Reply | Quote

That’s very intriguing, because there is no such thing as XP Pro Server. Can you get a screen capture of what it is showing and post it?

This is happening because the source path for Windows XP in the registry is showing a location that is no longer available. As John (Rebel) mentioned, you should check the registry’s entries for the source/installation path. Check article 222473 in the Knowledge Base for the registry keys you need to inspect.

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Mark,
Regarding your link to 222473:
“The following registry key is the primary location for registry settings for Windows File Protection/System File Checker: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionWinlogon
In addition, Windows File Protection/System File Checker settings may also be located in the following registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwarePoliciesMicrosoftWindows NTWindows File Protection”

In my case I don’t have the last in Policies, but that’s OK, as mentioned.
I have some values “SFCDisable”, not disabled and “SFCquota” (size). I don’t have: “SFCDllCacheDir”, Path = local or network location of dllcache folder (default is %SystemRoot%System32), on the other hand there is a defult place to look for and that’s where my dllcache is so everything is fine.

However, the article is more about the File protection and how to change values for boot check and other, that’s good, but it mention very little about the different places for “Source Path” in registry so I don’t know what, I will do a search when I have more time. Thanks for your link. Have some work to do the next 3-5 hours.

In the end of the article they point to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionSetup and value “SourcePath”. As you can guess I have “D:” (it should be the root for I386).
In my post I mentioned HLMSOftwareMS Windows NT CurrentVersion, and as i said it was “D:I386”. In this case I think it’s also OK, given that other keyvalue was D:.

I guess if I am going to change anything, first would be the place mentioned in article; “D:” to “G:”. And the one in “…Windows NT…” would then be G:I386.

HLM…MicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionSetup also have those installation sources I recognize when looking for drivers. When installing a device you can choose floppy, folder etc. I find them OK in: “Installation Sources”.

I add a screen capture combined with my Sys.spec. so you can see that it is a XP Home Ed. Well, neither I have heard of any XP Pro Server, via Goggle I found it mentioend in some computer ads!?

There is also a related issue: If I have XP SP-1 installed and no slipstreamed CD, just original and service pack CD, I know that the service pack files are also cached on disk and that patches is also copied to dllcache; If SFC checks sytem32 etc. and then find that dllcache also has corrupt files, then the source of those corrupt file could be either original CD or SP-1 or a patch. Oh well, I guess it will work.

Regards,

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Ladies and Gentlemen I think we have a solution!

Well, hmm, sort of. OK this is what I did:
After taking a backup of the two keys:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionSetup
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersion

I changed “D:” to “G:” and “D:I386” to “G:I386”. I did a reboot, at command prompt I ran sfc /scannow. The CD started to spin after some seconds, as before but no question for another CD, and ended with no problem after some minutes.

Event Viewer, System log, has two events:
Windows File Protection; File search started; 64016
Windows File Protection; File search ended; 64017

So, everything seems to be OK.
With this first reboot I also found before File search many events, all the same;
-Service Control Manager Start 7035
-Service Control Manager Stop 7036
-Service Control Manager 7023; The service Application Management can not find module

This seems to be several at same time between login time and Windows File Protection. I also found a log in system32wbemlogs; wbemess.log with corresponding time. Do not know what it is, well, after next reboot there was no such events. If this was the solution I don’t know, but on several places on the net there are info how you set up partitions/installing XP, changing drive letters, and I have not seen anyone mention this about Source path. When I installed XP I thought about it, but it seemed to work. The way I did:

When installing XP on C also set up some more partitions in XP install program. After XP was installed i did find C:=XP D:=DVD E:=CDRW F:=other part. etc. Since this was not the way I would like, and I know XP diskmanagement could be used after install to set up not previously partitioned area, I shortly after did a clean install and only did partition for a C drive of appr. size and left other unpart. Then proceded the install (format, copy etc) on that C: dirve. When install was finished, I used XP Diskmanagement to add extended partition and three more logical. After individual formats I changed the drive letters. Of course it came to mind that every setupfile etc. for XP would point to D:, but I then installed SP-1 from G:CD and went on.

Obviously it does matter, but no one mention changing D: to whatever, it was just a thought as in my previous post.

Regards,

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Sounds like you’ve met with success? I hope so anyway! I’ve found that those registry entries governing the behaviour of Windows File Protection are not well documented. Basically, you need to have them all pointing at the same “general” location, some require the i386 and others assume it for you. Nothing like consistency, eh?

Reply | Quote

Sounds like you’ve met with success? I hope so anyway! I’ve found that those registry entries governing the behaviour of Windows File Protection are not well documented. Basically, you need to have them all pointing at the same “general” location, some require the i386 and others assume it for you. Nothing like consistency, eh?

Reply | Quote

Ladies and Gentlemen I think we have a solution!

Well, hmm, sort of. OK this is what I did:
After taking a backup of the two keys:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionSetup
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersion

I changed “D:” to “G:” and “D:I386” to “G:I386”. I did a reboot, at command prompt I ran sfc /scannow. The CD started to spin after some seconds, as before but no question for another CD, and ended with no problem after some minutes.

Event Viewer, System log, has two events:
Windows File Protection; File search started; 64016
Windows File Protection; File search ended; 64017

So, everything seems to be OK.
With this first reboot I also found before File search many events, all the same;
-Service Control Manager Start 7035
-Service Control Manager Stop 7036
-Service Control Manager 7023; The service Application Management can not find module

This seems to be several at same time between login time and Windows File Protection. I also found a log in system32wbemlogs; wbemess.log with corresponding time. Do not know what it is, well, after next reboot there was no such events. If this was the solution I don’t know, but on several places on the net there are info how you set up partitions/installing XP, changing drive letters, and I have not seen anyone mention this about Source path. When I installed XP I thought about it, but it seemed to work. The way I did:

When installing XP on C also set up some more partitions in XP install program. After XP was installed i did find C:=XP D:=DVD E:=CDRW F:=other part. etc. Since this was not the way I would like, and I know XP diskmanagement could be used after install to set up not previously partitioned area, I shortly after did a clean install and only did partition for a C drive of appr. size and left other unpart. Then proceded the install (format, copy etc) on that C: dirve. When install was finished, I used XP Diskmanagement to add extended partition and three more logical. After individual formats I changed the drive letters. Of course it came to mind that every setupfile etc. for XP would point to D:, but I then installed SP-1 from G:CD and went on.

Obviously it does matter, but no one mention changing D: to whatever, it was just a thought as in my previous post.

Regards,

Reply | Quote

Mark,
Regarding your link to 222473:
“The following registry key is the primary location for registry settings for Windows File Protection/System File Checker: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionWinlogon
In addition, Windows File Protection/System File Checker settings may also be located in the following registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwarePoliciesMicrosoftWindows NTWindows File Protection”

In my case I don’t have the last in Policies, but that’s OK, as mentioned.
I have some values “SFCDisable”, not disabled and “SFCquota” (size). I don’t have: “SFCDllCacheDir”, Path = local or network location of dllcache folder (default is %SystemRoot%System32), on the other hand there is a defult place to look for and that’s where my dllcache is so everything is fine.

However, the article is more about the File protection and how to change values for boot check and other, that’s good, but it mention very little about the different places for “Source Path” in registry so I don’t know what, I will do a search when I have more time. Thanks for your link. Have some work to do the next 3-5 hours.

In the end of the article they point to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionSetup and value “SourcePath”. As you can guess I have “D:” (it should be the root for I386).
In my post I mentioned HLMSOftwareMS Windows NT CurrentVersion, and as i said it was “D:I386”. In this case I think it’s also OK, given that other keyvalue was D:.

I guess if I am going to change anything, first would be the place mentioned in article; “D:” to “G:”. And the one in “…Windows NT…” would then be G:I386.

HLM…MicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionSetup also have those installation sources I recognize when looking for drivers. When installing a device you can choose floppy, folder etc. I find them OK in: “Installation Sources”.

I add a screen capture combined with my Sys.spec. so you can see that it is a XP Home Ed. Well, neither I have heard of any XP Pro Server, via Goggle I found it mentioend in some computer ads!?

There is also a related issue: If I have XP SP-1 installed and no slipstreamed CD, just original and service pack CD, I know that the service pack files are also cached on disk and that patches is also copied to dllcache; If SFC checks sytem32 etc. and then find that dllcache also has corrupt files, then the source of those corrupt file could be either original CD or SP-1 or a patch. Oh well, I guess it will work.

Regards,

Reply | Quote

That’s very intriguing, because there is no such thing as XP Pro Server. Can you get a screen capture of what it is showing and post it?

This is happening because the source path for Windows XP in the registry is showing a location that is no longer available. As John (Rebel) mentioned, you should check the registry’s entries for the source/installation path. Check article 222473 in the Knowledge Base for the registry keys you need to inspect.

Reply | Quote

Hans,
Thanks for a quick reply! The way I did it earlier today is as close. I know about Shift and AutoRun, I use it so often that I almost should change CD’s from running via Powetoys. Anyhow the CD was in the drive for minutes before I ran sfc, and I didn’t let the autorun kick in.

Just after I read your prompt reply I tested again, shift was down until it stopped spinning, tried sfc /scannow around 20 sec. and it asks for XP Pro Server.

I maybe also should mention that this is an OEM version, nothing special, no special BIOS, I did the install/have reinstalled, product activation myself etc.

Regards,

Reply | Quote

Try the following:
– Insert your Windows XP Home CD into the CD drive.
– Keep the left Shift key down until the drive light goes out again. (This is to bypass the AutoRun of the CD)
– Try sfc /scannow again.

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