Recover a corrupted system file

Sometimes an essential Windows file "disappears". This can happen as the result of virus activity or some other form of corruption. To fix the problem you need to reach for your Windows CD. Search the CD for the filename, replacing the last character of the name with an underscore (SHIFT + - ), found next to the 0) key on the main keyboard. For example, NOTEPAD.EX_. If it's found, open a command prompt and enter the command EXPAND, followed by the full pathname of the file and of the desired destination: EXPAND D:\SETUP\NOTEPAD.EX_ C:\Windows\NOTEPAD.EXE. If either pathname contains any spaces, surround it with double quotes.

If the file isn't found, repeat the search using the filename without the underscore. It will probably being in a CAB file. These are compressed files that contain all the files needed for a complete install of Windows. Windows XP and ME treat these as folders and allow you to search them and remove files by dragging and dropping. In other Windows platforms, search for a file matching *.cab that contains the filename. When the search is done, open a command prompt and enter EXTRACT /L followed by the desired location, the full pathname of the CAB file, and the desired filename; for example: EXTRACT /L C:\Windows D:\I386\Driver.cab Notepad.exe. Again, if the destination or CAB file pathname contains spaces, surround it with double quotes.

Alternatively, you may be able to examine the contents of your CAB files and extract the file you want using your archive software (Powerdesk, WinZip etc.).