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View Full Version : System File Protection/Hotfixes/Updates impacted?


Chad Harris
August 12th 03, 06:11 AM
I was recently denounced for having recommended running "sfc /scannow" as
early move to help fix corrupt IE/XP files because it was said it would
replace all hotfixes (strip the updates for Win XP and IE) since the launch
as if it were out of the box. I reread every KB and every technet/msdn and
XP book on this, and I see no mention--I do see ambiguous language that
translates possibly that if a given hotfix/patch had a damaged file it might
replace *it.*

I often recommend it and I have run it many times on my machines and others
and I have every hotfix since the launch for IE and XP with the exception of
one I intentionally uninstalled. They are all in the appropriate registry
keys intact.

Is it not true that Windows File Protection/System File Protection does not
uninstall or delete Hotfixes and Patches. I have run it over 100 times in
different XP machines and have never seen it do this.

The language in the KB's that is confusing someone I think goes like this:
*Replacement of protected system files is supported only through the
following mechanisms:
a.. Hotfixes installed using Hotfix.exe or Update.exe
a.. Windows Service Pack installation using Update.exe

I doubt if my running it this many times is the exception. I have never
seen a book on XP or an article on the web anywhere warn that it will
uninstall all hotfixes, updates and patches including *Ed Bott's XP Inside
Out*, the O'Reilly books, the Sybex, and Que books are anything over an inch
and a half thick on XP.


Would appreciate anyone who knows Windows File Protection well in XP helping
out with this and the somewhat ambiguous statement above.

Thanks,

Chad Harris

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