CAB files?

Tom

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Mar 23, 2005, 10:03:54 AM3/23/05

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I have GBs of .cab files on my hard drive.

What are these files?
Can I delete?

Jack E Martinelli

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Mar 23, 2005, 10:18:12 AM3/23/05

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Please do not do anything until you have read this, and asked MVP Mike
Maltby a few questions:

See MS KB Q267951 -
"Description of the System Restore Utility in Windows Millennium Edition"
(http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q267/9/51.ASP)

Although a _restore folder appears on each visible fixed drive all SR and
SFP files are stored on the boot partition with the _restore folders on
other partitions containing a single file srdiskid.dat containing a single
ascii character being that of the partition. Therefore SR monitored files
on a partition other than the boot partition involves the files being moved
to the _restore\temp folder on the boot partition.

System Restore is disabled/enabled via System | Performance | File System |
Troubleshooting and checking/unchecking the "Disable System Restore" box.
It is essential to always reboot immediately after checking or unchecking
this box. The space allocated for use by the _restore folder on the boot
partition is controlled by the slider found at System | Performance | File
System | Hard Disk with a minimum of 200MB and a maximum of 400MB on
partitions < 4GB or 12% of the partition if larger. SR and SFP both require
the entry *StateMgr to be checked in MSConfig | Startup but is not dependent
upon pchschd.exe running (PCHealth entry in MSConfig | Startup and also in
the Task Scheduler). Disabling StateMgr or stopping stmgr.exe from running
prevents SR or SFP from functioning. SR cannot be enabled unless there is a
minimum of 200MB of free space on the boot partition.

SR monitors all changes to files with any of the 570 extensions contained in
the file FileList.xml. There are certain areas excluded from SR's embrace
including the My Documents folder (and any sub-folder) together with any
root folders on any partition with names "TMP", "TEMP" or "Documents and
Settings". A copy of any amended or deleted file with a monitored extension
is renamed, usually to A*.cpy, and initially archived in the _restore\temp
folder. Periodically SR does some housekeeping and cabs the files into
FS*.cab files and moves them to the _restore\archive folder. When a restore
point is created a corresponding RG*.cab file is created containing a copy
of the registry and a few other files and stored in _restore\archive.

SR's housekeeping attempts to keep the size of the _restore folder within
the maximum space allocated and does this by discarding older restore points
and any associated FS*.cabs on a fifo basis until the size of the folder is
reduced to less than around 70% of the allocated space. This can result in
the loss of all points if the space required for a single point is too
large. Such housekeeping normally commences when the size of the folder
exceeds 85% of the allocated space.

I hope this is of some help.
--
Mike Maltby MVP
------
To reset System Restore:
System | Performance | File System | Troubleshooting and check "Disable
System Restore", Apply and IMMEDIATELY reboot. This will flush your restore
folder and erase all checkpoints, then,
System | Performance | File System | Troubleshooting and uncheck "Disable
System Restore", Apply and again IMMEDIATELY reboot. This should now
automatically create a new checkpoint immediately following the restart.
Finally adjust the space allocated to the restore folder,
System | Performance | File System | Hard Disk and adjust the restore slider
to your preferred setting.
--
Mike Maltby MS MVP
-----

--
Jack E. Martinelli 2002-05 MS MVP for Shell/User / DTS
Help us help you: http://www.dts-L.org/goodpost.htm

http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/default.aspx
In Memorium: Alex Nichol
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/meetexperts/nichol.mspx
Your cooperation is very appreciated.
------
"Tom" <teb...@epix.net> wrote in message
news:%23yIoLm7...@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...

Mike M

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Mar 23, 2005, 10:25:16 AM3/23/05

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Where are these files located?
--
Mike Maltby MS-MVP
mike....@gmail.com

Tom

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Mar 24, 2005, 6:47:44 AM3/24/05

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Many are in the Restore folder but I also have lots scattered throughout the
Windows and Programs folders.

"Mike M" <No_Spam@Corned_Beef.Only> wrote in message
news:O9yqHy7L...@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...

Mike M

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Mar 24, 2005, 7:17:35 AM3/24/05

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You should normally find a complete set of Win Me cab files (for example
BASE2.CAB, DRIVER5.CAB, WIN_10.CAB etc, about 25 in total amounting to
approx 140MB) in either Windows\Options\Install or Windows\Options\Cabs
although these cab files may be located in a different folder/location.
These should be retained and if you only have a recovery CD rather than a
"full" Win Me CD the entire folder containing the CAB files burned to CD
for safety.

C:\SYSBCKUP
You should normally expect to find 5 RB00?.CAB files in this location
which are backup copies of your registry. These should be retained. If
you have a cab file in this folder with a name something like RB*BAD.CAB
this can be safely deleted.

CAB files located other than above or in _RESTORE\ARCHIVE. I would expect
to see few such files. A clean Win Me install has just 4 CAB files
(EBD.CAB, PSS.CAB, RUNHELP.CAB & MSN50.CAB) but some applications may also
use this file extension.

System Restore archive. (C:\_RESTORE\ARCHIVE)
Cab files in this location comprise system restore checkpoints (RG*.CAB
files) and archived files needed when restoring (FS*.CAB files).

The _RESTORE folders shouldn't occupy more than 12% of your C: drive or
400MB if the drive is <4GB. If more than that it would appear that System
Restore (SR) is not discarding (FIFOing) older data correctly, possibly
because at some time the system was not immediately rebooted following a
state change (switching SR either off or on).

So, my first suggestion is to reset System Restore:

To reset System Restore:
System | Performance | File System | Troubleshooting and check "Disable
System Restore", Apply and IMMEDIATELY reboot. This will flush you

restore folder and erase all checkpoints, then,
System | Performance | File System | Troubleshooting and uncheck "Disable
System Restore", Apply and again IMMEDIATELY reboot. This should now
automatically create a new checkpoint immediately following the restart.

Finally adjust the space allocated to the restore folder as explained
earlier.

If this doesn't clear down the _restore archive (and it doesn't always
when users have experienced similar problems) the next suggestion is to
boot to DOS using a floppy and delete the entire _RESTORE folder structure
from there:
a) Boot to DOS using a floppy. Do NOT choose "Minimal Boot" from the menu
when booting from a floppy but rather choose "Start computer with (or
without) CD-ROM support" otherwise the ATTRIB command will not be
available.
b) At the DOS A:\> prompt, type:

ATTRIB -H -S -R C:\_RESTORE
REN C:\_RESTORE OLDREST

c) Remove the floppy
d) Reboot your PC
e) Delete the folder C:\OLDREST
f) Check that an automatic system restore checkpoint was created.
g) Finally adjust the space allocated to the restore folder:

Finally you may want to give system restore the once over by carrying out
the following quick test.
a) Create a shortcut on your desktop to a file.
b) Create a manual checkpoint
c) Delete the shortcut
d) Restore you PC to the checkpoint you created.
Was the shortcut restored? Did you see any error messages?

Jack E Martinelli

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Mar 24, 2005, 8:24:19 AM3/24/05

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Tom, now do you understand better why I asked you not to do anything until
you had heard from Mike Maltby re: System Restore CAB files?
<VBG>

--
Jack E. Martinelli 2002-05 MS MVP for Shell/User / DTS
Help us help you: http://www.dts-L.org/goodpost.htm