SFC Fix v1.0

[wamatt]

Ever wanted a %Program Files% directory to look like this without disabling SFC?

C:\>Dir Progs
 Volume in drive C has no label.
 Volume Serial Number is 2CCF-A2CE

 Directory of C:\Progs

24/06/2004  12:58 PM    <DIR>          .
24/06/2004  12:58 PM    <DIR>          ..
24/06/2004  12:44 PM    <DIR>          Common
24/06/2004  12:44 PM    <DIR>          Dev
24/06/2004  12:44 PM    <DIR>          Media
24/06/2004  12:44 PM    <DIR>          Net
24/06/2004  12:44 PM    <DIR>          Office
24/06/2004  12:58 PM    <DIR>          Other
24/06/2004  12:44 PM    <DIR>          Utils
               0 File(s)              0 bytes
               9 Dir(s)  24,742,055,936 bytes free

This fix allows you to permanently delete MSN Gaming Zone, Xerox folder etc.

Just added a comment to the readme to ignore the warning on install.

sfcfix.rar

[johann83]

Just curious which folders this removes from SFC? Is it only things in %ProgramFiles% or are there others? Do you have a list?

I know you are doing this as a (free) service to others, but I think it would be nice to allow the user to select which items to be removed from SFC. I'm not entirely sure how you did this, so I don't know if that could be done easily, but maybe you could extract the list of protected files from the DLL and then allow the user to specify which ones to disable via an INI (or similar). Just a thought...

Regards,

Matt

[wamatt]

Yes it removes protection for anything in %ProgramFiles%.

EXCEPT it still protects %CommonFiles% which is by default located in %ProgramFiles% unless you change it.

If you want to disable SFC just temporarily for certain files, I would recommend WfpAdmin, http://www.collakesoftware.com/index.asp#wfpadmin

[johann83]

If you want to disable SFC just temporarily for certain files

I was thinking more along the lines of if someone wanted to disable SFC for other files, besides those in %ProgramFiles%. Such as uxtheme.dll perhaps... It would make it tremendously more user friendly to allow some sort of user control over what files are removed from protection. I am by no means saying that what you did is no good, I was just trying to make a suggestion.

Regards,

Matt

[wamatt]

Yeah that would be cool, if you brave, just open it up in a hexeditor and ZERO out the offending filenames.

For some reason they are duplicated lots of times.

[Denney]

This intreges (spelling?) me... so all you did just just zero out the files that you wanted to unprotect?

I could swear the actual files protected were contained in the .cat files... hmm... gosh, any input on this?

I'll have to have a close look at this.

[johann83]

This intreges (spelling?) me

I believe the correct spelling is "intrigues"

At any rate, if you hex edit the sfcfiles.dll file you will find a lengthy list of file names as wamatt says. However, it doesn't seem to me like this list is long enough to contain all the files that are protected by SFC, and one would think that there should be an easier way for MS to add something to SFC protection (besides updating the DLL, obviously). I'd be interested to hear anyone else's thoughts on the matter...

Matt

[gosh]

it's already been discussed. If you add a catalog you add those files to SFC. Remember, each system will have different files on the system. SFC has to respect the files in place, otherwise it would extract files that aren't needed. For example, if you uninstall IIS if SFC didn't respect this then it would extract IIS protected files, exposing your computer for a security risk. SFC only protects the files that are currently on the system.

-gosh

[wamatt]

This is the only file sfc uses for protections AFAIK.

RaveRod, yeah the files are contained in the .cats, however sfcfiles.dll just store a list of fileNAMES to protect.

They made it a dll so that its spawned as a process, so they are locked. Try deleting a protected file and it will say its "in use" or something.

[wamatt]

Gosh - are you saying it dynamically builds the DLL at install time? If that is the case then people will have different DLL sizes.

The one on my XP SP1 default install is: 1,157,632 bytes

[kolath]

I tried adding the SFCFILES.DLL to my unattended SP2 CD (after changing it to .DL_) but I get an error during installation that says it is not a valid system file and must be skipped. Any idea why I might get this error?

[SiMoNsAyS]

I tried adding the SFCFILES.DLL to my unattended SP2 CD (after changing it to .DL_) but I get an error during installation that says it is not a valid system file and must be skipped.  Any idea why I might get this error?

you have to CAB-compress your file. search for a tool on the xpcd called makecab.exe (to make cabs) and expand.exe (to extract them).

[bucketbuster]

I tried adding the SFCFILES.DLL to my unattended SP2 CD (after changing it to .DL_) but I get an error during installation that says it is not a valid system file and must be skipped.  Any idea why I might get this error?

you have to CAB-compress your file. search for a tool on the xpcd called makecab.exe (to make cabs) and expand.exe (to extract them).

So this works for SP1 AND SP2?

[jcarle]

There's a few things I don't understand.

First of all, what in the world DOES windows XP do with the following folders:

microsoft frontpage,

xerox

Second, I used the hacked SFC_OS.DLL in the hacked files post on this board and I STILL can't delete either of those above folder (or any other protected folders either).

Third, what's the difference between this method and disabling windows file protection?

[Alanoll]

This removes those folders protections, where as the hacked file prevents SFC from replacing the new file with the original. It takes BOTH to completely disable it. But by editing sfcfiles.dll you essentially remove the files from the SFC protection list.

Xerox, good question

Microsoft Frontpage, I believe Outlook Express or something uses it. I could be wrong (most likely too on this)