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SUMMARY
This step-by-step article
describes how to extract
compressed files. Many
Microsoft product files are
compressed and stored in
cabinet (.cab) files; to use
a file in a .cab file, you
must first extract that
file. You may want to
extract a new copy of a file
if you have a missing or
damaged file. This article
shows you multiple methods
for doing so. Windows 95 and
Windows 98 are available on
CD-ROM or floppy disks, both
of which contain compressed
cabinet files. Windows
Millennium Edition
(Millennium Edition) is
available on CD-ROM; it
contains compressed cabinet
files and also installs
compressed cabinet files in
the
C:\Windows\Options\Install
folder. These cabinet files
contain the actual Windows
files. This article
describes how to extract
individual files from
compressed cabinet files.
Windows Millennium Edition
In
Windows
To extract files in Windows
Millennium Edition, use the
System Configuration Utility
tool. To do this, follow
these steps:
|
1. |
Click
Start, and
then click
Run. |
|
2. |
Type msconfig, and
then press ENTER. |
|
3. |
On the
General
tab, click
Extract File. |
|
4. |
In the
Specify the system
file you would like
to restore
box, type drive:\windows\path\file
(where drive
is the drive on
which the Windows
folder is installed,
generally drive C,
path is
the location in the
Windows folder is
the destination of
the file that you
are extracting, and
file is
the file that you
want to extract).
|
|
5. |
Click
Start,
click
Browse, and
then locate the
Windows installation
files. If you are
using an original
equipment
manufacturer (OEM)
version of Windows
Millennium Edition,
the installation
files are on the
hard disk at
C:\Windows\Options\Install
by default. If you
are using a retail
full version or
upgrade version, you
can also insert the
Windows Millennium
Edition installation
CD-ROM into the
CD-ROM drive or
DVD-ROM drive, and
then locate the
installation files.
The folder is named
"Win9x". For
example, if your
CD-ROM or DVD-ROM
drive is D:, the
folder is named
"D:\Win9x". For
Windows 98, the
folder is named
D:\Win98. |
|
6. |
Click
OK, and
then follow the
instructions on the
screen. |
Because Windows Millennium
Edition has a feature called
System File Protection,
extraction is different for
these files. For additional
information about how to
extract protected files in
Windows Me, click the
article number below to view
the article in the Microsoft
Knowledge Base:
265371 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/265371/EN-US/)
How to Extract and Replace a
Protected File in Windows Me
Cannot Start Windows
When you install Windows
Millennium Edition, you are
prompted to create a Windows
Millennium Edition startup
disk. A feature included in
the Windows Millennium
Edition startup disk is
support for CD-ROM drives.
This may be of benefit if
you have to extract a file
from the Windows Millennium
Edition CD-ROM but you
cannot use the System
Configuration Utility tool
(for example, if your
computer does not start
properly).
Note The Windows
Millennium Edition startup
disk provides support for
most types of CD-ROM drives,
including IDE and SCSI
CD-ROM drives, but it may
not support your particular
CD-ROM drive.
Create a Startup Disk
You must have a Windows
Millennium Edition startup
disk to perform the steps in
the following sections of
this article. If you do not
have one, you can create one
using any Windows Millennium
Edition-based computer to
which you have access. To
create a Windows Millennium
Edition startup disk, follow
these steps:
|
1. |
Click
Start,
point to
Settings,
and then click
Control Panel. |
|
2. |
Double-click
Add/Remove Programs. |
|
3. |
On the
Startup Disk
tab, click
Create Disk,
and then follow the
instructions on the
screen. |
Extract Files By Using
Startup Disk
To start your computer with
CD-ROM support, and then
extract files, follow these
steps:
|
1. |
Insert the Windows
Millennium Edition
startup disk into
drive A, and then
restart your
computer. |
|
2. |
When the Microsoft
Windows Millennium
Edition Startup menu
appears, click
Start computer with
CD-ROM support.
Note If you
purchased your
computer with
Windows Millennium
Edition installed,
the cabinet files
may be installed in
the
Windows\Options\Install
folder: If these
files are on your
computer, you do not
have to have CD-ROM
support at this
step, and you can
extract the files
that you must have
from the
Windows\Options\Install
folder. Click
Start computer
without CD-ROM
support,
and then continue to
step 4 without using
step 3. |
|
3. |
Insert the Windows
Millennium Edition
CD-ROM into the
CD-ROM drive. |
|
4. |
At the command
prompt, type ext,
press ENTER, and
then follow the
instructions on the
screen. |
Windows 98 and Windows 98
Second Edition
In Windows
To extract files in Windows
98 or Windows 98 Second
Edition, use the System File
Checker tool. To do this,
follow these steps:
|
1. |
Click
Start, and
then click
Run. |
|
2. |
Type sfc, and then
press ENTER. |
|
3. |
Click
Extract one file
from installation
disk. |
|
4. |
In the
Specify the system
file you would like
to restore
box, type drive:\windows\path\file
(where drive
is the drive where
the Windows folder
is installed,
generally drive C,
path is
the destination of
the file that you
are extracting, and
file is
the file that you
want to extract).
|
|
5. |
Click
Start,
click
Browse next
to the
Restore from
box, and then locate
the Windows
installation files.
By default, in the
OEM version of
Windows 98 and
Windows 98 Second
Edition the
installation files
are on the hard disk
in the C:\Cabs
folder. With a
retail full version
or upgrade version,
you can also insert
the Windows
installation CD-ROM
into the CD-ROM
drive or DVD-ROM
drive, and then
locate the Windows
installation files.
The folder is named
"Win9x". For
example, if your
CD-ROM or DVD-ROM
drive is D:, the
folder is named
"D:\Win9x". For
Windows 98, the
folder is named
D:\Win98. |
|
6. |
Click
OK, and
then follow the
instructions on the
screen. |
Cannot
Start Windows
When you install Windows 98,
you are prompted to create a
Windows 98 startup disk. A
feature included in the
Windows 98 startup disk is
support for CD-ROM drives.
This may be of benefit if
you have to extract a file
from the Windows 98 CD-ROM
but you cannot use System
File Checker tool (for
example, if your computer
does not start properly).
Note The Windows 98
startup disk provides
support for most types of
CD-ROM drives, including IDE
and SCSI CD-ROM drives, but
it may not support your
particular CD-ROM drive.
Create a Startup Disk
You must have a Windows 98
startup disk to perform the
steps in the following
sections of this article. If
you do not have one, you can
create one by using any
Windows 98-based computer
where you have access. To
create a Windows 98 startup
disk, follow these steps:
|
1. |
Click
Start,
point to
Settings,
and then click
Control Panel. |
|
2. |
Double-click
Add/Remove Programs. |
|
3. |
On the
Startup Disk
tab, click
Create Disk,
and then follow the
instructions on the
screen. |
Note If you do not
have a startup disk or
access to a Windows 98-based
computer, you may be able to
create a startup disk from
the MS-DOS prompt on your
computer. For additional
information about how to
create a startup disk in
MS-DOS for Windows 98, click
the article number below to
view the article in the
Microsoft Knowledge Base:
186300 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/186300/EN-US/)
How to Create a Windows 98
Startup Disk from MS-DOS for
Windows 98
Extract Files by Using
Startup Disk
To start your computer with
CD-ROM support and then
extract files, follow these
steps:
|
1. |
Insert the Windows
98 startup disk into
drive A, and then
restart your
computer. |
|
2. |
When the Microsoft
Windows 98 Startup
menu appears, choose
Start computer with
CD-ROM support.
Note If you
purchased your
computer with
Windows 98
installed, the
cabinet files may be
installed in the
C:\Cabs folder. If
these files are on
your computer, you
do not have to have
CD-ROM support at
this step, and you
can extract the
files that you must
have from the folder
on the hard disk. To
do so, click
Start computer
without CD-ROM
support,
and then continue to
step 4 without using
step 3. |
|
3. |
Insert the Windows
98 CD-ROM into the
CD-ROM drive. |
|
4. |
Type ext at the
command prompt,
press ENTER, and
then follow the
instructions on the
screen. |
Windows 95
To extract files in Windows
95, use the extract
command. To do this, follow
these steps.
In Windows
|
1. |
Click
Start,
point to
Find, and
then click
Files or Folders. |
|
2. |
In the
Look in
box, click
Drive C,
and then click to
select the
Include subfolders
check box. |
|
3. |
In the
Named box,
type .cab to search
for cabinet files. |
|
4. |
Click
Find Now.
If the cabinet files
do not exist on the
hard disk, insert
the Windows
installation CD-ROM,
and then repeat the
search on the CD-ROM
drive. |
|
5. |
When you find the
cabinet files, note
the location of the
file (for example,
C:\Cabs). This is
your source path. |
|
6. |
In the
Named box,
type extract.exe to
search for the
extract command
program. |
|
7. |
Click
Find Now.
If the extract
command does not
exist on the hard
disk, copy the
Extract.exe file
from disk 1 or the
Windows 95 CD-ROM to
the root folder of
drive C. To do so,
type the following
command at the
MS-DOS prompt:
copy
cd_drive:\extract.exe
hard_disk:\
where cd_drive
is the drive that
contains the Windows
95 CD-ROM or disk
and hard_disk
is your hard disk.
For example:
|
|
8. |
Click
Start, and
then click
Run. |
|
9. |
Generally, the
extract command
has the following
form:
extract
source path\
file
/L
c:\windows\command
For example, if the
source path is
C:\Cabs, the extract
command is
extract
drive:\cabs\file
/L drive:\windows\path
where drive
is the drive on
which Windows is
installed (typically
drive C), path
is the destination
folder for the
extracted file, and
file is
the file that you
want to extract.
Type the following
command, and make
the appropriate
substitutions as
previously noted:
extract
source path\
file
/L
c:\windows\command
|
|
10. |
Click
OK. |
Access Denied Error
The Extract tool has only a
command-line interface. That
is, there is no graphical
user interface (GUI).
Because Windows does not
permit you to delete or
overwrite a file that is in
use, you may have to restart
your computer in Command
Prompt Only mode before you
can use the Extract tool. If
you receive an "access
denied" error message when
you try to delete a file
before you use the Extract
tool, or when you use the
Extract tool to overwrite an
existing file, restart your
computer in Command Prompt
Only mode and then use the
Extract tool. To do this,
follow these steps:
|
1. |
Click
Start, and
then click
Shut Down.
|
|
2. |
Click
Restart,
and then click
OK. |
|
3. |
When you receive the
"Starting Windows
95" message, press
the F8 key, and then
click
Command Prompt Only.
|
Note If you are
extracting Windows files
from a CD-ROM, make sure
that you can change
directories to your CD-ROM
drive from the command
prompt. For example, type
the following commands,
pressing ENTER after each
line:
cd drive:
dir
where drive is
the drive letter of your
CD-ROM drive.
If you receive an "invalid
drive specification" error
message, you may not have
real-mode CD-ROM support.
For additional information
about real-mode CD-ROM
support, click the article
number below to view the
article in the Microsoft
Knowledge Base:
135174 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/135174/EN-US/)
Cannot Access CD-ROM Drive
from MS-DOS Mode or Command
Prompt
Cannot
Start Windows
When you install Windows 95,
you are prompted to create a
Windows 95 startup disk. A
feature included in the
Windows 95 startup disk is
support for CD-ROM drives.
This may help if you must
extract a file from the
Windows 95 CD-ROM, but you
cannot use the previous
steps (for example, if your
computer does not start
properly).
Note The Windows 95
startup disk provides
support for most types of
CD-ROM drives, including IDE
and SCSI CD-ROM drives, but
it may not support your
particular CD-ROM drive.
Create a Startup Disk
You must have a Windows 95
startup disk to perform the
steps in the following
sections of this article. If
you do not have one, you can
create one by using any
Windows 95-based computer
where you have access. To
create a Windows 95 startup
disk, follow these steps:
|
1. |
Click
Start,
point to
Settings,
and then click
Control Panel. |
|
2. |
Double-click
Add/Remove Programs. |
|
3. |
On the
Startup Disk
tab, click
Create Disk,
and then follow the
instructions on the
screen. |
Note If you do not
have a startup disk or
access to a Windows 95-based
computer, you may be able to
create a startup disk from
the MS-DOS prompt on your
computer. For additional
information about how to
create a startup disk in
MS-DOS for Windows 95, click
the article number below to
view the article in the
Microsoft Knowledge Base:
284943 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/284943/EN-US/)
How to Create a Windows 95
Startup Disk in MS-DOS
Extract Files by Using
Startup Disk
To start your computer with
CD-ROM support and then
extract files, follow these
steps:
|
1. |
Insert the Windows
95 startup disk into
drive A, and then
restart your
computer. |
|
2. |
When the Microsoft
Windows 95 Startup
menu appears, choose
Start computer with
CD-ROM support.
Note If you
purchased your
computer with
Windows 95
installed, the
cabinet files may be
installed in the
C:\cabs folder. If
these files are on
your computer, you
do not have to have
CD-ROM support at
this step, and you
can extract the
files that you must
have from the folder
on the hard disk. To
do so, click
Start computer
without CD-ROM
support,
and then continue to
step 4 without using
step 3. |
|
3. |
Insert the Windows
95 CD-ROM into the
CD-ROM drive. |
|
4. |
Generally, the
extract command
has the following
form:
extract
source path\
file
/L
c:\windows\command
For example, if the
source path is
C:\Cabs, the extract
command is
a:\extract
drive:\cabs\file
/L
drive:\windows\path
where drive
is the drive on
which Windows is
installed (typically
drive C), path
is the destination
folder for the
extracted file, and
file is
the file you want to
extract.
Type the following
command at the
command prompt,
making the
appropriate
substitutions as
previously noted,
and then press
ENTER:
a:\extract
source path\
file /L
c:\windows\command
|
APPLIES TO
|
• |
Microsoft Windows
Millennium Edition |
|
• |
Microsoft Windows 98
Second Edition |
|
• |
Microsoft Windows 98
Standard Edition |
|
• |
Microsoft Windows 95 |
|
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