How to Extract Original Compressed Windows Files

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The information in this article applies to:

• Microsoft Windows 95
• Microsoft Windows 98

SUMMARY

Windows 95 is available on CD-ROM or floppy disks, both of which contain compressed cabinet files. Windows 98 is available on CD-ROM, and it also contains compressed cabinet files. These cabinet files contain the actual Windows files. Because this method of compression differs from that used with versions of Windows before Windows 95, there is a tool (Extract.exe) to decompress individual Windows files.

You can use the Extract tool to decompress Windows files from the original media. This article describes how to use the Extract tool and contains the following sections that apply to both Windows 95 and Windows 98:

• Location of Cabinet Files
• Extracting Windows Files from an Unknown Cabinet File
• Finding Windows Files
• Extracting Windows Files from a Known Cabinet File
• Listing the Contents of Cabinet Files
• Copying Cabinet Files to a Hard Disk
• Other Optional Switches

• System File Checker Tool
• Using a Windows 98 Startup Disk to Access a CD-ROM and Extract Files

MORE INFORMATION

To use the Extract tool, first copy the Extract.exe file from disk 1 to the root folder of drive C if you are using Windows 95. Note that you can skip this step if you are using Windows 98 and you have already created a Windows 98 Startup disk. To create a Windows 98 Startup disk, see the "Using a Windows 98 Startup Disk to Access a CD-ROM and Extract Files" section of this article. To copy the Extract.exe file from disk 1 to the root folder of drive C, type the following command at the MS-DOS prompt

   copy <sdrive>:\extract.exe <hdrive>:\

For example:

   copy a:\extract.exe c:\

1. Click Start, and then click Shut Down.

2. Click Restart or Restart The Computer, and then click OK or Yes.

3. If you are using Windows 95, when you see the "Starting Windows 95" message, press the F8 key, and then choose Command Prompt Only. If you are using Windows 98, when you restart your computer, press and hold the CTRL key until you see the Windows 98 Startup menu, and then choose Command Prompt Only.

Location of Cabinet Files

From a CD-ROM:

If you are extracting Windows files from a CD-ROM, all of the cabinet files are located in the Win95 or Win98 folder. For example, if you want to extract a Windows 95 file from the Win95_02.cab file, and the CD-ROM drive is drive D, use the following <cabinet> parameter for the EXTRACT command:

   d:\win95\win95_02.cab

If you are extracting Windows 95 files from disks, use the following table to determine which disk contains the cabinet file you want:

   Cabinet File    Disk
   -----------------------
   Mini.cab        Disk 1
   Precopy1.cab    Disk 1
   Precopy2.cab    Disk 2
   Win95_nn.cab    Disk nn

   a:\win95_10.cab

Extracting Windows Files from an Unknown Cabinet File

Extracting a Single File:

If you do not know which cabinet file contains the Windows file you want to extract, use the following command to search all the cabinet files in sequential order and then extract the file once it is found:

   extract /a <cabinet> <filename> /l <destination>

   extract /a a:\win95_02.cab unidrv.dll /l c:\windows\system

NOTE: In Windows 98, you should use the Base4.cab file in command lines with the /a parameter.

If the Extract tool cannot find the specified Windows 95 file in any of the cabinet files, the file may be located in the Mini.cab, Precopy1.cab, or Precopy2.cab cabinet file. Use the following two commands to search these cabinet files:

• extract /a a:\precopy1.cab <filename> /l <destination>
• extract a:\mini.cab <filename> /l <destination>

Extracting Multiple Files:

To extract multiple files, use the same syntax as above, but use a wildcard designation for the <filename> parameter. For example, to extract all the Windows 95 files with a .txt extension from disks in drive A to the Windows folder on drive C, use the following command:

   extract /a a:\win95_02.cab *.txt /l c:\windows

Finding Windows Files

Finding a Single File:

You can use the Extract tool to determine which cabinet file contains a particular Windows file. When you use this syntax, the Extract tool searches the cabinet files but does not extract the file once it is found:

   extract /a /d <cabinet> <filename>

   extract /a /d a:\win95_02.cab unidrv.dll

To find multiple files, use the same syntax as above, but use a wildcard designation for the <filename> parameter. For example, to find all the Windows 95 files with a .txt extension using disks in the A drive, use the following command:

   extract /a /d a:\win95_02.cab *.txt

Extracting Windows Files from a Known Cabinet File

Extracting a Single File:

If you know which cabinet file contains the file you want to extract, use the following syntax to extract the file:

   extract <cabinet> <filename> /l <destination>

   extract a:\win95_10.cab unidrv.dll /l c:\windows\system

To extract multiple files from a cabinet file, use the same syntax as above, but use a wildcard designation for the <filename> parameter. For example, to extract all the Windows 95 files that have a .txt extension from the Win95_06.cab file on a disk in drive A to the Windows folder on drive C, use the following command:

   extract a:\win95_06.cab *.txt /l c:\windows\system

Listing the Contents of Cabinet Files

You can use the Extract tool to list the contents of cabinet files without actually extracting any files. To display the contents of a cabinet file, use the following syntax:

   extract /d <cabinet>

   extract /a /d <cabinet>

   extract /a /d a:\win95_02.cab

Copying Cabinet Files to a Hard Disk

Although you cannot make copies of the original Windows 95 floppy disks using the utilities that are included with Windows 95, you can use the Extract tool to copy cabinet files from a CD-ROM or floppy disk to your hard disk. To do so, use the following syntax:

   extract /c <cabinet> <destination>

   extract /c a:\win95_02.cab c:\windows

Other Optional Switches

• Use the /y switch to cause the Extract tool to not prompt you before overwriting an existing file. If you use this switch when you are extracting a file, any file in the destination folder with the same name as the file you are extracting is automatically overwritten.

  For example, to extract the Unidrv.dll file from the Win95_02.cab file on a disk in drive A to the Windows\System folder on drive C and automatically overwrite any existing Unidrv.dll file that is already there, use the following command:

        extract /y /a a:\win95_02.cab unidrv.dll /l c:\windows\system
  

• Use the /e switch in place of the "*.*" wildcard designation when you are extracting or finding multiple files. For example, to extract all the files from the Win95_06.cab file on a disk in drive A to the Windows folder on drive C, use either of the following commands:

      - extract /e a:\win95_06.cab /l c:\windows
  

      - extract a:\win95_06.cab *.* /l c:\windows
  

System File Checker Tool

Windows 98 includes a System File Checker tool. You can use this tool to verify the integrity of your operating system files, to restore them if they are damaged, or to extract compressed files from the Windows 98 CD-ROM. To use System File Checker to extract a compressed file from the Windows 98 CD-ROM, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click System Information.

2. On the Tools menu, click System File Checker.

3. Click "Extract one file from installation disk," type the name of the file you want to extract in the "Specify the system file you would like to restore" box, and then click Start.

4. In the Restore From box, type the path to the Win98 folder on the Windows 98 CD-ROM, type the destination folder in the Save File In box if necessary, and then click OK.

5. Click OK, click OK, and then click Yes when you are prompted to restart your computer.

Using a Windows 98 Startup Disk to Access a CD-ROM and Extract Files

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 need to extract a file from the Windows 98 CD-ROM but you are unable to use System File Checker (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.

A Windows 98 Startup disk is required to perform the steps in the following sections of this article. If you do not have one, you can create one using any Windows 98-based computer to which you have access. To create a Windows 98 Startup disk, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double- click Add/Remove Programs.

2. Click the Startup Disk tab, click Create Disk, and then follow the instructions on the screen.

To start your computer with CD-ROM support and then extract files, use the following steps:

1. Insert the Windows 98 Startup disk in drive A, and then restart your computer.

2. When the Microsoft Windows 98 Startup menu appears, choose Start Computer With CD-ROM Support.

3. Insert the Windows 98 CD-ROM in the CD-ROM drive.

4. To extract files at the command prompt, you can use the information provided earlier in this article, or you can use the Extract Command Line Helper tool. To use Extract Command Line Helper, type "ext" (without quotation marks) at the command prompt, and then follow the instructions on the screen.