ServicePackFiles Missing?

Hello-
I am using Windows XP Professional SP3. The OS was installed with a Windows XP Pro SP2 disk with SP3 slipstreamed into it. Device Manager even states that SP3 is present.
My question is, where the heck are my 'ServicePackFiles'?... I can't find them anywhere in 'C:\WINDOWS' directory.
What brought all this up was when attempting to run 'SFC /SCANNOW', I am told to insert the Windows CD. After checking the proper Source Path in the Registry, I noticed that the Data Value was set to 'E:\' (Optical Drive), as is the ServicePackSourcePath. Looking at the ServicePackCachePath, it appears to be located in 'C:\WINDOWS\ServicePackFiles\ServicePackCache' (Nonexistent).
I changed the Source Path value from 'E:\' to 'C:\aac7a8c9aff2d113dc05e0\i386'

Could someone please advise and/or help me out here? :confused

PLEASE SEE ATTACHMENT

Greatly appreciated!

tim

 

Your Service Pack files are there, just not where you're expecting them (see attached). The cache folder is a temporary folder which is deleted when the Windows installation is doing it's cleanup. It doesn't exist on my computer either and I'm running XP Pro SP3 as well. I would go back into regedit and change the registry value YOU changed back to it's original value.

 

In other words, change the Source Path back to 'E:\'?... That is the Optical Drive where the OS was installed at. I am just trying to avoid having to insert the Windows CD every time I want to run 'SFC /SCANNOW'. If I am being asked to 'insert Windows CD', it makes me think there is something wrong with the System Files. If I run 'SFC /SCANNOW' with the Windows CD, let it run, restart, and run 'SFC /SCANNOW' again, it once again wants me to insert Windows CD.
This just doesn't seem right.

 

Maybe this will clarify concerning sfc /scannow...

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/t/43051/how-to-use-sfcexe-to-repair-system-files/

 

Sfc /scannow will only try to replace protected system files if they are corrupt or damaged but, it needs the CD in order to be able to do that because the files on the CD ARE in their original form. If none of the files needs to be replaced, they won't be.

But, you'll have to insert the CD every time you run sfc /scannow whether it's for XP, Vista or 7.

 

Only if there is damage or corruption to the files. Please see the links as provided by 'AtlBo'. That's what I was trying to explain- There is something wrong with my system beyond this, as I can run SFC /SCANNOW concurrently and it keeps asking for the disk, thus indicating an issue with the System Files. What, I haven't a clue.
I think I'll replace the HDD, as the access time doesn't look too good in HD Tune, and just do a clean install. Hell, maybe I'll just shelve this XP Pro and install my 7 Ultimate. Not sure if this CPU can deal with x64, though.

 

Download and run the Windows 7 Upgrade Adviser. It will tell you if your computer, peripherals and software are compatible and offer suggestions for what you need to do to make the computer Windows 7 ready.

 

OK, thanks for the advice. We'll try that.

 

I've also got to ask if by any chance you're using nVidia graphics on your computer. I've got an nVidia Quadro FX Go 1400 card in my computer and had installed the driver for it.

When I ran sfc /scannow, it asked for my Windows installation CD, went about it's "business" and reverted the graphics to Windows native VGA — I had to re-install the nVidia driver, but that was the only thing affected.

 

No, not any more. At one time I was using nVidia graphics, but the VC went bad. I use the native Windows integrated graphics, as I really don't do any form of gaming, etc. And yes, I cleaned all traces of nVidia out of the system.