PCA Forums

My wife has been getting a message on XP Home for some time now. It often happens after she opens or closes an app or reboots or mult-tasks.

"Files that are required for Windows to run properly have been replaced by unrecognized versions. To maintain system stability, Windows must restore the original versions of these files. Insert you Windows XP Home Edition CD-ROM now." The options are retry, more info, cancel. NOTHING Happens if she chooses retry and inserts disc or cancel. More Info: Windows File Protection. Possible reasons for this problem
- You have inserted the wrong CD (i.e. a different Windows product CD than the version installed. (NOPE! IN FACT, SHE TRIED 2 DIFFERENT XP HOME DISKS WITH THE SAME RESULT).
- The CD-ROM drive in your system is not functioning. (SHE'S TRIED BOTH CD and CRRW DRIVE).

"If you choose not to restore the original versions of the files this may affect stability. Are you sure you want to keep the unrecognized versions?"

I know that a fresh install will work, but she's got a lot of data and installed programs and that's not a great option. She DOES have a ghost drive (NOETON GHOST) that has about 3/4 of the programs and the data and was last written to BEFORE the errors started appearing. Switching to that is a less-terrible option, but still not great. If we did that I'd need some help.

Any suggestions on how to fix this would be a big help. Thanks.

First thing I would try is the system file checker. Open a run dialog box and type "sfc /scannow" without the "s and make sure to put space between the sfc and the / . I have had limited success fixing problems with this method. Other option would be to boot of the XP install CD and choose Install XP on the first option screen then on second scree choose Repair existing installation of XP and then follow on screen instructions. This is kind of like installing XP over itself and should keep all your settings and you should not need to re install all your apps.

Try copying the CD to your HDD and see if you can tell it to grab the files from there too

Did you already apply the SP1 on the XP setup? In that case you'll either have to use a slipstreamed XP CD that includes the service pack OR you can try to point it to your " C:\WINNT\system32\dllcache " or " C:\WINNT\Driver Cache\i386 ".

Is your anti-virus working and up to date? You may have a virus trying to alter system files.

I've seen this problem on a few machines - something may have caught it in a loop where int thinks the files haven't been reset but they have. One possible fix is to use system restore to go back to a restore point before the problem started happening (you won't lose data, but you'll have to re-install any programs you've installed since that date).

Hope this helps...

Did you already apply the SP1 on the XP setup? In that case you'll either have to use a slipstreamed XP CD that includes the service pack OR you can try to point it to your " C:\WINNT\system32\dllcache " or " C:\WINNT\Driver Cache\i386

Yes re SP1. Sorry, I don't understand the rest of what you said.

I'm gonna try the other stuff as soon as I convince my wife to let me mess with her stuff.

I was trying to say to point to one of the two directories that I mentioned when it says "Insert you Windows XP Home Edition CD-ROM now" .... or just create a WinXP CDROM with integrated SP1. You can find a guide here > http://www.windows-help.net/WindowsXP/w ... ootcd.html