How can I
change the default location of the i386
folder?
After
installing Windows 2000 or XP, if I ever
need to add a component to it (like DHCP
etc.) it always asks me for the CD, even
if I copy the i386 files to my local
drive. Can I fix this?
Yes you
sure can.
-
Open
the registry editor and go to
-
Highlight the Setup folder.
-
On the
right pane, locate the SourcePath.
-
Double-click the SourcePath and
replace the drive letter in the box
to C:\ (if you copied the files to
your C:\ drive). Make sure it's C:\
and not C:\i386.
-
Close
the registry editor.
-
If the
system ever needs files from the
i386 folder, it will automatically
look in the C:\i386 folder.
You can
also do the trick with Windows 2000 and
XP Professional client computers that
were installed from a shared folder on
your network, but do not copy the i386
folder to the local drive of each
computer. Instead, copy the i386 folder
to a share located on a network server.
Edit the registry for the Windows 2000
or XP Pro machines and make it point to
the UNC path of the network server.
Also, if
you installed from a RIS server, keep
the RIS server running. Your system is
smart enough to grab the files from the
RIS server when it needs extra files.
This tip
works for service packs too. You'll
notice at the registry string from step
#1 that it says servicepacksourcepath.
Extract the SP from the command prompt
to a folder on your hard drive using the
w2ksp# -x switch, make the path in the
registry where you put the files, and
you won't have to go fishing for service
pack disks again. |