Windows Installation/cab
Files on a Hard Disk
Last updated: 3/11/02
Q. I have a ton of files in my options\cabs folder.
Can I delete these or do they have to stay there?
A. Usually it's c:\windows\options\cabs for
95 OSR2 and 98 or c:\windows \options\install or c:\windows \options\cabs
for Me? Cab files are compressed files containing one or more files. Microsoft
uses them to store Windows and Applications on CD and floppy disks. These
files, about 90 to 120 MBytes of them, were copied there during the installation
process (see http://duxcw.com/digest/Howto/software/windows/cabs/movecabs.htm)
and then (usually) used to install Windows from them instead of from the
Windows CD. Whenever Windows needs a driver or file it will look for
it there instead of the CD (if the Windows registry is configured correctly).
This will save you the trouble of hunting for the Windows CD every time Windows
needs a file. They can be removed if you have the Windows CD and it works
OK. I would advise not deleting them if you have a manufacturer's recovery
disk and not a separate Windows CD until you have verified that you can in
fact access the cab files on the recovery CD (without doing a recovery). You
may have to point Windows to the CD if it needs a file (or one could change
the registry to point to the CD for the installation files).
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