- Joined
- Oct 25, 2000
- Messages
- 12,533
Does anyone know why Windows 95/98 has 2 system folders, "System" and "System32"?
The "System" folder
- Thread starter Thunderfall
- Start date
Fishheads
Warlord
well in mine *i have windows 2000*
system has imporant needed drivesrs and DLL's
like shell.dll
vga.drv
system 32, and all teh folders under it, hold all those other system files when you install all your other crap
when you safeboot your compuer most of the stuff in system32 doesn't load
and it contains some programs like clipboard, calculator, whatever
can't tell you for sure though
system has imporant needed drivesrs and DLL's
like shell.dll
vga.drv
system 32, and all teh folders under it, hold all those other system files when you install all your other crap
when you safeboot your compuer most of the stuff in system32 doesn't load
and it contains some programs like clipboard, calculator, whatever
can't tell you for sure though
Håkan Eriksson
Commander of the Swedes.
I dont get is why the system folder has to SO very big. My system folder on Windows98 is 277 MB.
penvzila
Prince
- Joined
- Jan 9, 2001
- Messages
- 362
WOW. mine's only 194 mb. I think because there are sooo many dlls and vxds in there. I mean, i have 1,176 objects in my system folder. I never mess with the system folder, though, so im no authority.
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penvzila@yahoo.com
"Freeze or the bunny gets it!"
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penvzila@yahoo.com
"Freeze or the bunny gets it!"
shadowdale
CFC Drunkard
That is the Evil way of Windows - It seems more like a virus that a real system - It keeps getting bigger and bigger...
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S.P.Q.R.
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S.P.Q.R.
My system folder is 235MB, do you load alot of shareware and freeware Håkan Eriksson? I do, and that might be the reason that the folder is so big.
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<FONT face="tahoma">All rights reserved, all wrongs avenged.
ICQ: 744424 TimeZone: ET(-5GMT)</FONT f>
[This message has been edited by PaleHorse76 (edited February 08, 2001).]
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<FONT face="tahoma">All rights reserved, all wrongs avenged.
ICQ: 744424 TimeZone: ET(-5GMT)</FONT f>
[This message has been edited by PaleHorse76 (edited February 08, 2001).]
Hrm, well your system and your system32 folders hold your dll's (but you knew that already). System32 holds your system's 32-bit dll's. That's really the only difference.
Dll's (dynamic link libraries) are basically small programs (or 'libraries' of programs because they usually perform tasks that many programs can use) that can be accessed by any windows program that requests them. They all use a standard interface called COM (component object model) that calls for all these types of programs to have a standard interface format and therefore be accessible by all COM compliant programs. Dll's do not have to be in the system or system32 directory- Microsoft just made these directories as an easy 'reference place' or standard place for programs to store their dll's. Many programs also store their dll's in their working folders or in other places. Of course, the problem is that when you uninstall programs, most uninstallation programs don't clean up the mess they leave behind
The registry is where dll information gets stored. Once you 'register' a dll in the registry, Windows now knows where this particular dll exists so that any programs that call it can access it. And yes, you guessed it, when programs uninstall themselves (or when you just wipe the entire folder for a program) they sometimes do not unregister their dll's. This causes the registry to become huge over time and it slows down system performance because Windows has to parse through a huge registry whenever it's looking for something.
So if you have a lot of programs installed on your computer, chances are your system and/or system32 directory is pretty large. If you used to have a lot of installed software, but have now uninstalled them, you may still have a huge system and/or system32 directory. This is the reason why most people agree that the best way to fix a bloated and corrupted Windows installation is to reformat and reinstall everything. Of course, if you want to try to salvage your windows setup, you can programs like Cleansweep and Regclean to delete all those extraneous files- but you may also break your Windows installation at the same time by deleting important files
Trajan
Dll's (dynamic link libraries) are basically small programs (or 'libraries' of programs because they usually perform tasks that many programs can use) that can be accessed by any windows program that requests them. They all use a standard interface called COM (component object model) that calls for all these types of programs to have a standard interface format and therefore be accessible by all COM compliant programs. Dll's do not have to be in the system or system32 directory- Microsoft just made these directories as an easy 'reference place' or standard place for programs to store their dll's. Many programs also store their dll's in their working folders or in other places. Of course, the problem is that when you uninstall programs, most uninstallation programs don't clean up the mess they leave behind
The registry is where dll information gets stored. Once you 'register' a dll in the registry, Windows now knows where this particular dll exists so that any programs that call it can access it. And yes, you guessed it, when programs uninstall themselves (or when you just wipe the entire folder for a program) they sometimes do not unregister their dll's. This causes the registry to become huge over time and it slows down system performance because Windows has to parse through a huge registry whenever it's looking for something.
So if you have a lot of programs installed on your computer, chances are your system and/or system32 directory is pretty large. If you used to have a lot of installed software, but have now uninstalled them, you may still have a huge system and/or system32 directory. This is the reason why most people agree that the best way to fix a bloated and corrupted Windows installation is to reformat and reinstall everything. Of course, if you want to try to salvage your windows setup, you can programs like Cleansweep and Regclean to delete all those extraneous files- but you may also break your Windows installation at the same time by deleting important files
Trajan
MadMelkor
Warlord
I have used regclean quite a bit but Thank
Obtain Regclean where?
You can obtain Regclean here: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/release.asp?ReleaseID=18924 Use it at your own risk
Trajan
Trajan
Håkan Eriksson
Commander of the Swedes.
Remember this:
System Requirements for Windows RegClean Build 7364.1: Utility for Cleaning Registry Keys.
You must have the updated version of the OLEAUT32.dll. If your system has Internet Explorer version 2.0 or lower, installing Internet Explorer version 3.0 or higher will update the OLEAUT32.dll. If you are using Microsoft Windows NT 3.51 with SP 4 or lower, you will need to install SP 5 in order to update the OLEAUT32.dll.
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This is my cool book:
John Valdez, vladmir_illych_lenin, Thunderfall, shadowdale, stormerne, Stellar Converter
System Requirements for Windows RegClean Build 7364.1: Utility for Cleaning Registry Keys.
You must have the updated version of the OLEAUT32.dll. If your system has Internet Explorer version 2.0 or lower, installing Internet Explorer version 3.0 or higher will update the OLEAUT32.dll. If you are using Microsoft Windows NT 3.51 with SP 4 or lower, you will need to install SP 5 in order to update the OLEAUT32.dll.
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This is my cool book:
John Valdez, vladmir_illych_lenin, Thunderfall, shadowdale, stormerne, Stellar Converter
No, its very wise when you have have something useful to add to the thread, unwise if not (like for nostalgia or spam). Special wisdom points for reviving one of the site owner's threads.
Bah, I wanted to make a remark on the fact that TF hasn't posted in Off-Topic for ages, and that the topic is actually in the wrong forum. 
But that's useless now.
But that's useless now.
Ahem - should this now be in the computer forum? - ahem
joespaniel
Unescorted Settler
edit: removed "joke advice"
WARNING, That described action would trash you system, do not do it. joespanial warned for giving joke advice that some of our dear poster would take seriously. Really, I mean it, I have encounterd users ignorant enough to open an email attachment named virus.exe. Lefty
Sorry Lefty, you are probably correct in predicting someone may actually take that seriously, so I edited it out.
Now, check your e-mail...
Portuguese
Vassalising Spain
Virus.exe could be an interesting flash, so I'm affraid many people (perhaps including myself), would have open it... 
joespaniel
Unescorted Settler
Some of them are warded by ancient curses...
