CDCache Utility for Internet Explorer 4.x

ID: Q199849

The information in this article applies to:

Internet Client SDK, versions 4.0, 4.01

SUMMARY

The Cache Container Tool (Cdcache.exe) is an AutoRun executable file that allows content outside of the cache to be associated with a specified URL, which can be referenced by Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0. This tool allows you to assign a URL that will reference content from another directory or CD-ROM.

This tool originally shipped with the Internet Client SDK for Internet Explorer 4.0. Because Cdcache.exe is not supported for use with Internet Explorer 5 and future versions, this tool is no longer available in any public SDKs. It is provided in the Microsoft Software Library only for legacy use with Internet Explorer 4.0 and 4.01.

NOTE: In addition to not working with Internet Explorer 5, Cdcache.exe does not work with Internet Explorer 4 on Windows 9x systems configured to use personal settings for each user.

MORE INFORMATION

The following files are available for download from the Microsoft Software Library:

cdcache.exe

Cdcachea.exe

Release Date: Sept-10-1997

For more information about downloading files from the Microsoft Software Library, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q119591 How to Obtain Microsoft Support Files from Online Services

The Cdcache.exe download file contains the x86 build of the Cdcache.exe utility. The Cdcachea.exe download file contains the Alpha build of the Cdcache.exe utility.


   FileName               Size
   ---------------------------------------------------------
   Cdcache.exe            39,712 bytes (x86)  / 72,464 bytes (alpha)
   Cdcache.htm            7,508 bytes

The tool creates a cache container in the Internet Explorer persistent URL cache. When a user enters the URL, the browser looks for the resource in the location specified by the cache container.

If an earlier version of Internet Explorer is installed on the computer, a message appears, notifying the user that Internet Explorer 4.0 is required, unless the /NoIE4Msg or /Silent command-line option is used.

Usage

Use the following steps to install a cache container that references a CD-ROM.

Create an Autorun.inf file.

In the Autorun.inf file, enter the following text:
```
[autorun]
open=cdcache.exe
icon=cdcache.exe,1 
```
If you want to use one of the Command-Line Options, add it to the open= line in the Autorun.inf file. The following example would install the cache container without displaying any user interface.
```
[autorun]
open=cdcache.exe /Silent
icon=cdcache.exe,1 
```

In the Autorun.inf file, add one or more entries to create a cache container. This section must contain less than 64K of data. It must be in the following format:
```
[Add.CacheContainer]
<Friendly Name>=<INF Section Name> 
```
The friendly name can be either the name of the company or the name of the product for which the cache container is being created. INF Section Name is the label you will use in the .inf file to define the details of your cache container.

The following example shows an entry for two cache containers: one for Awesome Computers and one for Trey Research.
```
[Add.CacheContainer]
Awesome Computers=AwesomeComp
Trey Research=TreyResearch 
```

In the Autorun.inf file, add a cache container detail section for each cache container defined in the previous step. It must be in the following format:
```
[INF Section Name]
CachePrefix=<string>
CacheRoot=<relative path to the data>
KBCacheLimit=<numerical amount in KB>
AutoDelete=<Yes|No>
IncludeSubDirs=<Yes|No>
VolumeTitle=<string> 
```
- CachePrefix: Determines the URL pattern that the cache container will provide data for. For the cache container to work properly, the pattern cannot end with a slash (/). For example, the URL pattern http://www.awesome_computers.com/ is incorrect. It must be http://www.awesome_computers.com to work properly. The same is true of patterns that include directories. For example, the URL pattern http://www.trey_research.com/awards/ must be set as http://www.trey_research.com/awards.
- CacheRoot: Contains the relative path to the data provided by the cache container. The following replaceable parameters can be used for this entry:
  1. %EXE_DRIVE%: Automatically replaced with the drive letter (including the colon) of the execution path of the Cdcache.exe tool.
  2. %EXE_ROOT% : Automatically replaced with the full directory path of the Cdcache.exe tool.
- KBCacheLimit: Contains the maximum number of kilobytes of data that can be stored in the user's local cache.
- AutoDelete: Determines if the cache container data residing in the user's local cache should be purged after an interval (predetermined by Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0) of non-use.
- IncludeSubDirs: Specifies whether directories residing below the main CacheRoot= should be used to supply cache container data. Without this flag, only resources in the immediate CacheRoot= directory will be used to supply cache container data.
- VolumeTitle: Contains the title or friendly name of the CD-ROM that the container was created for. Currently required for all cache containers. Cache containers setup for a hard drive must include a VolumeTitle set to any string and the hard drive itself must have a label.
The following example shows entries for two cache container detail sections.
```
[AwesomeComp]
CachePrefix=http://www.awesome_computers.com
CacheRoot=%EXE_DRIVE%\data\http\ 
KBCacheLimit=1000
AutoDelete=Yes
IncludeSubDirs=Yes
VolumeTitle=Anything

[TreyResearch]
CachePrefix=http://www.trey_research.com/awards
CacheRoot=%EXE_DRIVE%\data\http\awards\ 
KBCacheLimit=500
AutoDelete=Yes
IncludeSubDirs=Yes
VolumeTitle=TreyResearch 
```

Place the Autorun.inf file at the root directory of the CD-ROM, which contains the content you want to register.

Command-Line Options

The Cdcache.exe tool supports the following command-line options:

/NoIE4Msg: Disables the message that informs the user that Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 is required.

/Silent: Installs all cache containers in the Autorun.inf file without displaying any user interface. This option will also cause it to fail silently.

/Remove: Uninstalls all the cache containers listed in the Autorun.inf file.

/Uninstall: Same as /Remove.

Additional query words:


Keywords          : kbnokeyword kbSDKInet400 kbSDKInet401 kbGrpInet 
Version           : WINDOWS:4.0,4.01
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        :

Last Reviewed: May 8, 1999