How to Extract Original Compressed Windows Files

ID: q129605

The information in this article applies to:

SUMMARY

Windows 95 and Windows 98 are available on CD-ROM or floppy disks, both of which contain compressed cabinet files. Internet Explorer 4.0 and later is available on CD-ROM or you can download it from the Web, and it also contains compressed cabinet files. These cabinet files contain the actual Windows or Internet Explorer files. You can use the Extract tool to decompress Windows or Internet Explorer files from the original media, or you can use the new System File Checker or Extract Command Line Helper tool in Windows 98. This article describes how to extract individual files from compressed cabinet files and contains the following sections:

The following sections apply only to Windows 98:
The following section applies only to Internet Explorer 4.0 and 4.01:


MORE INFORMATION

To use the Extract tool, first copy the Extract.exe file from disk 1 to the root folder of drive C if you are using Windows 95. Note that you can skip this step if you are using Windows 98 and you have already created a Windows 98 Startup disk. To create a Windows 98 Startup disk, see the "Using a Windows 98 Startup Disk to Access a CD-ROM and Extract Files" section of this article. To copy the Extract.exe file from disk 1 to the root folder of drive C, type the following command at the MS-DOS prompt

copy <sdrive>:\extract.exe <hdrive>:\

where <sdrive> is the drive that contains the Windows 95 CD-ROM or disk and <hdrive> is your hard disk.

For example:
copy a:\extract.exe c:\

The Extract tool has only a command-line interface (that is, there is no GUI interface). Because Windows does not allow you to delete or overwrite a file that is in use, you may have to restart your computer in Command Prompt Only mode before you can use the Extract tool. If you receive an "Access denied" error message when you try to delete a file before using the Extract tool, or when you use the Extract tool to overwrite an existing file, follow these steps to restart your computer in Command Prompt Only mode and then use the Extract tool:
  1. Click Start, and then click Shut Down.


  2. Click Restart or Restart The Computer, and then click OK or Yes.


  3. If you are using Windows 95, when you see the "Starting Windows 95" message, press the F8 key, and then choose Command Prompt Only. If you are using Windows 98, when you restart your computer, press and hold the CTRL key until you see the Windows 98 Startup menu, and then choose Command Prompt Only.


Location of Cabinet Files

From a CD-ROM:

If you are extracting Windows files from a CD-ROM, all of the cabinet files are located in the Win95 or Win98 folder. For example, if you want to extract a Windows 95 file from the Win95_02.cab file, and the CD-ROM drive is drive D, use the following <cabinet> parameter for the EXTRACT command:
d:\win95\win95_02.cab
If you are extracting Internet Explorer 4 or later files, the cabinet files are located on the Internet Explorer CD-ROM (location varies), or in the "Internet Explorer 4.01 SP2 Setup" folder (Internet Explorer 4.01 SP2) or the "Windows Update Setup Files" folder (Internet Explorer 5) on your hard disk. Note that some Internet Explorer cabinet files may not be present on your hard disk, depending on the download or installation options you selected.

From Disks:

If you are extracting Windows 95 files from disks, use the following table to determine which disk contains the cabinet file you want: 

   Cabinet File    Disk
   -----------------------
   Mini.cab        Disk 1
   Precopy1.cab    Disk 1
   Precopy2.cab    Disk 2
   Win95_nn.cab    Disk nn

For example, if you want to extract a file from the Win95_10.cab file on a disk in drive A, insert disk 10 in drive A and use the following <cabinet> parameter for the EXTRACT command:
a:\win95_10.cab

Extracting Windows Files from an Unknown Cabinet File

Extracting a Single File:

If you do not know which cabinet file contains the Windows file you want to extract, use the following command to search all the cabinet files in sequential order and then extract the file once it is found:
extract /a <cabinet> <filename> /l <destination>

For example, to extract the Unidrv.dll file from disks in drive A into the Windows\System folder on drive C, use the following command:
extract /a a:\win95_02.cab unidrv.dll /l c:\windows\system

The /a switch causes the Extract tool to search all the cabinet files starting with the first cabinet file mentioned on the command line (in this example, Win95_02.cab). Insert the disk containing the first cabinet file mentioned in the appropriate disk drive. You will be prompted to insert additional disks as they are needed. If you are extracting from a CD-ROM you must modify the <cabinet> parameter accordingly to reflect the actual location of the cabinet files.

NOTE: In Windows 98, you should use the Base4.cab file in command lines with the /a parameter.

If the Extract tool cannot find the specified Windows 95 file in any of the cabinet files, the file may be located in the Mini.cab, Precopy1.cab, or Precopy2.cab cabinet file. Use the following two commands to search these cabinet files:
NOTE: The first command searches the Precopy1.cab and the Precopy2.cab cabinet files. The second command searches the Mini.cab cabinet file. If you are extracting from a CD-ROM, you must modify the <cabinet> parameter in these commands accordingly.

Extracting Multiple Files:

To extract multiple files, use the same syntax as above, but use a wildcard designation for the <filename> parameter. For example, to extract all the Windows 95 files with a .txt extension from disks in drive A to the Windows folder on drive C, use the following command:
extract /a a:\win95_02.cab *.txt /l c:\windows

Note that if you are extracting from a CD-ROM, you must modify the <cabinet> parameter in this command accordingly.

Finding Windows Files

Finding a Single File:

You can use the Extract tool to determine which cabinet file contains a particular Windows file. When you use this syntax, the Extract tool searches the cabinet files but does not extract the file once it is found:
extract /a /d <cabinet> <filename>

For example, to find the Windows 95 Unidrv.dll file, starting with the Win95_02.cab file, using disks in the A drive, use the following command:
extract /a /d a:\win95_02.cab unidrv.dll

Finding Multiple Files:

To find multiple files, use the same syntax as above, but use a wildcard designation for the <filename> parameter. For example, to find all the Windows 95 files with a .txt extension using disks in the A drive, use the following command:
extract /a /d a:\win95_02.cab *.txt

Extracting Windows Files from a Known Cabinet File

Extracting a Single File:

If you know which cabinet file contains the file you want to extract, use the following syntax to extract the file:
extract <cabinet> <filename> /l <destination>

For example, to extract the Windows 95 Unidrv.dll file from the Win95_10.cab file on a disk in drive A to the Windows\System folder on drive C, use the following command:
extract a:\win95_10.cab unidrv.dll /l c:\windows\system

Extracting Multiple Files:

To extract multiple files from a cabinet file, use the same syntax as above, but use a wildcard designation for the <filename> parameter. For example, to extract all the Windows 95 files that have a .txt extension from the Win95_06.cab file on a disk in drive A to the Windows folder on drive C, use the following command:
extract a:\win95_06.cab *.txt /l c:\windows\system

Listing the Contents of Cabinet Files

You can use the Extract tool to list the contents of cabinet files without actually extracting any files. To display the contents of a cabinet file, use the following syntax:
extract /d <cabinet>

To display the contents of all the cabinet files in a cabinet chain, starting with the specified cabinet file, use the following syntax:
extract /a /d <cabinet>

For example, to display the contents of all the Windows 95 cabinet files using disks in drive A, starting with the Win95_02.cab file, use the following command:
extract /a /d a:\win95_02.cab

NOTE: The /a switch causes the Extract tool to list the contents of all the cabinet files in the cabinet chain, starting with the first cabinet file mentioned.

Copying Cabinet Files to a Hard Disk

Although you cannot make copies of the original Windows 95 floppy disks using the utilities that are included with Windows 95, you can use the Extract tool to copy cabinet files from a CD-ROM or floppy disk to your hard disk. To do so, use the following syntax:
extract /c <cabinet> <destination>

For example, to copy the Win95_02.cab file from a disk in drive A to the Windows folder on drive C, use the following command:
extract /c a:\win95_02.cab c:\windows

NOTE: You cannot use the /a and /c switches at the same time. Therefore, you cannot copy all the cabinet files using a single command.

Other Optional Switches

For a complete list of the command-line switches for the Extract tool, type "extract" (without quotation marks) at a command prompt.

System File Checker Tool

Windows 98 includes a System File Checker tool. You can use this tool to verify the integrity of your operating system files, to restore them if they are damaged, or to extract compressed files from the Windows 98 CD-ROM. To use System File Checker to extract a compressed file from the Windows 98 CD-ROM, follow these steps:
  1. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click System Information.


  2. On the Tools menu, click System File Checker.


  3. Click "Extract one file from installation disk," type the name of the file you want to extract in the "Specify the system file you would like to restore" box, and then click Start.


  4. In the Restore From box, type the path to the Win98 folder on the Windows 98 CD-ROM, type the destination folder in the Save File In box if necessary, and then click OK.


  5. Click OK, click OK, and then click Yes when you are prompted to restart your computer.


NOTE: If you do not specify a source cabinet (.cab) file in the Restore From box, System File Checker first searches for the file you are extracting in the specified folder (outside of a cabinet file). System File Checker then searches all cabinet files, sorted by MS-DOS directory order, in the specified folder. System File Checker extracts the first instance of the file it finds. To determine the order in which System File Checker searches cabinet files, type "dir" (without quotation marks) at a command prompt in the specified folder.

Using a Windows 98 Startup Disk to Access a CD-ROM and Extract Files

When you install Windows 98, you are prompted to create a Windows 98 Startup disk. A feature included in the Windows 98 Startup disk is support for CD-ROM drives. This may be of benefit if you need to extract a file from the Windows 98 CD-ROM but you are unable to use System File Checker (for example, if your computer does not start properly).

NOTE: The Windows 98 Startup disk provides support for most types of CD-ROM drives, including IDE and SCSI CD-ROM drives, but it may not support your particular CD-ROM drive.

A Windows 98 Startup disk is required to perform the steps in the following sections of this article. If you do not have one, you can create one using any Windows 98-based computer to which you have access. To create a Windows 98 Startup disk, follow these steps:
  1. Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double- click Add/Remove Programs.


  2. Click the Startup Disk tab, click Create Disk, and then follow the instructions on the screen.


How to Start Your Computer with CD-ROM Support and Then Extract Files:

To start your computer with CD-ROM support and then extract files, use the following steps:
  1. Insert the Windows 98 Startup disk in drive A, and then restart your computer.


  2. When the Microsoft Windows 98 Startup menu appears, choose Start Computer With CD-ROM Support.


  3. Insert the Windows 98 CD-ROM in the CD-ROM drive.


  4. To extract files at the command prompt, you can use the information provided earlier in this article, or you can use the Extract Command Line Helper tool. To use Extract Command Line Helper, type "ext" (without quotation marks) at the command prompt, and then follow the instructions on the screen.


Using the Ext.exe Tool to Extract Files

The Ext.exe tool builds a command line for the Extract.exe tool. It is located on the Windows 98 Startup disk.

To extract a file from a .cab file, run the Ext.exe program from your Windows 98 Startup disk, and follow the instructions on the screen to extract the file you want.

Extracting Individual Internet Explorer 4.0 or 4.01 Files

Internet Explorer 4.0 and 4.01 files are stored in cabinet files within cabinet files. Individual files are stored in the Ie4_1.cab through Ie4_5.cab files for Windows 95 and Ie4nt_1.cab through Ie4nt_5.cab files for Windows NT. The Ie4_1.cab through Ie4_5.cab (and Ie4nt_1.cab through Ie4nt_5.cab) files are included in the Ie4_s1.cab through Ie4_s5.cab (and Ie4nt_s1.cab through Ie4nt_s5.cab) files. To extract individual files, you must first extract the Ie4_<n>.cab (or Ie4nt_<n>.cab) file. To do this, type the following command at a command prompt, and then press ENTER
extract ie4_s<n>.cab /e

where <n> is the number of the cabinet file you want to extract.

To extract individual Internet Explorer 4.0 or 4.01 files, follow the appropriate Windows 95 procedure listed earlier in this article using the Ie4_<n>.cab files.

Additional query words: 98 


Keywords          : kbtool win95 win98 
Version           : WINDOWS:4.0,4.01,95
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbhowto

Last Reviewed: July 27, 1999