Situation:
One of the files from a Symantec program is corrupted, missing, or has an invalid date. You have decided to obtain a fresh copy of the file from the program's installation disks or CD.

Solution:
When Windows reports a file to be corrupted or missing, often the file is not actually missing, and is not corrupted. Windows may be reporting the file as missing because the file cannot be found due to other problems on the system. Before assuming the Windows message is correct, check to see whether the file is on the hard drive. If it is, replacing the file may fix the problem. If replacing the file does not fix the problem, see the section "What to do if replacing the file does not fix the problem."

To get a new copy of a program file, you can either reinstall the program or obtain the file directly from the program's installation disks or CD. Before using a file you copied from the disk or CD, you need to know whether the file is compressed.

Compression formats

The files on the Symantec installation disks and CDs can be in a variety of compressed formats. The filename extension (the three characters of a filename after the period) indicates the format. If the file is not compressed, the last character will not end in an underline or dollar sign. Some typical normal file extensions are exe, inf, stb, txt, sys, cmd, and hlp. Here are some typical compressed formats:

File name ends in an underline character

The file name format is *.??_ . Examples are: Mfc42.dl_ and MyFile.tx_.

If the file name ends in an underline character, such as Symevnt.38_, it was compressed using Microsoft compression. You can uncompress such files with the Microsoft Expand utility.

File name ends in a dollar sign or .zip

The file name format is *.??$ or *.zip. Examples are: Mfc42.dl$, MyFile.tx$, Mfc42.zip, and MyFile.zip.

If the file name ends in a dollar sign, such as Sd32.ex$, or the letters .zip, such as Sd32.zip, it was compressed using PKZIP. You can uncompress it using PKZIP or a similar program such as Winzip. The DOS version of PKZIP is available in the Symantec file libraries on the Symantec FTP site at ftp://ftp.symantec.com/public/english_us_canada/tools/dos. See the PKWARE Web site at http://www.pkware.com for the latest versions for Windows.

File name ends in .cab

The file name format is *.cab. Examples are: Mfc42.cab and MyFile.cab.

If the file name ends in the letters .cab, such as Sd32.cab, it is compressed with the Microsoft Extract utility. You can uncompress it using Extrac32.exe, Extract.exe, or Extractw.exe, whichever is on your system.

How to replace a file

1. Locate the file you want to replace on the hard drive. Make a note of the folder or folders in which you found the file. For example, if the file you want to replace is Symevnt.386, you'll find copies in the \Program Files\Symantec and the \Windows\System folders; you'll need to update the file in both folders.
2. Rename the file. For example, rename Symevnt.386 to Symevnt.old.
   
   NOTE: If you receive a message saying the file is open and you cannot rename it, restart the system to an MS-DOS prompt and rename the file from there. If you are unsure how to restart to an MS-DOS prompt, see How to get to DOS to resolve Norton Utilities problems.
   
3. Look through the Norton Utilities floppy disks or CD for the file you need. To find the file on CD, look in the NU95 folder. To find it on the floppy disks, you may need to look through all five disks. If the file is not compressed, copy it to the original folder on the hard drive. If the file is compressed, the file name will be slightly different on the disk or CD than it is on hard drive (see the section "Compression formats" earlier in this document).
4. Uncompress the file using the appropriate program. For example, to uncompress Symevnt.38_, which is compressed in the Microsoft format, use the Expand command and enter:
   
   expand symevnt.38_ symevnt.386
   
5. After uncompressing the file, copy it to the correct folder or folders on the hard drive. Following the example of Symevnt.386, copy the file to the \Program Files\Symantec and the \Windows\System folders.

Windows may report the file as missing due to a variety of problems other than the file itself. For example, pathing problems, in which Windows cannot find a file that is present on the hard drive, can be caused by missing or incorrect entries in the PATH statement in the Autoexec.bat file, missing or incorrect entries in System.ini, Win.ini, or the Windows registry, or an old version of a program file that was not updated when the other program files were updated. Here are some common solutions for "missing or corrupt" errors seen with Norton Utilities files:

• Perform a clean boot. For instructions on how to do this, see How to perform a clean boot in Windows 95.
• Uninstall; then reinstall Norton Utilities. For instructions on installing from the hard drive, see How to install from the hard disk with a clean boot.
• A Windows 95 message saying a file is missing or corrupted can be caused by registry problems. Try the following:
  • Make sure the Regedit.exe file is dated 7/11/95 or later. Earlier dates indicate that the Regedit.exe file is corrupted, or you are using the wrong version.
  • Try cleaning the registry. To see instructions for this, refer to the Microsoft Knowledge Base document #Q134496 at http://www.microsoft.com/kb.
  • Back up all your data, and back up the registry. Then restore the registry from older backups. To see instructions on how to do this, refer to the Microsoft Knowledge Base document #Q131431 at http://www.microsoft.com/kb

For instructions on expanding Windows files, see article Q129605, How to Extract Original Compressed Windows Files, in the Microsoft Knowledge Base at: http://support.microsoft.com/support.

Document ID: 2000041413531239
Last Modified: 06/06/2005
Date Created: 04/14/2000
Product(s): TS_GEN