Harriet,

In your case,
there is no need to copy the I386 folder to your harddrive.
it's already there in C:\WINDOWS\ServicePackFiles\
-In search you have to tick-System files and Hidden files and folders
The reason why some computers have it as C:\I386 is because the 
installation of XP was made from this folder.
IOW,rather than using the CD, the I386 folder was copied from the CD
to C:\.From there you select setup and install XP
So now the install source is a local folder rather than the CD drive.

Having said that, on occasion it may be handy to have it anyway
if the System asks for some files that were not installed previously.
Normally it asks to insert the XP CD,however with the I386 folder on 
board the source is now C:\I386

See also
http://www.petri.co.il/customize_a_new_xp_installation.htm and scroll to
"Copy the I386 source folder to your HD and change the source path"
This also deals with changing the install source in the registry.

After all this I'm going to tell you that sometimes it's not a good idea
to do this, especially if you have one of the earlier XP CDs.
The I386 folder will be several Service Pack updates behind.
Unless you slipstreamed those into the original and created a updated
XP install CD, the old I386 will give trouble.

If you follow the instructions in the link that Ray Parrish provided
http://www.howtohaven.com/system/createwindowssetupdisk.shtml
it should take care of above concerns.

* To Ray:Thanks for the excellent find - that was the one I was looking 
for - I had it already,but couldn't find it at the time I wrote my 
previous post.

BTW,you can't copy that I386 folder straight to a blank CD
(Well,you can if you use the UDF format,but not in this case)
   you have to burn it as part of the (updated)ISO.

Peter E.


-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [PCSOFT] Slow Computer
From: [log in to unmask]
To: [log in to unmask]
Date: 20-Jun-2008 5:48:04 PM

Hi There  ---
Although I did not need to  have a bootable disk since I have the
original XP, I thought I would copy that  folder like you said.  But I
couldn't find it any where... no matter where  I looked - even in
Search.  So I got my Original CD out and it was on that  CD, yet it
never showed up any where in this computer.  I copied that 1386  folder,
thinking I could make a copy -- stuck a blank CD in there, and MS
wouldn't let me copy the folder.  Is there any other way I can make a
copy  of it since it's not in this computer but only on that CD.   Harriet

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