Add/Remove Windows Components (WinXp Home)

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I am running WinXP Home upgrade on a Gateway system, Pentium II 350, with 256 RAM. I am the system administrator and I am logged in as the system administrator. In an attempt to change some of the Windows components (remove more that I never use) I received the following error message:

“Setup was unable to open information file optional.inf. Contact your system administrator. Specific error code 0x2 at line 2011806598.”

I searched the KB for error 0x2 and received “Err Msg: “Failed Getting User Configuration, Error = 2 (0x2)” When Using the TSPROF Command (Q236988)” recommending that I install the Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 6a.

I am concerned as to whether this is the proper solution since I have XP and not NT. I understand that XP is based on NT programming, but just being carefull. Would there be another solution? Maybe reinstalling XP on top of itself?

It is not an urgent issue as yet, but I would like to have control over the settings in my own system. Thanks for anyone’s help on the issue. Woody’s Lounge is definitely the ultimate source.

Andrew

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Well, even if you did decide that NT Service Pack 6a was the solution you’d play hell installing it, since it will check the OS and refuse to run.

There are no service packs for XP yet. But what I would check is to see that the referenced file even exists, first off. Click on the taskbar and press F3 to open a search dialog, and make sure you tell it to look at hidden files and folders along with everything else.

XP offers the SFC utility which I seem to harp on a lot – entering SFC /SCANNOW will result in the operating system checking all of its protected files. Have your CD handy because it will probably ask for it.

If you can avoid it, don’t re-install Windows on top of itself. There are several recovery methods available to prevent the need for this, and I would consider that a “last resort” kind of action.

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I searched for the optional.inf file, making sure that all hidden and system files were searched, and came up with nothing. It is not on the system. I also ran SFC /SCANNOW, as suggested, and it made no change in the system.

I did not and have not installed the NT Service Pack 6a because I am fully aware of the differences between OSs. The reason for the reference is because that is the resolution provided by searching the KB for my error type in the WIN XP directory.

As it stands, I still receive the same error and do not have any control over my Windows components. Any new suggestions?

Andrew

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Hmmmmmph. Interesting. If you don’t mind, please document exactly what steps you take that reproduce the error. I did a bit of experimenting here and wasn’t able to get the same problem to appear.

Check the Event Viewer. Anything of use there? Even if it’s clear as mud, an error might help.

Do you have the file SYSOC.INF in the WINDOWSINF folder?

Lastly, try running a thorough disk check to see if by some odd coincidence the file is on a part of the disk that has an error.

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Steps to create the problem:
Start Menu–>Control Panel–>Add/Remove Programs–>Change Windows Components

Error Message: Windows Setup “Setup was unable to open information file optional.inf. Contact your system administrator. the specific error code is 0x2 at line 2011806598. The application could not be initialized.”

I also attempted going through the “Control Panel” at “My Computer”, then into “Performance and Maintenance”, then to “free up space on your hard disk.” This started Disk Cleanup with the option to Cleanup Windows Components. This option produced the exact same error.

I do have the sysoc.inf file in my windows/inf folder. While there I also found a file: optional.PNF; tried copying it and renaming it to optional.inf but this did not help.

I looked through the Event Viewer and could not find any information relating to the problem. Even reproduced the problem and then searched the Event Viewer, but there were no entries that matched the time of the problem.

No errors have been detected on the disk. The file optional.inf is not on the disk anywhere. I assume that is the cause of the problem.

Would there be serious problems if this file were copied from another computer and inserted into the Windows/inf folder? Just a thought. I am certainly open to suggestions.

Again, this is not an immediately serious problem, I would just like to have control back regarding my Windows Component settings. Thanks for all your help.

Andrew

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