Windows File Protection
Last Updated: 24 Jan 2002
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*** PLEASE NOTE: Link(s), If Provided, May Be Wrapped ***
Windows 98/ME/2000 have a new feature called SFP or WFP.
• Win98/ME ............... System File Protection
• Win2000 ................ Windows File Protection
This feature is meant to prevent 3rd party applications
from overwriting DLLs and EXEs which Windows considers
to be critical files.
More information can be found here:
• http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/techart/winme.htm
• http://www.microsoft.com/hwdev/sfp/wfp.htm
• http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/psdk/sfp/wfp_8lym.htm
• http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/library/resources/reskit/samplechapters/pref/pref_tts_oqpg.asp
MANAGING WFP
• http://www.jsiinc.com/SUBE/TIP2000/rh2074.htm
• http://www.jsiinc.com/SUBE/TIP2000/rh2075.htm
• http://www.jsiinc.com/SUBE/TIP2000/rh2076.htm
• http://www.jsiinc.com/SUBE/TIP2100/rh2129.htm
• http://www.3dspotlight.com/tweaks/wfp/index.shtml
DISABLE WFP
• http://www.jsiinc.com/SUBF/TIP2500/rh2546.htm
• http://registry.winguides.com/display.php/790/
• http://www.tweaktown.com/document.php?dType=guide&dId=120&dPage=4
If, for some reason, you wish to disable WFP in Win2K,
then here are the steps you must perform:
• Open REGEDIT
• Go to HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
• Create a value called "SFCDisable" (DWORD)
• Enter the following data for this value: 0xFFFFFF9D
• Reboot
Upon REBOOT, your event log should contain the following
message:
"Windows File Protection is not active on this system."
This should be a permanent solution, although I can't
recommend using this. Personally, I like WFP...
PERSONAL NOTES
• It appears that the ability to disable WFP has
disappeared with Service Pack 2 for Windows 2000.
There are ways around this, but I don't recommend them.
