Problem
Windows* File Protection manages certain system files due to integration with the operating system. Including these files (or other system files) in an installation package can cause damage or cause unpredictable behavior on destination computers.

Environment

Cause

Resolution

Exclude the files listed below from any installation package. Only Windows service packs and other Microsoft-produced installations should modify, replace, remove or move these files. Including any of the files listed below can cause an installation to produce unexpected and undesirable results.

Win16 .DLL files:

• COMMDLG.dll,
• DDEML.dll,
• GDI.dll, KERNEL.dll,
• KEYBOARD.dll,
• LZEXPAND.dll,
• SHELL.dll,
• TOOLHELP.dll,
• USER.dll,
• VER.dll,
• WIN87EM.dll

Win32 .DLL files:

• ADVAPI32.dll,
• COMCTL32.dll,
• COMDLG32.dll,
• DSKAPI32.dll,
• GDI32.dll,
• ICM32.dll,
• IMM32.dll,
• KERNEL32.dll,
• LINKINFO.dll,
• LZ32.dll,
• MSIDLE.dll,
• NTDLL.dll,
• OLE32.dll,
• RICHED32.dll,
• SAGE.dll,
• SCRRUN.dll,
• SHDOCVW.dll,
• SHELL32.dll,
• SHFOLDER.dll,
• SHLWAPI.dll,
• URL.dll,
• USER32.dll,
• VERSION.dll,
• WININET.dll,
• WINMM.dll,
• WINSPOOL.drv,
• WSOCK.dll,
• WSOCK32.dll.

In addition, exclude the WININIT.ini file from any installation.

The WISE.ini file already lists these files (with the exception of SCRRUN.dll) for exclusion from any installation. You can add other files to this list, always ending with a comma, and thus delimiting them.

Additionally, the following files might cause problems:

ATL.dll, COMCAT.dll, CTL3D32.dll exist in different versions for Windows 9x platforms and Windows NT/2000 platforms. MSIMG32.dll exists in different versions for Windows 98/NT and Windows Me/2000 platforms. When installing the wrong file various problems might occur. ATL.dll and CTL3D32.dll may prevent Windows from booting, and incorrect versions of COMCAT.dll damage Visual Basic.

For more information on Windows File Protection, see the following Microsoft article:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;222193