How to remove games from CABS files

[webmaker]

My company does not want employees to play games. When the boss removes the games from the hard drive someone just goes to "ADD/REMOVE" and installs the games again.

How can I remove the games from the CAB files?


Thank you for you help.

[aym]

From where do you want to remove the game? Where are those CAB files located?

[Penguin]

After your Boss removes the game, woudn't someone need the Windows CD in order to reinstall them? If so woudn't you be able to reinstall the CAB files even if you removed them.

I may be wrong, but I thought once you removed a program from windows you needed the CD in order to reinstall. Am I wrong about that?

[aym]

Originally posted by Penguin After your Boss removes the game, woudn't someone need the Windows CD in order to reinstall them? If so woudn't you be able to reinstall the CAB files even if you removed them. I may be wrong, but I thought once you removed a program from windows you needed the CD in order to reinstall. Am I wrong about that?

No you're not wrong, but it seems that those employees have the CD and they reinstall the game everytime.

[aym]

webmaker: we need more info in order to help you.

[Penguin]

aym_7

Then if they are using the CD wouldn't the install put the CAB files right back if he deleted them?

So this all may be a moot point and a new plan of attack my be needed like disabling the CDROM if it really isn't needed.

[DragonNOA1]

You don't NEED the windows cd to re-install games, just the game cds, which the employees probably have. it would be a good thing then to deny access to the cd-rom drive if they are not needed, so ppl couldn't install games. however, doing so may not stop it entirely becaus ethey could get little shareware games like doom, etc off the internet and install them without ever touching the cd-rom drive.

[webmaker]

To answer your quesitons about where the CAB files are; they are on the hard drive (windows/options/cabs). All the PC's come with the OS on the hard drive, as well as all the CAB files.

So my idea is if I know what CAB file has the games I could find some editor that will remove that file from the CAB file, removing only the games.

But I don't know what CAB file contains the games.

Someone said that users could bring a game from outside. Turning off the A: drive in the BIOS removes their ability to install games.

Thanks for everyones help.


Webmaker

[aym]

Some CAB files are protected against editing, others aren't, this is due to the CAB file maker.
You can open unprotected CAB files using WinZip.

But first, you can try windows search to find the game files [start > search], but instead of using the file name field, use "A word or phrase in the file" field to search for the game (you can search for the game's name or its main exe file), if you find a matching CAB file, try to edit it, if you can't, make sure that it's not needed for windows or other programs and delete it.

Disabling drive A won't help, you have to disable all CD drives too.
There is another possible source for this game, maybe they are downloading it from the internet.

[webmaker]

Thanks for your help aym_7.

This PC is not connected to any network. And there is no CD.

So turning off the A drive and removing the Games from the CAB file would end the playing!


Thanks for everyones help.


Webmaker

[Hpro]

Ok here is what you have to do -
On the computers hard drive where you like to remove the games -in the C:\Windows\Options folder - this would be the default folder - created by Windows - may on your computer this is another folder so you have to check out this - double click PRECOPY2.CAB Windows will automatically open the CAB file for view - scroll down to LAYOUT.INF and then select this files and also LAYOUT1.INF and LAYOUT2.INFright click on one of the files and select extract.. A new window will open and let you select the folder where to extract the files to.. I would choose \Windows\Temp .. takes only a second..

Change the folder to where you have extracted the files to..there double click the Layout.inf this will open up the file use you will get a error that notepad can't open it and that Wordpad will open it instead - do that.. then from the EDIT TAB select SEARCH or FIND - type HEARTS and then find - redo the search until either you will find the FILE mshearts.exe=65,,122240 or the Serach comes back and tells you it can't find the file. On my Win98 CDROM it's in the LAYOUT1.INF and this is the cab win98_65.cab the other numbers are just the extracted size..do this for all of the games..

Now you can not uninstall or delete the cab files as the games are spread over quite a few of them - and there are other apps included in those games - so the installer would not be able to install or reinstall other files also if removed.. but what you can do is REMOVE the Precopy.cab from the Options folder and if you like to extend or install some files on the computers then you would need the cdrom to do so.. or just more easy set the attributes of PRECOPY2.CAB to hidden and also as well Rename the file - EX. Precopy2.ca - on each of those computers.. I'm sure the employees will run out of luck to reinstall then..

Note - win98 also places a *.INF for all the GAMES in the \Windows\INF folder so it's necessary to also remove those ones..
Hth

[webmaker]

Hpro,

Thank you so much for your education.

I think what I will do is to rename the PRECOPY files and see if that will stop them from always reinstalling the games.

I knew that someone here would know the tricks!



Webmaker