I want to delete and replace a file in my System32 Folders. I want to start doing some experiments in a few days with things like that…
I will start on some older less important XP machines, so as to minimise the damage should something go wrong.
I did already try simply locating the file and deleting it. It appeared to work, - it disappeared from the explorer list. …but
_a) although I could no longer see it, if I tried to replace it I got an error telling me it was already there
_b) on restarting the computer it came back in the explorer list
I googled a bit , and sure enough, it is apparently not straight forward to delete such files.
But it’s also not too difficult either, apparently
The method below is what I was thinking of trying next.
Apparently I need just to do these two commands
cd C:\Windows\System32\
del winhlp32.exe
I can either do those commands
_ in that big black cmd window thing, ( which I already know how to get up),
or
_ I can put those two lines in a text file, save that text file with a .bat extension, then double click on it
I am not in any rush to do this , so I thought I would leave it for a few days, and make this thread and see if anyone has any comments before I go ahead . I don’t need any urgent help. I will pick up this little experiment first in a few days time.
Just any comments would be welcome , such as how bad an idea you think it is, or any alternative ways you know of to do this
Thanks
Alan
_._________
P.S.
Out of interest this is why I am thinking of doing it
In this thread , https://eileenslounge.com/viewtopic.php ... 17#p281561 , the problem was Solved of a winhlp32.exe that will run on any computer and open my .hlp files
_ On all computers , all Operating systems it works like this:
Put that file , anywhere , double click on it, then you navigate to find the .hlp file you want, then away you go
_ Currently on just an XP machine I have another second way: I simply double click on the .hlp file, and it opens.
I am taking a guess that it works this way because it goes and finds that winhlp32.exe
So I would like to do some experiments with deleting and/ or pasting in that winhlp32.exe in places such as the system32 folder, or similar places where it is probably dangerous to do that sort of thing

This second way already works that way on my XP machine. But you know as the old saying goes …. If it aint broken , then Alan will probably brake it in his attempts to figure out what’s going on… “ – I figure out if I can brake and then repair it working on my XP machine then that might help me in my attempts to get this second way working on my other computers.
:)