Windows – essential Windows files located

file managementwindows 7windows xpwindows-vista

I am using a Vista but I would like the answer for XP, Vista and Windows 7.

I am writing a program where I want to count the Important or Essential files of the Windows PC. It looks like the Essential files would be located somewhere in C:/Windows and after some research I found that some Essential files are located in C:/Windows/winsxs.

What and where are the Essential files for a Windows PC? Is there a folder or set of folders that contain the essential files? Are all the files in C:/Windows/winsxs Essential?

Essential Definition: Absolutely necessary; extremely important; Edit: Files that should generally not be messed with, changed or removed; The files that make up basic Windows OS functions and are not related to the users Programs or Documents.

Best Answer

For all 3 OS's, most of the essential OS files are in %SYSTEMROOT%.

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For non-natively supported file types the Windows Shell needs shell extension handlers (sort of a plugin) to extend some of the Shell functionality to these file types.

Under Windows XP or earlier, the Shell uses the called Column Handler extension to show files metadata in the Windows Explorer details view columns.

Since Vista, the Shell uses the more versatile Property (or Metadata) Handler. This extension is also used to show and edit the files metadata on the Windows Explorer details pane and file properties details tab, and to show metadata on many other file dialogs (file delete confirmation, etc.). It's also required to have these files metadata indexed by the Windows Search indexer. The indexer may also use a IFilter extension to index the files text content.

The PDF file type is not natively supported by the Windows Shell (this has not changed in Windows 8.x, nor Windows 10), so you will need to install a PDF Property Handler in order to access the PDFs metadata.

I develop a commercial tool, the PDF-ShellTools, that provides the Windows Shell with a PDF Property Handler.

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